Leveraging immunotherapy for the treatment of gynecologic cancers in the era of precision medicine

• Cancers evolve mechanisms for evading and suppressing the immune system
• A number of different immunotherapy approaches have been used and show promise in gynecologic cancers
• Emerging data reveal durable responses in some patients with gynecologic cancers

During the past decade significant progress in the understanding of stimulatory and inhibitory signaling pathways in immune cells has reinvigorated the field of immuno-oncology. In this review we outline the current immunotherapy based approaches for the treatment of gynecological cancers, and focus on the emerging clinical data on immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapies, and vaccines. It is anticipated that in the coming years biomarker-guided clinical trials, will provide for a better understanding of the mechanisms of response and resistance to immunotherapy, and guide combination treatment strategies that will extend the benefit from immunotherapy to patients with gynecologic cancers.