Despite rapid improvements in the treatment of cutaneous melanoma, there has been little advance in therapy for uveal melanoma with hepatic metastases, an fatal orphan disease with no established therapy. Studies by Dr. Sato and others have described some activity for selective internal radiation with Yttrium90 microspheres (SIR-Spheres).There is limited activity as single agents for both the immunotherapy drugs ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) and nivolumab (anti-PD-1). In cutaneous melanoma the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab is clearly synergistic with improvement in response rates and progression-free survival over single agents; however this has yet to be established for uveal melanoma.~Recent experimental and clinical evidence suggests additional synergy between radiation therapy and immunotherapy. This synergy seems most evident when radiation is given through large fraction stereotactic treatments or brachytherapy. The investigators will explore this synergy with a feasibility study of 18 patients who will receive SirSpheres Yttrium-90 selective internal radiation given through the hepatic artery in two treatments followed by immunotherapy with the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab. The immunotherapy will be given with the dose and schedule that has been established and FDA-approved for cutaneous melanoma. Because of the generally low toxicity of Yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy the investigators feel it can be given in full dosage prior to full dosage of immunotherapy.
Reports to date show limited efficacy of immunotherapy for uveal melanoma. Recent experimental and clinical evidence suggests synergy between radiation therapy and immunotherapy. The investigators will explore this synergy with a feasibility study of 26 patients with uveal melanoma and hepatic metastases who will receive SirSpheres Yttrium-90 selective internal hepatic radiation followed by immunotherapy with the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab.