Where are your current experiences with immunotherapy?

Thank you!

I was diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma, stage 3, with a mismatch of two of the 4 mismatch repair proteins. This showed that in research studies chemotherapy and radiation were not effective treatment but immunotherapy could have a dramatic effect. I went to MD Anderson to have their input. They prescribed immunotherapy for a year. I then had the immunotherapy at my local oncology center. The infusions were for a year, every two weeks with Nivolumab and then Ipilimumab added every 4th week. I finished this protocol on Feb 28, The following endoscopy with biopsy and the PET scan showed no signs of cancer. Next week I get a 3 month endoscopy and PET scan followup.
As far as immunotherapy symptoms go, I had some fatigue and more markedly, itchy skin with some little scabs, caused by the itchiness itself and my scratching.. It was annoying and I appreciated dry brushing and oatmeal-washing soaps. It wasn't bad enough to make me want to take cortisone. I occasionally took a benadryl which helped some. I still have itchy skin, although less so. all in all, I was happy to get the immunotherapy, since side effects are usually much less then with chemotherapy. My best wishes in your treatment plan.

@libbybob, what, if any, treatment are you on now? How are you doing?

While i cannot answer your inquiry regarding PDL1 tumor expression, it is my understanding that Opdivo was not approved for my type/stage of cancer until a couple of months after my initial treatment commenced. So, when it returned in 2 new locations it was then available to use in combination with chemo. In terms of side effects I initially had some mild itching, followed by a gradual increase in frequency of diarrhea. In the final 11 months of Opdivo treatments the grading of the SE rose to severe and treated as colitis even with high doses of prednisone. It should be noted that it was my choice to continue the Opdivo treatments with very close monitoring by my docs until I decided to quit. Subsequently, the prednisone was replaced by budesinide and the symptoms reversed to normal in about 3 to 4 months. While I have had osteoarthritis for years since young adulthood, joint and bone pain also increased during Opdivo use although mediated by the steroids. Pre-existing AMD vision issues seemed to be exacerbated by the length of immunotherapy treatments, but a direct correlation cannot be confirmed. Upon rereading this reply my history seems dreadful, but it was manageable with careful day to day planning. During my treatment journey my husband was diagnosed with early-stage dementia and I can declare that my cancer journey is and has not been as difficult as the dementia journey or my role as a dementia partner.