Immune checkpoint inhibitors: An emergency medicine focused review.

INTRODUCTION: Several novel cancer therapies have been developed, many of which focused on immune system modulation. These include immune checkpoint inhibitors, modulators, T-cell therapy, monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, oncolytic viruses, and vaccines. Although many of these therapies are well tolerated, significant adverse reactions can occur as a result of these novel drugs. OBJECTIVE: This narrative review discusses complications associated with immune based cancer therapies, specifically immune checkpoint inhibitors, for emergency clinicians. DISCUSSION: Novel cancer therapies including immune checkpoint inhibitors can improve the care of patients with malignancy. However, these therapies have a number of potential complications, known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Complications can involve the neurologic, cardiac, pulmonary, dermatologic, renal, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and hematologic systems. IrAEs most commonly occur in the first several months following treatment initiation. These complications can be graded based on severity of clinical and laboratory findings. While most of these irAEs are mild, patients may present with critical illness. Treatment commonly includes immune checkpoint inhibitor discontinuation, steroids, and evaluation for other immunosuppressant medications. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of this novel cancer therapy class and its potential complications can improve the care of patients on immune checkpoint inhibitors in the emergency department setting.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy: An emergency medicine focused review.

INTRODUCTION: Several novel cancer therapies have been recently introduced, each with complications that differ from chemotherapy and radiation. OBJECTIVE: This narrative review discusses complications associated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for emergency clinicians. DISCUSSION: Novel immune-based cancer therapies including CAR T-cell therapy have improved the care of patients with malignancy, primarily lymphoma and leukemia. However, severe complications may arise, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). CRS is associated with excessive cytokine release that results in severe end organ injury. Patients present with fever and a range of symptoms based on the affected organs. Grading is determined by the need for cardiopulmonary intervention, while management focuses on resuscitation, evaluation for other concomitant conditions, and treatment with tocilizumab or steroids. ICANS is also associated with cytokine release, causing patients to present with a variety of neurologic features. A grading system is available for ICANS based on feature severity. Management is supportive with steroids. Other complications of CAR T-cell therapy include infusion reactions, hypogammaglobulinemia, tumor lysis syndrome, cytopenias, cardiac toxicity, and graft-versus-host disease. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of this novel cancer therapy class and the potential complications can improve the care of these patients in the emergency department setting.