Long-term immune related adverse events.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment.
• Long-term immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are a growing concern in patients treated with ICIs.
• Current data on long-term irAEs, including their clinical presentations and diagnostic criteria, remain under-reported.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize current evidence on the clinical presentations of long-term irAEs.
• To outline the diagnostic criteria for various long-term irAE subtypes.
• To highlight the increasing clinical reality and under-reporting of these events.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature on long-term irAEs.
• Analysis of retrospective studies characterizing frequency, clinical spectrum, and risk factors.
• Examination of recent recommendations for consensual definitions of irAE subtypes.

Main Results:

• Long-term irAEs manifest with a diverse clinical spectrum, impacting patient quality of life.
• Retrospective studies provide insights into frequency and risk factors.
• Consensual definitions for delayed/late-onset, chronic active, and inactive irAEs have been proposed.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced knowledge of long-term irAE subtypes, risks, and clinical presentations is essential.
• Improved detection and diagnosis are needed to optimize therapeutic decisions.
• Better understanding will ultimately improve the care of cancer patients receiving ICIs.