Comparisons of Non-Oral Immune-Related Adverse Events Among Patients With Cancer With Different Oral Toxicity...

Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are common. Oral irAEs tend to cluster in patients who experience concurrent toxicities. We aimed to characterize the frequency and trajectory of non-oral irAEs in patients who developed oral irAEs, assess their relationship with non-oral irAEs, and compare those characteristics with patients without oral irAEs.

A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify patients who started ICIT between December 11, 2011, and September 15, 2019 (n = 4683) in the Mass General Brigham Registered Patient Data Registry. Demographic information, cancer diagnosis, ICIT regimen, treatment duration, and time and number of infusions to irAE onset were recorded. Non-oral irAEs were categorized into 13 groups. Patients with melanoma, pulmonary cancer, or head and neck cancer who had oral irAEs were then matched with those without oral irAEs to compare the prevalence of concomitant non-oral irAEs.

Three hundred and fourteen patients with oral irAEs with a mean age of 65.9 ± 12.6 years (43.3% females) were included. Patients with multiple oral irAEs were more likely to have non-oral irAEs (OR: 2.7, 95% CI, 1.3-3.5), including cutaneous (OR: 1.7, 95% CI, 1.1-3.0), rheumatological (OR: 2.2, 95% CI, 1.1-4.2), thyroid (OR: 2.4, 95% CI, 1.2-4.9), and neurological irAEs (OR: 2.5, 95% CI, 1.0-6.3). Compared to matched patients with non-oral irAEs, patients with oral irAEs were more likely to have cutaneous (OR: 1.7, 95% CI, 1.0-2.8) and thyroid (OR: 2.86, 95% CI, 1.1-7.5) irAEs. The development of oral and non-oral irAEs is often coincidental.

Patients who have non-oral irAEs should be monitored for development of oral irAEs for prompt management.