Immune-related adverse events of immune checkpoint inhibitors and the impact of sex—what we know and what we need to learn

Objective: Obese and overweight body mass index (BMI) categories have been associated with increased immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients with cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs); however, the impact of being overweight in conjunction with related metabolic syndrome-associated factors on irAEs have not been investigated. We aimed to evaluate the impact of overweight and obese BMI according to metabolic disease burden on the development of irAEs. Design and Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of patients receiving ICIs at a cancer center. Our main study outcome was development of grade 2 (moderate) irAEs. Our main predictor was weight/metabolic disease risk category: (1) normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2)/low metabolic risk (<2 metabolic diseases [diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension] ), (2) normal weight/high metabolic risk (2 metabolic diseases), (3) overweight (BMI 25 kg/m2)/low metabolic risk, and (4) overweight/high metabolic risk. Results: Of 411 patients in our cohort, 374 were eligible for analysis. Overall, 111 (30%) patients developed grade 2 irAEs. In Cox analysis, overweight/low metabolic risk was significantly associated with grade 2 irAEs (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.0, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.2-3.4) when compared to normal weight/low metabolic risk, while overweight/high metabolic risk (HR: 1.3, 95% CI: 0.7-2.2) and normal weight/high metabolic risk (HR: 1.5, 95% CI: 0.7-3.0) were not. Conclusions: Overweight patients with fewer metabolic comorbidities were at increased risk for irAEs. This study provides an important insight that BMI should be evaluated in the context of associated metabolic comorbidities in assessing risk of irAE development and ICI immune response.

Download Full-text

Oral adverse events in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.e15106 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e15106-e15106

Author(s):

Yuanming Xu ◽

Stephen T. Sonis ◽

Natalie Wen ◽

Moaiad Salous ◽

Alessandro Villa

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Immune Checkpoint ◽

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Oral Ulcers ◽

Oral Mucosal Lesions ◽

Mucosal Lesions ◽

The Impact ◽

Insight Into

e15106 Background: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are increasingly used to treat a variety of cancers. Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) have been reported. Oral manifestations of irAEs include stomatitis, oral ulcers, and xerostomia. However, the trajectory and frequency of oral irAEs remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence, trajectory and nature of oral irAEs and their association with primary cancer diagnosis and other irAEs. Methods: A retrospective electronic chart review using the Partners Research Patient Data was performed for all patients treated with ICIs at Partners Healthcare hospitals and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute between 12/2011 and 9/2019. Keywords specific to oral irAE such as oral mucositis, stomatitis or mouth sore were used. We collected data on demographics, cancer features, treatments, and characteristics of oral irAEs. Results: 822 of 4683 patients who received ICIs therapy were identified by keyword filtering. Lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and skin cancer (including melanoma) were the most common types of primary malignancies with a frequency of 35.5%, 12.4 % and 11.7%, respectively. Oral irAEs were identified in 106 patients with the median age of 69 (range: 29-92) years and the female to male ratio of 1:1. 57.5% (n = 61) presented with symptomatic oral mucosal lesions. 47.2% (n = 50) had xerostomia and 17.0% (n = 18) had dysgeusia. The median time from the date of ICIs initiation to the date of oral irAE onset was 105 days (range: 2-631 days) in patients presented with oral mucosal lesions, 103 days (2-860 days) in xerostomia patients, and 156 days (range: 5-836 days) in dysgeusia patients. Melanoma was the most common cancer seen in oral irAE patients (30.2%), followed by lung cancer (26.4%) and oral/oropharyngeal cancer (12.3%). 60, 42, and 12 patients received pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and ipilimumab, respectively. 86.8% of oral irAE patients received only one type of ICIs therapy. Concomitant cutaneous, intestinal, and rheumatological irAEs were commonly reported with a frequency of 19.4%, 15.3%, and 12.2%, respectively in those patients. Conclusions: Oral irAEs can present with both acute and chronic onset in patients with ICIs therapy but are not as common as oral AEs associated with conventional cytotoxic regimens. While data relative to capturing oral irAEs is still preliminary, the current provides insight into their nature and course. Prospective studies focused on assessing the impact of ICI on oral irAEs are likely to provide additional insight into the character, course and impact of these conditions.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Adverse Events on Healthcare Resource Utilization, Costs, and Mortality among Patients with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

The Oncologist ◽

10.1002/onco.13812 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Saby George ◽

Elizabeth J. Bell ◽

Ying Zheng ◽

Ruth Kim ◽

John White ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adverse Events ◽

Resource Utilization ◽

Immune Checkpoint ◽

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Healthcare Resource ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Healthcare Resource Utilization ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Assessment of hospitalization rates for immune-related adverse events with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice ◽

10.1177/1078155220968909 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 107815522096890

Author(s):

Laura Nice ◽

Ryan Bycroft ◽

Xiaoyong Wu ◽

Shesh N Rai ◽

Lindsay Figg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Immune Checkpoint ◽

