Progress in diagnosis and treatment of checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis

In this article, we summarized the current knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment of the checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis (CIP), and provide an outlook on the current issues and future prospects.

Pulmonary toxicity of immunotherapy covers a broad range of pulmonary manifestations and is often referred to as pneumonitis. It is a severe and potentially life-threatening immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that requires early identification and management. The diagnosis of CIP should be carefully distinguished from other forms of pulmonary diseases. Recognizing risk factors and typical symptoms helps to raise suspicion of CIP. Further characterization of the unique radiographic and pathological features is warranted to expedite diagnosis. The identification of potential biomarkers for CIP is emerging and has great relevance in the clinic. Multidisciplinary collaborations involving oncologists, radiologists and pulmonologists may facilitate uniform management strategies. Treatment discontinuation is the mainstay for treating CIP of all grades. Systemic steroids are considered for pneumonitis at least grade 2 and immunosuppressive drugs are recommended for CIP patients refractory to steroids. In the future, more diagnosis and management strategies are needed to provide new insights and treatment options.

There are achievements and shortcomings in the current status of the diagnosis and treatment for CIP. In the future, the research on this topic should be further demonstrated.