Opdivo ( nivolumab) is an immunotherapy cancer treatment that stimulates the patient’s immune system to fight their cancer. As an immune checkpoint inhibitor, Opdivo activates the immune system from being dormant and blocks cancer causing proteins from developing. This treatment is currently approved for the treatment of several cancers, including lung, melanoma, kidney, head and neck, various bladder cancers, liver cancer, colon cancer and Hodgkin Lymphoma. In this video, medical oncologist Dr. Stephen Lemon explains how Opdivo works, as well as what types of side effects it may cause.
Opdivo is developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Dr. Stephen Lemon MD is a medical oncologist who works for the Overlake Hospital Cancer Treatment Center in Bellevue, WA.