Incidence of checkpoint inhibitor-associated inflammatory arthritis, immunomodulation and mortality in cancer patients on immunotherapy: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) associated inflammatory arthritis (ICI-IA) occurs in 4-6% of ICI-treated patients based on one observational study. We identified cases of ICI-IA using administrative claims to study its incidence and characteristics at the population level. METHODS: We used the Medicare 5% sample to identify patients initiating ICIs. Cancer patients were identified by having ≥ 2 ICD-9/10-CM diagnosis codes from an oncologist for lung cancer, melanoma, or renal/urothelial cancer. ICI-IA was defined as having two Medicare claims ≥ 30 days apart with combinations of ICD-9/10-CM diagnosis codes that favored specificity. ICI-IA was identified in patients with a musculoskeletal diagnosis after ICI initiation, who had i.) no inflammatory arthritis or inflammatory rheumatic disease before ICI initiation ever, and ii) no musculoskeletal complaint in the one year prior to ICI. We examined DMARD utilization and visits to rheumatology in patients with ICI-IA. Landmark analysis and a time varying Cox proportional hazards model for overall survival was constructed. RESULTS: The incidence of ICI-IA was 7.2 (6.1-8.4) per 100 patient years. Patients with ICI-IA were mean (SD) age 73.5(7.0) years, 48% women, 91% white. Median(IQR) time from ICI initiation to first ICI-IA diagnosis was 124(56, 252) days. Only 24(16%) received care from a rheumatologist, and 24(16%) were prescribed a DMARD (46% by a rheumatologist). The HR for mortality in patients with ICI-IA was 0.86 (95% CI 0.59-1.26, p= 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of ICI-IA identified in claims data is similar to that reported in observational studies, however, few patients are treated with a DMARD or see a rheumatologist. There was no difference in overall survival between ICI-treated patients with and without ICI-IA.

Impact of Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs, Glucocorticoids, and Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs on Cancer Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for advanced malignancies often leads to off-target adverse events. Rheumatic immune-related adverse events can often linger beyond the duration of ICI therapy and sometimes requires the use of immunomodulator therapy. A key question, therefore, is if the commonly used therapies affect cancer outcomes. In this review, the authors summarize the state of the data as it currently stands, taking into consideration the limitations of the various source studies. The most information is known about glucocorticoids, which appear to be harmful especially when used early and at high doses.

Temporal Trends in the Rate of Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty for Prosthetic Joint Infection.

Background: Perioperative practices have been introduced over the last decade to decrease the risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). We sought to determine whether rates of revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for PJI decreased during the period 2006-2016. Methods: This observational cohort study used data from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System to identify patients undergoing TKA in 2006-2016. Data through 2017 were used to determine if patients underwent revision TKA for PJI (including debridement, antibiotics and implant retention) within 1 year of the primary surgery. A generalized estimating equation model, clustered by hospital, was used to examine the impact of time on likelihood of revision TKA for PJI. Results: In 2006-2016, 233,165 primary TKAs performed were included. Mean age was 66.1 (standard deviation 10.3) years, and 65% were women. Overall, 0.5% of the patients underwent revision TKA for PJI within 1 year of surgery. The generalized estimating equation model showed that for primary TKA performed in 2006-2013, year of surgery did not impact the likelihood of revision TKA for PJI (odds ratio 1.00, 95% confidence interval 0.97-1.03, P = .9221), but that for primary TKA performed in 2014-2016, the likelihood decreased by year (odds ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.66-0.88, P = .0002). Conclusions: The likelihood of revision TKA for PJI was stable from 2006 to 2013 but declined during the period 2014-2016 across patient and hospital categories. This decline could be due to infection mitigation strategies or other unmeasured factors.