Clinical Features, Diagnostic Challenges, and Management Strategies in Checkpoint Inhibitor-related Pneumonitis

Overview

Journal Cancer Manag Res

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty Oncology

Date 2017 Jun 28

PMID 28652812

Citations 86

Authors

Sarah Chuzi

Fabio Tavora

Marcelo Cruz

Ricardo Costa

Young Kwang Chae

Benedito A Carneiro

Francis J Giles

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors, represent an effective treatment modality for multiple malignancies. Despite the exciting clinical benefits, checkpoint inhibition is associated with a series of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), many of which can be life-threatening and result in significant treatment delays. Pneumonitis is an adverse event of special interest as it led to treatment-related deaths in early clinical trials. This review summarizes the incidence of pneumonitis during treatment with the different checkpoint inhibitors and discusses the prognostic significance of tumor type. The wide range of clinical, radiographic, and histologic characteristics of checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis is reviewed and followed by guidance on the different management strategies.

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