Side effects to immunotherapy...Part 6!

Those of you who have been following the blog for a bit know that I have been regularly updating the running saga of side effects caused by immunotherapy, which includes treatments with ipi, both the anti-PD1 products, Keytruda and Opdivo, as well as anti-PD-L1!!!  Always remember that most of these are pretty rare.  But, the ratties have suffered so that you and your doc can figure out things with YOU quicker and more effectively!!!  Here's a link (with others within) to what was posted in the past: Side effects to immunotherapy....Part 5

Here are recently published reports, the first two addressing cardiac issues associated with immunotherapy....something we already knew happened in mice, back in 2010 before I joined my nivo trial....

Cardiotoxicity associated with CTLA4 and PD1 blocking immunotherapy.  Heinzerling, Ott, Hodi, et al.  J Immunother Cancer. 2016 Aug 16. 

Immune-checkpoint blocking antibodies have demonstrated objective antitumor responses in multiple tumor types including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and renal cell cancer (RCC). In melanoma, an increase in overall survival has been demonstrated with anti-CTLA-4 and PD-1 inhibition. However, a plethora of immune-mediated adverse events has been reported with these agents. Immune-mediated cardiotoxicity induced by checkpoint inhibitors has been reported in single cases with variable presentation, including myocarditis and pericarditis. Among six clinical cancer centers with substantial experience in the administration of immune-checkpoint blocking antibodies, eight cases of immune-related cardiotoxicity after ipilimumab and/or nivolumab/pembrolizumab were identified. Diagnostic findings, treatment and follow-up are reported. A large variety of cardiotoxic events with manifestations such as heart failure, cardiomyopathy, heart block, myocardial fibrosis and myocarditis was documented. This is the largest case series to date describing cardiotoxicity of immune-checkpoint blocking antibodies. Awareness, monitoring of patients with pre-existing cardiac disorders and prompt evaluation by the treatment team is essential. Treatment including application of steroids is critical for patient safety.

Fulminant Myocarditis with Combination Immune Checkpoint Blockade.  Johnson, Balko, Compton, Chalkias, ... Sosman, Moslehi, et al.  N Engl J Med. 2016 Nov 3.  

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved clinical outcomes associated with numerous cancers, but high-grade, immune-related adverse events can occur, particularly with combination immunotherapy. We report the cases of two patients with melanoma in whom fatal myocarditis developed after treatment with ipilimumab and nivolumab. In both patients, there was development of myositis with rhabdomyolysis, early progressive and refractory cardiac electrical instability, and myocarditis with a robust presence of T-cell and macrophage infiltrates. Selective clonal T-cell populations infiltrating the myocardium were identical to those present in tumors and skeletal muscle. Pharmacovigilance studies show that myocarditis occurred in 0.27% of patients treated with a combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab, which suggests that our patients were having a rare, potentially fatal, T-cell-driven drug reaction.

 

Incidence of Thyroid-Related Adverse Events in Melanoma Patients Treated with Pembrolizumab.  de Filette, Jansen, Schreuer, et al.  J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Aug 29.

Immune checkpoint blockade is associated with endocrine-related adverse events. Thyroid dysfunction during pembrolizumab therapy, an anti-programmed cell death 1 receptor (PD-1) monoclonal antibody (mAb), remains to be fully characterized.  Thyroid function was monitored prospectively in melanoma patients who initiated pembrolizumab within an expanded access program at a referral oncology center. ¹⁸Fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸FDG-PET/CT) was reviewed in cases compatible with inflammatory thyroiditis.  99 patients with advanced melanoma (aged 26.3-93.6 years; 63.6% females) who received at least 1 administration of pembrolizumab.  18 adverse events of thyroid dysfunction were observed in 17 patients. Thyrotoxicosis occurred in 12 patients of which 9 evolved to hypothyroidism. Isolated hypothyroidism was present in 6 patients. Levothyroxine therapy was required in 10 of 15 hypothyroid patients. Thyroid autoantibodies were elevated during thyroid dysfunction in 4 of 10 cases. Diffuse increased ¹⁸FDG uptake by the thyroid gland was observed in all 7 thyrotoxic patients who progressed to hypothyroidism.  Thyroid dysfunction is common in melanoma patients treated with pembrolizumab. Hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis related to inflammatory thyroiditis are the most frequent presentations. Serial measurements of thyroid function tests are indicated during anti-PD-1 mAb therapy. Thyrotoxicosis compatible with inflammatory thyroiditis was associated with diffuse increased ¹⁸FDG uptake by the thyroid gland. The prospective role of thyroid autoantibodies should be further investigated together with the histopathological correlates.

