What type of cancer is Nivolumab primarily used to treat?

Nivolumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that targets the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptor on T cells, enhancing the immune system's ability to fight cancer. While it is effective in treating several types of cancer, it is primarily known for its use in melanoma. Melanoma, a type of skin cancer, has historically been associated with poor outcomes when detected at advanced stages. Nivolumab has demonstrated significant clinical benefit in improving overall survival rates in patients with advanced melanoma, as it can stimulate a more robust immune response against melanoma cells.

While Nivolumab is also approved to treat other cancers such as lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and certain types of Hodgkin lymphoma, its initial and most prominent use has been in melanoma, which makes it particularly recognized for this cancer type in the context of immunotherapy advancements.