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Progression Free Survival ◽

Median Length ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Grade 3 ◽

The Impact

Introduction Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become the standard of care in many cancer types. As the number of patients receiving ICIs for various cancers continues to expand, patients and practitioners should be aware of potentially severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Despite reports of the incidence of grade 3/4 toxicities, the proportion of patients whose symptoms were clinically severe enough to warrant hospitalization for adverse event management is unknown. Methods This single center, retrospective, observational study was designed to determine the impact of irAEs on patients and the hospital. Patients who started ICIs from May 2016 through May 2019 for melanoma or lung cancer were included. The primary outcome was incidence of hospitalization for irAE. Secondary outcomes included median length of hospitalization, time to onset of irAE, rates of hospitalization for irAE per each checkpoint inhibitor regimen, organ system affected, progression free survival, and overall survival. Results Of 384 patients with melanoma or lung cancer, 27 (7%) were hospitalized at our institution for an irAE. The most common irAE leading to hospitalization was colitis for patients with melanoma and pneumonitis for patients with lung cancer. The median length of stay across all hospitalizations was 10 days. Twenty-five patients required the use of corticosteroids while hospitalized, while eight of these patients required second line irAE treatment. For the total patient population, 34.7% experienced a grade 1/2 irAE and 13.1% experienced a grade 3/4 irAE. Conclusion Our cohort of patients experienced similar rates irAEs as reported in clinical trials and published reports.

Download Full-text

Optimization of screening tools in patients eligible to receive immune-checkpoint inhibitors.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.e14139 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e14139-e14139

Author(s):

Lorena Ostios-Garcia ◽

Oliver Higuera ◽

Sara Martinez-Fdez ◽

Alvaro Pinto ◽

Enrique Espinosa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adverse Events ◽

Immune Checkpoint ◽

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Screening Tools ◽

Screening Tests ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Pareto Chart ◽

Corrective Measures ◽

The Impact

e14139 Background: The management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) produced by immune-checkpoint inhibitors can be challenging, considering differences with the toxicity of classical chemotherapy. In this study, we explored the limitations in the preventions and diagnosis of irAEs at our institution and developed a strategic plan to solve them according to guidelines of the European Society for Medical Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Methods: This is a two-phase, single center, exploratory study. In the first phase, we analyzed a random sample of 20 patients (pts) treated with nivolumab or pembrolizumab in the years 2017-2018. A Pareto chart was designed to identify issues in the baseline screening, as well as potential ways to improve the management of irAEs. After that, we implemented corrective measures based on educational lectures, early identification of patients eligible for immunotherapy, standardized protocols, and a profile of screening tests in the electronic medical records. We applied the new strategy on 15 pts treated from January-April 2019. To compare the impact of the implemented measures we used a run chart, frequencies/percentages for categorical variables, and medians/ranges for continuous variables. Adverse events were assessed according to CTCAEv5.0. Results: In the first phase, 38% of the required tests were done before the start of immunotherapy. We identified a deficit in the evaluation of cardiac and pulmonary function, chronic infections, and skin disorders. 45% of pts had some irAEs (15% G1, 15% G2 and 15% G3). Due to toxicity, 33% of pts had delays in the administration of treatment, and 11% required early interruption. After applying corrective measures, 81% of tests were requested before treatment initiation. However, screening for tuberculosis infection and echocardiogram continued to be deficient. We identified irAEs in 53% of pts (16% G1, 50% G2 and 25% G3), and 37% of them presented two or more different irAEs during the period of treatment. 37,5% and 12,5% of pts had delays or early interruption of immunotherapy, respectively. All of pts with irAEs had presented any basal alterations in screening tests. The most frequent basal alterations were found in pancreatic (66%) and thyroid activity (50%). Conclusions: Simple improvement strategies such as education programs, standardized protocols, and an electronic profile can improve the basal screening for potential irAEs. The basal alterations found in some pts can be related to the development of side effects or interactions with the immunotherapy.

Download Full-text

Characteristics of hospitalizations among patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors at a community teaching hospital

Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice ◽

10.1177/1078155219836155 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 60-66

Author(s):

Brendan Rasor ◽

Rachel Henderson ◽

Kin Chan

Keyword(s):

Adverse Events ◽

Immune Checkpoint ◽

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitor ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Cancer Type ◽

Preventable Admissions ◽

The Impact ◽

Reason For Admission

Purpose As immune checkpoint inhibitors continue to acquire new indications, it is important to understand the impact their use has on patients. This study adds to current literature by presenting an analysis of hospitalizations in this population. The primary objective was to assess the reasons for an emergency department visit or hospital admission in patients who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors. Secondary objectives included identifying the frequency of suspected or confirmed immune related adverse events, types of immune related adverse events, number of preventable admissions, duration of immunotherapy, and length of stay. Methods This study was a retrospective, multi-center, chart review of patients hospitalized after receiving an immune checkpoint inhibitor. The population included patients aged 18 and above who received at least one dose of an immune checkpoint inhibitor at a network facility and had a documented admission within one year following the initiation of immunotherapy. Descriptive statistics were performed along with inferential comparisons and a Poisson regression to determine if the immune checkpoint blocker or cancer type predicted admission or reason for admission. Results The 99 patients who met inclusion criteria had a total of 202 admissions. Of these patients, 56 (56.6%) had multiple admissions within the year following initiation of immunotherapy. The most common diagnoses on initial admissions were shortness of breath, pain, and pneumonia. A total of 104 admissions (51.5%) were considered potentially preventable. Suspected or confirmed immune related adverse events were identified in 15.6% of all admissions. There were no significant predictors of admissions or reason for admission. Conclusion Reasons for admission in the study population were comparable to those identified in the general cancer population, with immune related adverse events being associated with a minority of both total and potentially preventable admissions.

