Nursing Management of Patients With Metastatic Melanoma Receiving Ipilimumab

A 46-year-old Caucasian male named N.M. was diagnosed in March 2002 with melanoma of the trunk. The melanoma was resected and a left axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy was negative for malignant cells. Three years later, melanoma recurred to the left axillary lymph nodes, which were subsequently dissected. No adjuvant therapy was administered. In November 2007, a computed tomography (CT) scan showed multiple lesions (2-6 cm) in the abdomen wall, peritoneum, and small bowel, and a mass of 10 cm in the left axillary region. N.M. was enrolled into a phase III trial and received 850 mg/m2 dacarbazine plus 10 mg/kg ipilimumab at weeks 1, 4, 7, and 10, followed by dacarbazine alone every three weeks through week 22.