Immune checkpoint inhibitors in gynecological cancers: a narrative review on the practice-changing trials.

Abstract

During the last decades, the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors has radically changed the treatment landscape of several cancer types, improving the prognosis and the quality of life of cancer patients. Even for gynecological cancers, where the prognosis has historically been poor despite advancements in surgery, radiotherapy and oncological treatment, immunotherapy has represented a significant leap forward. In cervical and endometrial cancer, the introduction of immunotherapy has radically changed the treatment algorithm, especially for advanced disease. However, the scenario remains less promising for ovarian cancer, where, despite extensive research efforts, no consistent positive results have been achieved with immune checkpoint inhibitors, except for a few cases in rarer histological subtypes Here, we present a narrative review summarizing the most important practice-changing studies involving immune checkpoint inhibitors in gynecological cancers, particularly in cervical, endometrial, ovarian and vulvar cancer.