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F. Martin



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    P3.02c - Poster Session with Presenters Present (ID 472)

    • Event: WCLC 2016
    • Type: Poster Presenters Present
    • Track: Advanced NSCLC
    • Presentations: 1
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      P3.02c-032 - Interstitial Pneumonitis Associated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Treatment in Cancer Patients (ID 5670)

      14:30 - 14:30  |  Author(s): F. Martin

      • Abstract
      • Slides

      Background:
      Immunotherapy is now a standard of care in melanoma, lung cancer and is spreading across other tumours. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are generally well tolerated but can also generate immune-related adverse effects. Since the first trials, pneumonitis has been identified as a rare but potentially life-threatening event.

      Methods:
      We conducted a retrospective study over a period of 5 months in centers experienced in ICI use in clinical trials, access programs or following national approval. We report the main features of possibly related pneumonitis occurring in patients treated with ICI with a particular focus on clinical presentation, radiologic patterns (with a double reviewing by radiologists and pulmonologists), pathology and therapeutic strategies.

      Results:
      We identified 71 patients with possibly related pneumonitis including 54 NSCLC and 13 melanoma. They mainly received PD1 inhibitors. Pneumonitis usually occurred in male, former or current smokers with a median age of 59 years. We observed grade 2/3 (n= 45, 65.2%) and grade 5 (n= 6, 8.7%) pneumonitis. The median duration time between the introduction of immunotherapy and the pneumonitis was 2.2 months [0.1-27.4]. Ground glass opacitiy on lung CT-scan were the most predominant lesion 80.9% (n=55), followed by consolidations 44.1% (n=30), reticulations 36.7% (n=25) and bronchiectasis in 20.6% (n=14). When performed, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) showed a T-lymphocytic alveolitis and transbronchial biopsy an inflammatory and lymphocytic infiltration. Pneumonitis treatment was steroids (86.6%) and/or antibiotics (67.6%). Immunotherapy was stopped after the pneumonitis for 65 cases (92.9%) and reintroduced for 12 (9.4%) cases. Twenty-four patients (34.3%) were dead at the last follow-up and 46 patients (65.7%) were still alive. Among the living patients, the pneumonitis outcome was a total recovery in 12 patients, improvement in 22 patients, stability in 10 patients, worsening evolution in 1 patient (1 unknown). Causality of immunotherapy was evaluated by investigators as “possible” for 34 patients (49.3%), “probable” for 17 (24.6%), “certain” for 15 (21.7%) other causes for 3 (4.3%) and 2 unknowns. Median overall survival from the onset of pneumonitis was 6 months.

      Conclusion:
      This serie, the largest to date, of immune-related pneumonitis demonstrates that it occurs usually during the first months and displays specific radiologic features. As there is no clearly identified risk factor, oncologists should be able to detect, diagnose (with CT-scan and bronchoscopy) and treat this adverse event. An early management is usually associated with a favourable outcome and requires a close collaboration between pulmonologists, radiologists and oncologists.

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