Thermal Ablation, Embolization, and Selective Internal Radiation Therapy Combined with Checkpoint Inhibitor Cancer...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway have revolutionized cancer treatment.
• Combining ICIs with interventional oncology (IO) therapies may enhance treatment efficacy.
• The safety profile of combined ICI and IO therapies requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and toxicity of interventional oncology therapies combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy.
• To describe immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and procedural complications in patients receiving combined treatments.
• To assess the outcomes in patients with different neoplasms treated with combined ICI and IO therapies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 65 patients receiving tumor-directed thermal ablation, embolization, or selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) combined with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents.
• Data collected on irAEs and procedural complications within 90 days post-procedure.
• Grading of adverse events using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0.

Main Results:

• Seven patients (10.8%) experienced irAEs, primarily grade 1-2 affecting the skin; none were grade 5.
• Five irAEs occurred in melanoma patients; no irAEs were observed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
• Four intraprocedural and 32 postprocedural complications occurred, with most below grade 3; no grade 5 complications were reported.

Conclusions:

• Combined interventional oncology therapies and ICIs demonstrate a manageable safety profile.
• No unmanageable or unanticipated toxicities were observed within 90 days post-treatment.
• This combined approach appears safe for treating various neoplasms, including melanoma and NSCLC.