Characterization of Hospital Admissions During Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Insights From the ICOG Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology

Background:

• Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are crucial in cancer therapy, but data on hospitalizations from immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are limited.
• This study characterizes hospitalizations in patients receiving ICI therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the characteristics and outcomes of hospitalizations related to irAEs in patients undergoing ICI therapy.
• To evaluate the impact of these hospitalizations on overall survival.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study included 237 patients treated with ICI between 12/2019 and 06/2022.
• Data on clinical characteristics, ICI type, and hospitalizations were collected over a 6-month period.
• Descriptive and Kaplan-Meier statistics were used for analysis.

Main Results:

• 12.6% of patients (30/237) were hospitalized (HA(+)) during the observation period.
• Malignant melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and non-small-cell lung carcinoma were the most common cancers.
• Hospitalizations were significantly higher with dual ICI (Nivolumab/Ipilimumab) and predominantly due to colitis (26.7%) and hypophysitis (13.3%).
• Median hospitalization duration was 7 days, with frequent interdisciplinary consultations (gastroenterology, neurology).

Conclusions:

• The hospitalization rate of 12.6% is comparable to previous studies, with colitis and hypophysitis being disproportionately represented irAEs leading to admission.
• Despite a trend towards prolonged survival in hospitalized patients, no statistically significant difference was found compared to non-hospitalized patients.
• The findings support the outpatient management of ICI therapy, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and vigilant monitoring of irAEs.