Download Full-text

Endocrinopathies associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: Standard of care at veterans administration medical centers.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2019.37.15_suppl.e14148 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e14148-e14148

Author(s):

Brett Johnson ◽

David P. Tuck ◽

Spyridon Ganas ◽

Nicholas Bayless ◽

Nikesh Kotecha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Immune Checkpoint ◽

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

Health Administration ◽

Medical Centers ◽

The Impact

e14148 Background: Multiple different immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have now received FDA approval for nearly 70 separate indications covering 14 different tumor types. Patients treated with these agents in clinical trials have an observed incidence of immune related adverse events (irAEs), including endocrinopathies, which may increase morbidity and mortality. Limited information describes the incidence and impact of these events outside of clinical trials. Methods: Retrospective data from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) of patients treated with ICI has been aggregated to understand the impact of these events in a standard of care setting, with a goal of improving patient care through predictive models and contributing to the understanding of the mechanisms and response to treatment. Results: Between October 2015 and December 2018, 10,280 patients were prescribed ICI at VA medical centers, with an average age of 70 years (range 20-99). A total of 11098 ICI orders, allowing for combinations or sequential treatments. Overall, nivolumab was prescribed 6024 times (54.3%), pembrolizumab 3976 (35.8%), ipilimumab 565 (5.1%) and atezolizumab 519 (4.6%). Avelumab (13) and durvalumab (1) had limited use. A candidate set of potential endocrine adverse events was estimated based on selected ICD10 codes recorded for the first time after treatment with ICI (Table). Conclusions: The frequency of endocrine immune related adverse events has been reported to be 5-10%. Here we have identified a cohort of ICI treated patients who may have developed endocrine adverse events. This cohort will be used to evaluate phenotyping, potential biomarkers and models of predictive risk.[Table: see text]

Download Full-text

Impact of Antibiotics and Proton Pump Inhibitors on Efficacy and Tolerance of Anti-PD-1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Frontiers in Immunology ◽

10.3389/fimmu.2021.716317 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Quentin Giordan ◽

Julia Salleron ◽

Catherine Vallance ◽

Clothilde Moriana ◽

Christelle Clement-Duchene

Keyword(s):

Adverse Events ◽

Proton Pump Inhibitors ◽

Proton Pump ◽

Immune Checkpoint ◽

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽

Progression Free Survival ◽

Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽

The Impact

BackgroundThe use of antibiotics (ATB) and proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) alters the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota, which can influence the immune system, consequently interfering with response to anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). We assessed the impact of ATB and/or PPI use on the efficacy and safety of ICI.MethodsTwo hundred twelve patients treated with anti-PD1 ICI for non-small cell lung carcinoma, melanoma, upper airway & digestive tract carcinoma or renal cell carcinoma were retrospectively included. Patients having received ATB within 60 days before ICI initiation were included in the ATB+ group. Patients having received PPI within 30 days before ICI initiation were included in the PPI+ group. Four groups were thus considered: ATB-/PPI-, ATB+/PPI-, ATB-/PPI+, ATB+/PPI+. Response rate was assessed by RECIST v1.1. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse events, recorded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 5, were compared using inverse probability of treatment weighting to account for selection bias.ResultsPFS at 6 months was 56.7 %, 95%CI (49.6%; 63.2%) and 47.2 %, 95%CI (39.8%;54.1%) at 12 months. OS was 81.6%, 95%CI (75.6%; 86.2%) at 6 months, and 69.4%, 95%CI (61.9%;75.7%) at 12 months. Compared to ATB-/PPI- group, PFS was lower for the ATB+/PPI- group [Hazard ratio (HR) 1.90, 95%CI (1.41;2.57)] and the ATB-/PPI+ group [HR 1.51, 95%CI (1.11;2.05)], and lowest in the ATB+/PPI+ group [HR 3.65, 95%CI (2.75;4.84)]. For OS, the use of ATB alone or PPI alone or in combination was a risk factor for death, with each increasing HR values by a similar magnitude, and the combination of ATB and PPI did not increase risk further. AEs were observed in 78 cases (36.8%) with no significant impact of ATB or PPI use.ConclusionsThis study reveals that ATB and/or PPI use can alter response to anti-PD1 ICI, and the prognosis of cancer patients. The microbiota mechanisms involved in the response to ICI should be investigated to optimize patient management.

Download Full-text