Systematic monitoring identified a high incidence of hypopituitarism following combined ipilimumab plus nivolumab therapy for metastatic melanoma

Description

Hasan, Samlowski, and Nakhle reported in twenty twenty-six that careful monitoring found many cases of pituitary failure after combined immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma. The drug pair ipilimumab plus nivolumab improves survival but often triggers immune side effects. Hormone gland damage is one such effect, and its timing was poorly known.

The team screened patients every three to four weeks during first-line treatment. Among fifty-nine patients, about forty-four percent developed a hormone disorder. About nineteen percent had pituitary failure and twenty-five percent had thyroid failure starting in the gland itself. Onset came during or soon after treatment in nearly all cases. Hormone replacement let patients continue therapy, and only one needed hospital care. The authors strongly advise routine checks of both glands.

Catalog record

Source: https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13193898