Acute visual loss after ipilimumab treatment for metastatic melanoma.  Wilson, Guld, Galetta, et al.  J Immunother Cancer. 2016 Oct 18.

Ipilimumab, a humanized CLTA-4 antibody is a standard therapy in the treatment of advanced melanoma. While ipilimumab provides an overall survival benefit to patients, it can be associated with immune related adverse events (IrAEs).  Here we describe a patient treated with ipilimumab who experienced known IrAEs, including hypophysitis, as well as a profound vision loss due to optic neuritis. There are rare reports of optic neuritis occurring as an adverse event associated with ipilimumab treatment. Furthermore, the patient experienced multiple complications from high dose steroids used to manage his IrAEs.  This case highlights the need for recognition of atypical immune mediated processes associated with newer checkpoint inhibitor therapies including ipilimumab.

(No....you weren't losing your vision there...just dealing with the vagaries of copy and paste on blogger!!!)

Pneumonitis in Patients Treated With Anti-Programmed Death-1/Programmed Death Ligand 1 Therapy.  Naidoo, Wang, Woo, et al.  J Clin Oncol. 2016 Sep 19. 

Pneumonitis is an uncommon but potentially fatal toxicity of anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features are poorly described.  Patients who received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy or in combination with anti-cytotoxic T-cell lymphocyte-4 mAb were identified at two institutions (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: advanced solid cancers, 2009 to 2014, and Melanoma Institute of Australia: melanomas only, 2013 to 2015). Pneumonitis was diagnosed by the treating investigator; cases with confirmed malignant lung infiltration or infection were excluded. Clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features of pneumonitis were collected. Associations among pneumonitis incidence, therapy received, and underlying malignancy were examined with Fisher's exact test as were associations between pneumonitis features and outcomes.Of 915 patients who received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 mAbs, pneumonitis developed in 43 (5% to 6%; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 27 of 578 [5%]; Melanoma Institute of Australia, 16 of 337 [5%]). Time to onset of pneumonitis ranged from 9 days to 19.2 months. The incidence of pneumonitis was higher with combination immunotherapy versus monotherapy (19 of 199 [10%] v 24 of 716 [3%]). Incidence was similar in patients with melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (overall, 26 of 532 [5%] v nine of 209 [4%]; monotherapy, 15 of 417 v five of 152  combination, 11 of 115 v four of 57). Seventy-two percent (31 of 43) of cases were grade 1 to 2, and 86% (37 of 43) improved/resolved with drug holding/immunosuppression. Five patients worsened clinically and died during the course of pneumonitis treatment; proximal cause of death was pneumonitis (n = 1), infection related to immunosuppression (n = 3), or progressive cancer (n = 1). Radiologic and pathologic features of pneumonitis were diverse.

Pneumonitis associated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 mAbs is a toxicity of variable onset and clinical, radiologic, and pathologic appearances. It is more common when anti-PD-1/PD-L1 mAbs are combined with anti-cytotoxic T-cell lymphocyte-4 mAb. Most events are low grade and improve/resolve with drug holding/immunosuppression. Rarely, pneumonitis worsens despite immunosuppression, and may result in infection and/or death.  

Two cases of clinical myasthenia gravis associated with pembrolizumab use in responding melanoma patients.  Nguyen, Kuo, Budiman, Christie, Ali. Melanoma Res. 2016 Oct 21.  

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have changed the landscape of the treatment of multiple solid malignancies, and have been used increasingly in the recent years. Although usually well tolerated, given the relative inexperience of using immune checkpoint inhibitors, we are still learning of new side effects from the treatment. We report on two cases of ocular myasthenia gravis that occurred after treatment with pembrolizumab, an antiprogrammed-death (anti-PD1) monoclonal antibody for advanced melanoma in responding patients. One case is in an 81-year-old man and the second case in an 86-year-old woman, both with BRAF-negative metastatic melanoma receiving pembrolizumab. These two cases of ocular only associated myasthenic syndrome appeared 7 and 11 weeks after the initiation of pembrolizumab. We conclude that the condition is most likely associated with pembrolizumab as symptoms started after treatment with pembrolizumab, neither patient had other evidence of neurological cause for presentation, and symptoms also improved rapidly with administration of steroids. Both patients showed good oncological response to anti-PD1 treatment and one patient successfully continued to receive ongoing treatment with no further complications.

Don't be afraid.  But....Be wise!  Consult your doc with any new or strange symptoms.  Hang tough!!! - c