Sustained Immunotherapy Response in Metastatic Brain Melanoma Through 2 Pregnancies

BACKGROUND Metastatic brain melanoma is a deadly form of cancer with a high mortality rate and short overall survival. Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors is the first treatment option for BRAF wild-type patients. Pregnancy is the exclusion criterion for immunotherapy and may promote the progression of melanoma. This report shows the long-lasting response of a patient with metastasis in multiple locations, including the brain, to immunotherapy and radiotherapy, who delivered 2 healthy boys during the disease. CASE REPORT A 39-year-old woman was diagnosed with BRAF(-)/NRAS(+) skin melanoma, pT2bN2aM0 (IIIB). Due to pregnancy, she did not receive adjuvant therapy. Upon delivery, the disease manifested with multiple extracranial and symptomatic brain metastasis. She was treated with whole-brain radiation and immunotherapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab followed by nivolumab. A partial response of the brain metastases and an extracranial complete response were observed. During the immunotherapy, she became pregnant and the therapy was discontinued. She was under regular medical surveillance, during which she delivered a healthy boy. The last CT scan and magnetic resonance brain examination showed a maintenance response for 43 months after initiation of immunotherapy and 31 months after therapy completion. CONCLUSIONS A long-lasting response to radiotherapy and interrupted immunotherapy is possible in the case of symptomatic metastatic brain melanoma developing during pregnancy, and healthy deliveries are possible despite the mother's progressive melanoma or exposure of the fetus to nivolumab (first trimester).