Phase 2 trial of nivolumab plus ipilimumab for advanced salivary gland cancer

Salivary gland cancers (SGCs) are aggressive cancers without effective treatments when metastasized. A phase 2 trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY) evaluated the combination of nivolumab (anti-PD-1) and ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) for metastatic SGC. The trial showed that the combination had limited efficacy in the cohort of patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma histology, but had promising activity in the cohort of patients with other histologies. Treatment-related adverse events grade ≥ 3 occurred in 38% of patients.