Updated Brazilian guidelines for the management of immune-related adverse events associated with checkpoint inhibitors - edition 2.0

Abstract

Immunotherapy (IT) in the form of monoclonal antibodies targeting coreceptors involved in the modulation of the immune synapse represents a standard of care for patients with distinct malignancies. Over the past years, evidences supporting the clinical use of IT both in monotherapy, as well as in combinatorial regimens, grew dramatically, leading to multiple regulatory approvals. With the expanding clinical incorporation of IT, understanding the mechanisms and management of the adverse events (AE) associated with this class of drugs is of utmost importance for professionals involved in patient care. In 2017, the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology (SBOC) issued the initial version of the “Brazilian guidelines for the management of immune-related toxicities associated with checkpoint inhibitors”. In this article, we aimed to update general and specific aspects related to immune-related AEs associated with the use of immune-checkpoint inhibitors, including emerging evidences and updated algorithms for the most frequent clinical manifestations.

Keywords

• immunotherapy
• practice guideline
• adverse effects
• immune-checkpoint inhibitors