The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer is pleased to announce the publication of a new article, “Where is the data? Delayed and chronic irAE surveillance and management after cessation of ICIs: Expert insights from SITC on survivorship care and the need for long-term data” in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer.
Over the past two decades, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy, providing durable disease control for many patients. Thanks to an increasing number of ICIs approved for new diseases and in earlier disease states, there is a growing population of survivors with a history of ICI treatment. Unfortunately, these patients are at risk of developing delayed and/or chronic irAEs, even after treatment has stopped. However, data on delayed and chronic irAE incidence and risk factors are lacking, and as such, evidence-based guidance and/or standards of care for recognizing and managing irAEs in this setting have not been established, leading to a lack of awareness outside of oncology care. Recognizing this gap, SITC leadership convened a multidisciplinary Expert Panel to provide insights on the following areas:
- Surveillance and recognition of delayed/chronic irAEs
- Diagnosis and management of delayed/chronic irAEs
- Care coordination between oncology, primary care, and specialty care
- Patient and clinician education
- Health-related quality of life
- Areas for future research
- Call to action: Real-world ICI-related irAE registry
This article provides guidance for all clinicians caring for patients previously treated with ICIs and addresses the lack of data regarding delayed and/or chronic irAEs, all with the goal of improving care and quality of life for cancer survivors. Looking towards the future of ICI patient care, the authors call on the field to pursue a deeper understanding of long-term and delayed irAEs, potentially through development of an ICI-related irAE real-world data registry.
