Management of immune-related adverse events: A single-center retrospective analysis in a real-world scenario.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e15163-e15163
Author(s):  
Donatella Iacono ◽  
Maria Grazia Vitale ◽  
Francesco Cortiula ◽  
Marianna Macerelli ◽  
Marika Cinausero ◽  
...  

e15163 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), anti CTLA-4 and anti PD-1/PD-L1 agents, have demonstrated an improvement in survival outcome in several malignancies. Therapy with ICI is characterized by immune-related adverse events (irAEs) as a result of exuberant immune system activation. Despite good tolerance for ICI, the potentially severe and life-threatening irAEs underscore the importance of investigating optimal management strategies. Methods: A retrospective series of 130 consecutive patients (pts) treated with ICI from Jan 2012 to Dec 2017 was analyzed. Adverse events with a potential immunological etiology were defined as irAEs and graded according to CTCAE v.4.0. The aim of the study was to evaluate irAEs management in an academic hospital center. Results: Pts with a diagnosis of NSCLC n = 64 (49%), melanoma n = 55 (42%), kidney n = 9 (7%) and others n = 2 (2%) were investigated. Baseline ECOG PS was ≤ 1 in 96% of the pts. ICI represented first line treatment for 27% pts, second line for 57% and third or further line for the remaining 16%. 18% were treated with ipilimumab and 82% with anti PD-1/PD-L1 agents (nivolumab 60%, pembrolizumab 21%, atezolizumab 1%). Overall, 50 (38% of pts) developed an irAE.42% of irAEs were grade 1, 38% grade 2, 14% grade 3 and 6% grade 4. The most frequent irAEs were endocrinopathies in 17 pts (34%), followed by cutaneous toxicity in 9 pts (18%) and colitis and diarrhea in 7 pts (14%). A total of 373 unscheduled accesses were observed, 89 (24%) of them were due to irAEs: 78 were unplanned consultations in the oncology department and 11 in the emergency department. irAEs led to hospitalization in 14 pts for 118 days, cumulatively. Grade ≥ 2 colitis was the most frequent irAE associated with hospitalization, it occurred in 4 pts (29%). Colitis and diarrhea required the longest hospitalization (range 4-31 days). 48% (24 pts) required immunosuppressive treatment. Systemic steroids were the most common immunosuppressive agents used. Only one patient received infliximab as second line immunosuppressive treatment after steroid failure. Totally, irAEs required 67 specialist consultancies and additional diagnostic examinations. 15 pts required ICI discontinuation because of irAEs. Conclusions: In our center prevalence and severity of irAEs were similar to literature data. Considered the complexity of irAEs management, multidisciplinary approach and a trained hospital network plays a key role for a more efficient diagnostic and treatment work-up in pts who received ICI therapy and experienced irAEs.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e15148-e15148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shruti Bhandari ◽  
Rohit Kumar ◽  
Laura Nice ◽  
Anmol Cheema ◽  
Goetz H. Kloecker

e15148 Background: Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) due to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are caused by non-specific immune system activation and develop in 30-70% of patients. The goal of this study is to examine the association of race with the development of irAEs secondary to ICIs as autoimmune diseases generally exhibit racial differences. Methods: A retrospective chart review was done using University of Louisville pharmacy database. Patients with solid cancers who received ICIs between Jan 2016 to June 2019 were included. IrAEs were identified through the review of electronic medical records. Descriptive analysis evaluated the incidence and severity of irAEs. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate standardized incidence of irAEs among Whites and African Americans. Results: A total of 476 patients were included in this study. The mean age was 61 years, 57% were males and 89.7% were whites. A majority of patients had melanoma (50%). The remainder of the dataset included lung (33.4%), gastrointestinal (7.4%), head & neck (4.8%), breast (2.5%) and genitourinary (1.9%) cancers. ICIs included single agent anti-PD-1 (74.8%), single agent anti-PD-L1 (9.4%), combination anti-CTLA-4 with anti-PD-1 (7.1%). Some patients were also treated with > 1 ICI as subsequent therapy (8.6%). Overall, the rate of irAEs was 44.3% with 33.8% grade 1-2 and 12.4% grade 3-4 irAEs. There was no difference in development of any grade irAEs in Whites as compared to African Americans after adjusting for age, sex, cancer type and ICIs (44.3% vs 44.2%; OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.50 – 1.97; p = 0.99). There was also no difference in development of grade 3-4 irAEs in whites as compared to African Americans (12.8% vs 14.5%; OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.43 – 3.12; p = 0.75). Conclusions: In this study, we found no racial difference in the development of irAEs between Whites and African Americans. This is in contrast to general autoimmune diseases which exhibit racial differences with higher prevalence among African Americans compared to Whites. We will continue to accrue patients to this study as larger sample size is needed to confirm these findings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 003685042199730
Author(s):  
Mohammed Al Nuhait ◽  
Eshtyag Bajnaid ◽  
Abdulmalik Al Otaibi ◽  
Abdullah Al Shammari ◽  
Yousef Al Awlah

