Immune checkpoint inhibitors in pediatric patients with melanoma: a systematic literature review

This study summarized the existing evidence on the outcomes and safety of anti-PD-1s, anti-PD-L1s and anti-CTLA-4s in pediatric patients with melanoma. MEDLINE and Embase were searched from database inception to 01-12-2023. Of 1537 records identified, 27 studies (k) of 64 patients were included. Most studies were case reports (k = 16). All studies used anti-PD-1s (nivolumab, pembrolizumab) alone or anti-CTLA-4s (ipilimumab). Survival outcomes (k = 7), response outcomes (k = 15) and adverse events (k = 16) varied. Safety profiles of anti-PD-1s and anti-CTLA-4s were broadly similar to that seen in adults. Despite scarce, heterogenous data, this review can be a reference for clinicians. Future clinical trials should include adolescents to grow the evidence base on immune checkpoint inhibitors in pediatric melanoma.