Stereotactic Radiation Therapy and Ipilimumab in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

This phase II trial studies the effectiveness of the combination of stereotactic radiation therapy and ipilimumab in patients with metastatic melanoma that has spread to four or fewer sites in the body (oligometastatic). Stereotactic radiation therapy is a type of external beam radiation therapy that uses special equipment to position the patient and precisely give a either a single large dose of radiation therapy to a tumor or several large doses of radiation therapy to a tumor using precision and accuracy that is guided by onboard daily imaging prior to radiation therapy. Monoclonal antibodies, such as ipilimumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some monoclonal antibodies find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Giving stereotactic radiosurgery together with ipilimumab may kill more tumor cells by causing addition melanoma antigens to be presented to the immune system.