Lay abstract Real-world safety experience with immune checkpoint inhibitors in Saudi Arabia: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) are rapidly growing and changing cancer care. With introduction of ICIs the landscape for cancer treatment has changed significantly. ICIs are known to induce immune-related adverse effects. This research is intended to shed light on ICIs and describe our safety experience with these agents. This study is a retrospective cohort study aimed to determine the safety of ICIs and its related adverse events at a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted in the oncology center at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh. We identified study participants by using electronic health care system (BestCare)® to involve patients who received ICIs treatment during the study period from January 2016 up to December 2018, to include a total of 53 patients. Most of our patients were on nivolumab (37 patients) followed by atezolizumab (10 patients), and pembrolizumab (6 patients). The average number of emergency room visits after receiving treatment was three visits per patient. Renal adverse events occurred following ICIs use in nine patients, and none of the reported cases experienced a grade ≥3 event. Moreover, 13 patients experienced a hepatic adverse event, of whom only 1 patient experienced a grade ≥3 event leading to treatment discontinuation. As for diarrhea, among all patients who received ICIs, 14 patients experienced diarrhea, and 5 of them had grade ≥3 events. Also, thyroxine abnormalities occurred in seven patients. While, Pneumonitis occurred in four patients following ICIs use. In addition, we noticed other adverse events with ICIs including (skin reaction, nausea, vomiting, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and neurological adverse events). Furthermore, 17 patients required steroids to manage ICIs adverse events. And, no patients in our study required additional management with other immunosuppressive agents. Immunotherapies are rapidly growing and changing cancer care. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) have the ability to block inhibitory checkpoints and restore the functions of the immune system. ICIs are used for the treatment of several types of cancer, and nowadays, many studies are ongoing in order to get approvals for newer indications. ICIs are known to induce immune-related adverse effects. The safety of ICIs and the most common immune-related adverse events are not yet well recognized for our population since this class of medications is lately introduced in our region, where only limited studies in our population are available in the literature. This research is intended to shed light on ICIs and describe our safety experience with these agents. This study is a retrospective cohort study aimed to determine the safety of ICIs and its related adverse events at a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted in the oncology center at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh. Study participants were identified by using the electronic health care system (BestCare)® to include patients who were treated with ICIs during the study period from January 2016 up to December 2018. A total of 53 patients were included. Most of our patients were on nivolumab (37 patients) followed by atezolizumab (10 patients), and pembrolizumab (6 patients). The average number of emergency room visits after receiving ICIs was three visits per patient. Renal adverse events occurred following ICIs use in nine patients, and none of the reported cases experienced a grade ≥3 event. Moreover, 13 patients experienced a hepatic adverse event, of whom only 1 patient experienced a grade ≥3 event leading to treatment discontinuation. As for diarrhea, among all patients who received ICIs, 14 patients experienced diarrhea, and 5 of them had grade ≥3 events. Also, thyroxine abnormalities occurred in seven patients. While, pneumonitis occurred in four patients following ICIs use. In addition, we noticed other adverse events with ICIs, including (skin reaction, nausea, vomiting, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and neurological adverse events). Furthermore, 17 patients required steroids to manage ICIs adverse events. And, no patients in our study required additional management with other immunosuppressive agents. Patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors could have a variety of adverse drug events that might lead to treatment discontinuation and increase overall emergency room visits. This study highlights the most common adverse drug events associated with ICIs use at a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.


