Targeted therapies and immunotherapy for melanoma

Targeted therapies target certain parts of cancer cells that make them different from other cells. In other words, they take advantage of differences between normal cells and cancer cells.

Different types of targeted therapies work in different ways. For example, cancer growth inhibitors block the chemical signals that trigger cancer cells to divide and grow. 

Examples used for melanoma are:

Immunotherapy helps your body’s immune system to work better to fight cancer cells. Immunotherapy works on special white blood cells called T-cells, whose job it is to help your immune system fight disease and infection. Read more about immunotherapy.

There two types of immunotherapy most commonly used to treat melanoma - Anti-PD-1 drugs and CTLA 4 inhibitors.

Anti PD-1 drugs and CTLA 4 inhibitors

These are immunotherapy drugs that target proteins called PD1 and CTLA 4, which are found on the surface of T-cells. T-cells help your immune system fight disease and infection.

PD1 and CTLA 4 help to switch off or slow down the immune system. Normally, they do this to stop the T-cells from working once a disease, infection or bacteria is cleared from the body. 

Giving anti-PD 1 and CTLA4 inhibitors keep the immune system from switching off, so the T-cells keep working to fight the cancer.

Immunotherapy drugs are given to patients in a specialist cancer unit via a drip.

Side-effects of anti PD-1 and CTLA 4 inhibitors

• Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
• Skin rashes
• Diarrhoea
• Hormonal imbalances.
• Flu-like symptoms, like chills, fever, joint pain and headaches.
• Depression

Side-effects are usually mild and are caused by your immune system working hard to fight cancer. Usually the side-effects disappear once the treatment is over.