Responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors in nonagenarians

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy
• Geriatric Medicine

Background:

• Melanoma incidence is rising, particularly in the elderly.
• Elderly patients with advanced melanoma historically have poor outcomes.
• Limited data exists on immunotherapies in geriatric populations due to trial underrepresentation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in nonagenarians with metastatic melanoma.
• To present clinical cases of very elderly patients receiving advanced cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series of three consecutive nonagenarians (≥90 years old).
• Treatment involved single-agent or combination immune checkpoint inhibitors.
• Clinical course and outcomes were closely monitored.

Main Results:

• Two patients achieved complete or partial responses.
• One patient tolerated therapy well with no significant response noted.
• Observed safety profiles were acceptable across all patients.

Conclusions:

• Immune checkpoint inhibitors may be tolerated and beneficial in very elderly patients with advanced melanoma.
• Close monitoring is crucial for managing treatment in this demographic.
• These findings support further investigation of immunotherapies in geriatric cancer patients.