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Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy51 stimulates your body’s natural defence system (your immune system) to help fight the cancer. It has transformed melanoma treatment over the last decade, giving many people options that didn’t previously exist. A number of different medications are available, some of which can be used on their own (monotherapy) or together (combination therapy).

How immunotherapy works

Melanoma cells can effectively “hide” from your immune system, which allows them to grow unchecked. Immunotherapy drugs work by helping your immune system recognise those cancer cells and attack them. It is most often used for melanoma that has spread or that cannot be removed with surgery, and several immunotherapy treatments are now available on the NHS.

Immunotherapy drugs used for melanoma

  • Ipilimumab (Yervoy®): a treatment for people with advanced melanoma that has spread or can’t be removed using surgery. Ipilimumab is given by injection directly into a vein (intravenously) over a 90-minute period, every three weeks, for a total of four doses.
  • Nivolumab (Opdivo®): used to treat melanoma that has spread or can’t be removed using surgery. Nivolumab is given by injection and can be used either on its own or in combination with ipilimumab. It’s given by intravenous injection over a 60-minute period, every two weeks.
  • Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®): used for the treatment of advanced melanoma in adults that has spread or can’t be treated with surgery. Pembrolizumab is given by intravenous injection over 30 minutes, every three weeks.

Which medication is right for you — and whether it’s given on its own or in combination — depends on your individual situation. Your cancer specialist or clinical nurse specialist will talk this through with you.

Side effects

Because immunotherapy works by activating your immune system, it can sometimes cause it to affect healthy parts of the body too, leading to side effects. These vary from person to person and depend on the specific treatment you’re having. Your medical team will explain what to look out for, monitor you closely throughout treatment, and support you in managing any side effects that arise. It’s important to report any new symptoms to your team promptly, as many side effects are more easily managed when picked up early.

Questions to ask your doctor about immunotherapy

  • Why is immunotherapy recommended for me?
  • How long will I be on treatment for?
  • Do I need to go to the hospital to have my treatment?
  • How will I know if the treatment is working?
  • What side effects could I experience? How will they be managed?
  • Are there any long-term side effects?

Immunotherapy and your treatment plan

Whether immunotherapy is offered to you — and which type — often depends on the stage of your melanoma and on whether it carries certain gene changes. If a BRAF mutation is found, you may instead be offered targeted therapy. Our guide to melanoma treatment by stage explains what’s usually considered at each stage.

You’re not facing this alone

Starting a treatment like immunotherapy can bring up a lot of questions and emotions. Whatever stage you’re at, our melanoma support team and community are here to help, and you can read real patient stories from others who’ve been through immunotherapy themselves. 💛

Click HERE for a full list of REFERENCES numbers listed throughout the site (nos. 1–58)

Available Treatments

Treatment By Stage

The treatment your team recommends depends heavily on the stage of your melanoma, from stage 0 through to stage 4. Our stage-by-stage guide explains what each one means and the options usually considered at each.
Treatment By Stage

Targeted Therapies

Targeted therapies work on specific genetic changes inside melanoma cells — most commonly in a gene called BRAF — which is why you may be offered a BRAF test. They're an option for people whose melanoma carries these changes.
Targeted Therapies

Surgery for Melanoma

For most people with melanoma, surgery is the first and main treatment — and often the only one needed when the melanoma is found early. It involves removing the melanoma along with a margin of surrounding skin, and sometimes checking nearby lymph nodes.
Surgery for Melanoma
Stage IV Melanoma Treatment Options Decision Guide

Stage IV Melanoma Guide

This booklet is for anyone diagnosed with — or being evaluated for — stage 4 melanoma, the most advanced stage, where the melanoma has spread beyond where it started. It's designed to help you understand and weigh up your treatment options.
Stage IV Melanoma Guide
Second opinion from DR or Melanoma

Second Opinion

It's completely normal to want reassurance about your diagnosis or treatment plan, and you have every right to ask for a second opinion. It won't offend your medical team — it's a recognised part of your care.
Second Opinion
radiotherapy treatment for melanoma

Radiotherapy for Melanoma

Radiotherapy uses carefully targeted radiation to treat melanoma. It isn't used as often as surgery or drug treatments, but it can play a role in certain situations, such as treating melanoma that has spread.
Radiotherapy for Melanoma

Other Therapies

Some less common treatments, such as isolated limb infusion (ILI) and isolated limb perfusion (ILP), may be recommended when melanoma is confined to one area, such as an arm or leg. These deliver treatment directly to the affected limb.
Other Therapies

Learn about BRAF – watch our video

Around half of people diagnosed with melanoma have a change in their cancer cells called a BRAF V600E gene mutation. Watch our short video to understand what BRAF means and why it matters for your treatment options.
Learn about BRAF – watch our video

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy works by helping your own immune system recognise and attack melanoma cells. It's often used for melanoma that has spread or has a higher risk of returning, and several immunotherapy treatments are now available on the NHS.
Immunotherapy
Removal of Melanoma

Excision

Local excision is where the abnormal mole or area of skin is removed and sent to a laboratory for testing. It's a relatively simple operation and is often the first step in diagnosing and treating melanoma.
Excision

Next Steps

Follow up appointments with your GP after Melanoma

FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS

Your follow-up care depends on the stage of the melanoma. Follow-up appointments allow your doctor to monitor for possible recurrence of the melanoma.
FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS
Aftercare advice to follow after Melanoma

MELANOMA AFTER CARE

It’s important to regularly check yourself for any signs of melanoma. As you have already been diagnosed with melanoma, you are at a higher than average risk of having another melanoma in the future.
MELANOMA AFTER CARE

MELANOMA FURTHER TESTS

If the initial biopsy shows melanoma, you may need further tests. Understanding the extent of the melanoma can help your doctor decide the best treatment option for you.
MELANOMA FURTHER TESTS

MELANOMA SKIN BIOPSY

If your doctor does find a suspicious mole, a sample of tissue is removed (a biopsy) for examination under a microscope. The doctor first numbs the skin with an injection of a local anaesthetic
MELANOMA SKIN BIOPSY
Getting diagnosed for Melanoma

GETTING DIAGNOSED WITH MELANOMA

See your doctor if you develop a new mole or notice a change in an existing mole or area of your skin (including under your nail). Even if you’re worried about what this might be, you shouldn’t delay seeing them. It might not be cancer.
GETTING DIAGNOSED WITH MELANOMA