Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41527622›Full record

ReviewCureus2025

Checkpoint Inhibitors and Beyond: A Systematic Review of Immunotherapy in Cutaneous Malignancies.

Yasir Rashid, Kartika Devi S, Tomas Faustino Gonzalez-Espinosa, Juhi Jain, Mujahed Dalain, Rayyan Baig, Giuseppe Antonio D'Amico, Adetola G Mowo-Wale, Mariia Khomchenko, Nima Baby and 3 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Yasir RashidDepartment of Dermatology, Al-Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, IRQ.
Kartika Devi SDepartment of Dermatology, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, IND.
Tomas Faustino Gonzalez-EspinosaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, American British Cowdray Medical Center, Mexico City, MEX.
Juhi JainDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, Birmingham, GBR.
Mujahed DalainFaculty of Medicine, University of Latvia, Riga, LVA.
Rayyan BaigDepartment of Dermatology, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, SAU.
Giuseppe Antonio D'AmicoDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico "G. Martino", Messina, ITA.
Adetola G Mowo-WaleDepartment of Internal Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, Sagamu, NGA.
Mariia KhomchenkoDepartment of Pulmonology, Charles University, Prague, CZE.
Nima BabyDepartment of Internal Medicine, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, GBR.
Dana YateemDepartment of Medicine, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, Shrewsbury, GBR.
Axel DuhamelDepartment of Internal Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, ITA.
Ramsha AliDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, People's University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women, Nawabshah, PAK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Skin cancers represent a major health concern, and there is a need for more effective treatment approaches, among which immune checkpoint inhibitors have become a particularly important recent development. This study aimed to explore the efficacy and tolerability of immune checkpoint inhibitors, intratumoral immunotherapies, targeted agents, and their combinations in advanced cutaneous malignancies. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-conform review of PubMed (2012-2024) identified 26 studies, including randomized trials, observational cohorts, network meta-analyses, and systematic reviews, evaluating checkpoint inhibitors, anti-PD-1/PD-L1and anti-CTLA-4. Outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), biomarkers, and treatment-related adverse events. This meta-analysis of 26 studies (2012-2024) evaluated treatments for cutaneous malignancies, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), and Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), covering systemic immunotherapies (PD-1, CTLA-4), combination checkpoint inhibitors, and novel approaches like IL-12 electroporation. Melanoma: PD-1 therapies showed durable benefits; ipilimumab retreatment yielded 42% two-year survival. MCC: Avelumab achieved a median OS of 12.9 months. cSCC: Nivolumab PFS 8.2 months; cemiplimab 12-month PFS >53%. Targeted therapy: BRAF/MEK inhibitors reached OS ~33 months. Emerging strategies: TIL-based and neoadjuvant immunotherapy showed high pathological and durable responses. Overall, combination therapies consistently outperformed monotherapies in survival and response. Adverse events were common, especially with combination therapy, with severe immune-related toxicities reported in 30-59% of cases, while monotherapies were generally safer. Overall, immunotherapy offers substantial, often long-lasting benefits, though careful patient selection and monitoring are essential to balance efficacy and toxicity. Combination immunotherapies and targeted regimens are more effective for advanced melanoma, although they have increased toxicity.

Indexed as

braf/mek inhibitorscheckpoint inhibitorscutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cscc)immunotherapy: melanomamerkle cell carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID41527622
PMCPMC12790698

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.