Immune-Related Adverse Events Associated with Checkpoint-Inhibition Therapy

Checkpoint inhibition is a relatively new form of cancer therapy in which the patient's immune system is stimulated by drugs (antibodies, actually) that inhibit brakes on T-cell activation. Investigators conducted a chart review study at the emergency department (ED) of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, to describe immune-related adverse events among patients who had received checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

During the 5-year study period, 628 patients who had received checkpoint inhibitor therapy made 1026 ED visits. A quarter of these visits involved immune-related adverse events (i.e., side effects of checkpoint inhibition). The relative frequency of adverse events varied by which checkpoint inhibitor had been used, and included …