Chemotherapy ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Kotone Hayuka ◽  
Hiroyuki Okuyama ◽  
Akitsu Murakami ◽  
Yoshihiro Okita ◽  
Takamasa Nishiuchi ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer have a poor prognosis. FOLFIRINOX (FFX) and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) have been established as first-line treatment, but they have not been confirmed as second-line treatment after FFX. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of GnP as second-line therapy after FFX in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Twenty-five patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer were enrolled. The patients were treated with GnP after FFX between September 2015 and September 2019. Tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and incidence of adverse events were evaluated. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The response rate, disease control rate, median PFS, and median OS were 12%, 96%, 5.3 months, and 15.6 months, respectively. The common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were neutropenia (76%) and anemia (16%). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> GnP after FOLFIRINOX is expected to be one of the second-line recommendations for patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.


Thorax ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. thoraxjnl-2021-217260
Author(s):  
Tommaso Morelli ◽  
Kohei Fujita ◽  
Gil Redelman-Sidi ◽  
Paul T Elkington

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionised cancer treatment. However, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are a common side effect which can mimic infection. Additionally, treatment of irAEs with corticosteroids and other immunosuppressant agents can lead to opportunistic infection, which we have classed as immunotherapy infections due to immunosuppression. However, emerging reports demonstrate that some infections can be precipitated by ICIs in the absence of immunosuppressive treatment, in contrast to the majority of reported cases. These infections are characterised by a dysregulated inflammatory immune response, and so we propose they are described as immunotherapy infections due to dysregulated immunity. This review summarises the rapidly emerging evidence of these phenomena and proposes a new framework for considering infection in the context of cancer immunotherapy.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke Cheng ◽  
Yu-Wen Zhou ◽  
Ye Chen ◽  
Zhi-Ping Li ◽  
Meng Qiu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Irinotecan-based doublet chemotherapy strategy was standard second-line backbone treatment for patients with oxaliplatin‑refractory metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC). The aim of this study was to evaluate tolerability and efficacy of raltitrexed combined with irinotecan biweekly administered as the second-line therapy for mCRC patients.Methods The study was a single-center, non-randomized, open-label phase II trial. Patients with mCRC after failure with first-line treatment of oxaliplatin and fluoropyrimidine or its derivatives were enrolled. Irinotecan (180 mg/m2) and raltitrexed (2.5 mg/m2) were given intravenously on day 1. Cycles were repeated every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, and the secondary endpoints included overall response rate, disease control rate, overall survival and treatment related adverse events. Results Between December 2012 and October 2016, 35 patients were enrolled. 33 and 35 patients were assessed for response and safety, respectively. The overall response rate (ORR) was 8.6 %, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 71.4%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.5 months (95% CI 3.8–5.2). The median overall survival was 12.0 months (95% CI 8.5–15.5). Four patients received conversion therapy to no evidence of disease (NED), and 2 patients were still alive with beyond 24 months survival. The most common grade 3/4 hematological adverse events were leukopenia (8.6%), neutropenia (5.7%). The most common grade 3/4 nonhematological adverse events were anorexia (14.3%), vomiting (14.3%), nausea (11.4%) and fatigue (8.6%). Two patients discontinued the protocol treatment because of treatment-related gastrointestinal adverse events. No one died from treatment-related events. The incidence and severity of toxicity was irrelevant to UGT1A1 status.Conclusions The combination of irinotecan with raltitrexed is an active, convenient and acceptable toxic regimen for second-line treatment for mCRC patients, which needs further study as a chemotherapy backbone to be combined with targeted agents in mCRC.Trial registration No. ChiCTR-ONC-12002767. The study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry at 29 Octorber 2012, http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3629
Author(s):  
Hsiao-Ling Chen ◽  
Yu-Kang Tu ◽  
Hsiu-Mei Chang ◽  
Tai-Huang Lee ◽  
Kuan-Li Wu ◽  
...  

Patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC) have a very short survival time even if they receive standard cytotoxic chemotherapy with etoposide and platinum (EP). Several randomized controlled trials have shown that patients with ED-SCLC who received a combination of EP plus immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) had superior survival compared with those who received EP alone. We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to provide a ranking of ICIs for our primary endpoints in terms of overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR), as well as our secondary endpoint in terms of adverse events. The fractional polynomial model was used to evaluate the adjusted hazard ratios for the survival indicators (OS and PFS). Treatment rank was estimated using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA), as well as the probability of being best (Prbest) reference. EP plus nivolumab, atezolizumab or durvalumab had significant benefits compared with EP alone in terms of OS (Hazard Ratio HR = 0.67, 95% Confidence Interval CI = 0.46–0.98 for nivolumab, HR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.54–0.91 for atezolizumab, HR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.59–0.90 for durvalumab) but no significant differences were observed for pembrolizumab or ipilimumab. The probability of nivolumab being ranked first among all treatment arms was highest (SCURA = 78.7%, Prbest = 46.7%). All EP plus ICI combinations had a longer PFS compared with EP alone (HR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.46–0.92 for nivolumab, HR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.61–0.96 for atezolizumab, HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.65–0.94 for durvalumab, HR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.61–0.92 for pembrolizumab), and nivolumab was ranked first in terms of PFS (SCURA = 85.0%, Prbest = 66.8%). In addition, nivolumab had the highest probability of grade 3–4 adverse events (SUCRA = 84.8%) in our study. We found that nivolumab had the best PFS and OS in all combinations of ICIs and EP, but nivolumab also had the highest probability of grade 3–4 adverse events in our network meta-analysis. Further head-to head large-scale phase III randomized controlled studies are needed to verify our conclusions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e001754
Author(s):  
Aung Naing ◽  
Joud Hajjar ◽  
James L Gulley ◽  
Michael B Atkins ◽  
Gennaro Ciliberto ◽  
...  

With the advent of immunotherapeutic agents, durable and dramatic responses have been observed in several hard-to-treat malignancies, outlining a roadmap to conquering cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPi) are a class of immunotherapeutic agents that attack the tumor cells by reinvigorating the suppressed immune system. However, the unbridled T-cell activity disrupts the immune homeostasis and induces a unique spectrum of side effects called immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in a significant proportion of patients. These irAEs are distinct from the side effects produced by traditional chemotherapeutic agents. Although majority of irAEs are manageable with corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive agents, life-threatening and fatal events have been reported. In the absence of predictive biomarkers to identify patients at risk for irAEs and standardized approach to detect, report, and treat irAEs, management of irAEs has been challenging to the patients, caregivers and the healthcare providers alike. With increasing use of ICPis for treatment of various cancers, the incidence of irAEs will undoubtedly increase. There is a compelling need to develop measures to effectively manage irAEs, both in the community settings and in cancer centers alike. To this end, in this paper, we propose several strategies, such as providing patient education, harmonizing irAE management guidelines, standardizing reporting of irAEs, optimizing the choice of immunosuppressive agents, conducting preclinical, clinical and translational studies to better understand irAEs, including high-risk patients, incorporating diagnostic tools to personalize irAE management using wireless technology and digital health, providing a platform to hear the missing patient’s voice, and sharing evolving data to improve the management of irAEs.


2020 ◽  
pp. 030089162095346
Author(s):  
Nilay Sengul Samanci ◽  
Duygu Ilke Cikman ◽  
Kerem Oruc ◽  
Sahin Bedir ◽  
Emir Çelik ◽  
...  

