Guidelines for Immunotherapy Side Effects

The guidelines are aimed at nurses and clinicians who are treating lung cancer patients with immunotherapy, she said. The adverse events that can occur with these drugs are different from those seen with chemotherapy and targeted agents, she explained. The immune-related adverse events can affect many different body systems and include gastrointestinal, dermatologic, endocrine, ocular, hepatic, neurologic, and pulmonary toxicities.

Although immune-related adverse events are broadly similar among patients with different tumor types, there are also some particular problems. Lung cancer patients seem to be more prone to pneumonitis than patients with melanoma, Rohan commented, perhaps because lung cancer patients usually undergo radiotherapy before immunotherapy, and radiotherapy can itself cause pneumonitis.
The guidelines include easy-to-read tables, with each table outlining the toxicities that can affect a particular body system. The toxicities are graded, and a color code highlights the need for action. The less severe toxicities are coded green, to signify that treatment with immunotherapy should be continued. The severe toxicities ― which can be life-threatening ― are coded red to indicate that immunotherapy should be stopped. An amber code indicates that clinicians should proceed with caution.

Reference
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/887050