| Gynecologic cancers account for approximately 11% of the newly diagnosed cancers in
women in the United States and for 18% globally. The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes
(TILs) influences the clinical outcome of cancer patients and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs),
including anti programmed cell death protein-1 (anti-PD-1), anti-programmed death-ligand 1
(anti-PD-L1), and anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (anti-CTLA-4), which have been approved
for treating different types of malignancies. Antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint have
shown dynamic and durable tumor regressions, suggesting a rebalancing of the host–tumor
interaction. There are several the US food and drug administration (FDA)-approved ICIs targeting
PD-1, including pembrolizumab and nivolumab, as well as those targeting PD-L1, including
avelumab, atezolizumab, and durvalumab for melanoma, renal cell cancer, colorectal cancer, head
and neck cancer, cervix cancer, urothelial cancer, and lung cancer. Current pre-clinical and clinical
studies assessing PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in several gynecologic cancers have reported significant
antitumor activity. In this review, we investigate pre-clinical and clinical studies that describe the
safety and efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, with a particular focus on ongoing clinical trials,
analyzing the oncological outcome and adverse effects of ICIs in gynecologic cancers. |