Introduction: With the widespread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), we are facing challenges in the management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). We aimed to characterize the spectrum of toxicity, management, and outcomes for irAEs. Methods: Patients who were treated with at least one ICI in clinical trials, expanded access programs, or routine clinical practice were included. Clinical and laboratory parameters were collected retrospectively to determine the incidence of irAEs, methods of management, and treatment outcomes. Results: A total of 255 patients were screened retrospectively. Of these, 71 (27.8%) patients developed irAEs. More than 2 different types of irAEs were detected in 16 (6.2%) out of 255 patients. A total of 3177 doses were given to 255 patients. In 93 (2.9%) of the 3177 doses, 1 episode of irAEs was experienced. A total of 22 out of 93 (23.7%) episodes were reported as grade 1, 49 (52.7%) as grade 2, 19 (20.4%) as grade 3, and 3 (3.2%) as grade 4. The most frequently seen irAEs were pneumonitis, hepatitis, and hypothyroidism. With regard to treatment, 39 out of 93 episodes (42%) of any grade irAEs occurred after anti–programmed cell death-1 therapy, 47 (50.5%) occurred following administration of anti–programmed death-ligand 1, and 7 (7.5%) occurred after combination treatments. Conclusion: With the increased use of immunotherapeutic agents, increased awareness and early recognition are required for effective management of irAEs. Our experience as a single institution might be of use for health care providers in oncology.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 175883592094092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Liu ◽  
Bo Jin ◽  
Jun Chen ◽  
Hui Wang ◽  
Shuiyu Lin ◽  
...  

Background: This network meta-analysis assessed the comparative risk of grade 3–5 and grade 5 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), either alone or in combination with other modalities, for cancer treatment. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and recent predominant oncology congresses were searched for relevant phase II and phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs). As outcomes, grade 3–5, and grade 5 TRAE outcomes were reported as odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: In 67 RCTs involving 36,422 patients and 19 ICIs, the incidence of grade 3–5 and grade 5 TRAEs was 17.9% and 0.8% with ICI monotherapy and 46.3% and 1.4%, respectively, with combinatorial therapy. Pneumonitis was the most common cause of grade 5 TRAEs following either monotherapy (16.3%) or combinatorial therapy (11.4%). Regarding grade 3–5 TRAEs, atezolizumab + chemotherapy (CT) and antiangiogenic therapy (AT) (atezolizumab + CAT), pembrolizumab + CT, ipilimumab + CT, and atezolizumab + CT were more toxic than any ICI monotherapy, pembrolizumab or nivolumab + radiotherapy (RT), and ICIs dual therapy (durvalumab + tremelimumab and nivolumab + ipilimumab). Tremelimumab, ipilimumab, durvalumab, and pembrolizumab were, however, associated with higher grade 5 TRAEs than combinatorial treatments. Atezolizumab + CAT was the most toxic and nivolumab + RT was the least toxic of combinatorial treatments; among monotherapies, tremelimumab and avelumab were the most and least toxic, respectively. The toxicity ranking changed with type of grade 3–5 TRAEs. Conclusions: Compared with combinatorial therapy, ICI monotherapy caused lower grade 3–5 TRAEs, but some monotherapies resulted in a higher incidence of fatal TRAEs. Atezolizumab + CAT and nivolumab + RT were the most and least toxic of combinatorial treatments, respectively, and tremelimumab and avelumab were the most and least toxic of the monotherapies, respectively.


Rheumatology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (Supplement_7) ◽  
pp. vii59-vii67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia C Weinmann ◽  
David S Pisetsky

AbstractImmune checkpoint inhibitors are novel biologic agents to treat cancer by inhibiting the regulatory interactions that limit T cell cytotoxicity to tumours. Current agents target either CTLA-4 or the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. Because checkpoints may also regulate autoreactivity, immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy is complicated by side effects known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The aim of this article is to review the mechanisms of these events. irAEs can involve different tissues and include arthritis and other rheumatic manifestations. The frequency of irAEs is related to the checkpoint inhibited, with the combination of agents more toxic. Because of their severity, irAEs can limit therapy and require immunosuppressive treatment. The mechanisms leading to irAEs are likely similar to those promoting anti-tumour responses and involve expansion of the T cell repertoire; furthermore, immune checkpoint inhibitors can affect B cell responses and induce autoantibody production. Better understanding of the mechanisms of irAEs will be important to improve patient outcome as well as quality of life during treatment.


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