[Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Induced Pneumonitis and Its Management]

Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)made a drastic change in treatment of various types of advanced tumors since its approval, showing improvement of survival. The use of ICIs however has revealed unique adverse events that are quite different from the conventional chemotherapies, and there still remains several unknown factors such as its onset time or risk factors. Drug-induced interstitial lung disease, one of the important immune-related adverse events, is a rare but sometimes lethal adverse event that often confuses physician of its diagnosis. Unspecific changes like dyspnea, cough, and radiographic changes would be the main findings, thus close and comprehensive diagnosis is needed for accurate treatment. Cessation of ICI and induction of corticosteroid is the fundamental treatment for drug-induced lung disease, and treatment with immunosuppressive drug may be required according to the severity of adverse events. Previous reports have shown that most cases of this entity are treatable if diagnosed and managed appropriately, so it is important to cooperate with pulmonologist and radiologist for better comprehension and proper treatment.