Case series of cancer patients who developed cholecystitis related to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment

Successful replacement for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma with cholecystitis induced by PD-1 antibody: a case report

The occurrence of immune-related cholecystitis and the subsequent immunotherapy re-challenge has been rarely reported. A patient diagnosed with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma, developed immune-related cholecystitis after the sixth and eighth cycles of camrelizumab respectively. The patient's symptoms and laboratory test results showed improvement after conservative treatment. Then we chose zimberelimab, a fully humanized PD-1 antibody, as a replacement for camrelizumab in maintenance therapy and successfully completed 37 cycles of zimberelimab (240 mg every 2 weeks per cycle). Surprisingly, the patient experienced no immune-related adverse event and remained in complete remission with a progression-free survival of 28.8 months. The use of Zimberelimab as rechallenge immunotherapy may be an optional choice after managing immune-related cholecystitis induced by other PD-1 antibodies.

Imaging of abdominopelvic oncologic emergencies

With advancements in cancer treatment, the survival rates for many malignancies have increased. However, both the primary tumors and the treatments themselves can give rise to various complications. Acute symptoms in oncology patients require prompt attention. Abdominopelvic oncologic emergencies can be classified into four distinct categories: vascular, bowel, hepatopancreatobiliary, and bone-related complications. Radiologists need to be familiar with these complications to ensure timely diagnosis, which ultimately enhances patient outcomes.

Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Immune-related Adverse Events: A Histopathologic Review

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been increasingly used to treat various malignant neoplasms. Despite their superior efficacy in treating certain ones, their global immune-activation effect leads to systemic side effects, referred to as immune-related adverse events. Immune-related adverse events affect a variety of organs, including the skin, gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, and endocrine organs. Gastrointestinal tract immune-related adverse events present with a wide range of symptoms with variable severity, which may lead to treatment interruption and administration of immunosuppression therapy in many cases. Histopathologic changes are diverse, overlapping with many other conditions. Therefore, recognizing these changes is crucial in diagnosing immune-related adverse events. This review discusses the pathologic manifestations of gastrointestinal immune-related adverse events and discusses the primary differential diagnoses.

Immune-Related Adverse Events of the Gastrointestinal System

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are a form of immunotherapy that have revolutionized the treatment of a number of cancers. Specifically, they are antibodies targeted against established and emerging immune checkpoints, such as cytotoxic T-cell antigen 4 (CTLA4), programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death 1 protein (PD-1) on CD8-positive T cells, which promote the destruction of tumor cells. While the immune checkpoint inhibitors are very effective in the treatment of a number of cancers, their use is limited by serious and in some cases life-threatening immune-related adverse events. While these involve many organs, one of the most prevalent serious adverse events is immune checkpoint inhibitor colitis, occurring in a significant proportion of patients treated with this therapy. In this review, we aim to broadly describe the immune-related adverse events known to occur within the gastrointestinal system and the potential role played by the intestinal microbiome.

Imaging assessment of toxicity related to immune checkpoint inhibitors

In recent years, a wide range of cancer immunotherapies have been developed and have become increasingly important in cancer treatment across multiple oncologic diseases. In particular, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) offer promising options to improve patient outcomes. However, a major limitation of these treatments consists in the development of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) occurring in potentially any organ system and affecting up to 76% of the patients. The most frequent toxicities involve the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and endocrine system. Although mostly manageable, potentially life-threatening events, particularly due to neuro-, cardiac, and pulmonary toxicity, occur in up to 30% and 55% of the patients treated with ICI-monotherapy or -combination therapy, respectively. Imaging, in particular computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 2-deoxy-2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT), plays an important role in the detection and characterization of these irAEs. In some patients, irAEs can even be detected on imaging before the onset of clinical symptoms. In this context, it is particularly important to distinguish irAEs from true disease progression and specific immunotherapy related response patterns, such as pseudoprogression. In addition, there are irAEs which might be easily confused with other pathologies such as infection or metastasis. However, many imaging findings, such as in immune-related pneumonitis, are nonspecific. Thus, accurate diagnosis may be delayed underling the importance for adequate imaging features characterization in the appropriate clinical setting in order to provide timely and efficient patient management. ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT and radiomics have demonstrated to reliably detect these toxicities and potentially have predictive value for identifying patients at risk of developing irAEs. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the main immunotherapy-related toxicities and discuss their characteristics on imaging.

Checkpoint Inhibitor Immune-Related Adverse Events: A Multimodality Pictorial Review

Cancer immunotherapies are drugs that modulate the body's own immune system as an anticancer strategy. Checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies interfere with cell surface binding proteins that function to promote self-recognition and tolerance, ultimately leading to upregulation of the immune response. Given the striking success of these agents in early trials in melanoma and lung cancer, they have now been studied in many types of cancer and have become a pillar of anticancer therapy for many tumor types. However, abundant upregulation results in a new class of side effects, known as immune-related adverse events (IRAEs). It is critical for the practicing radiologist to be able to recognize these events to best contribute to care for patients on checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. Here, we provide a comprehensive system-based review of immune-related adverse events and associated imaging findings. Further, we detail the best imaging modalities for each as well as describe problem solving modalities. Given that IRAEs can be subclinical before becoming clinically apparent, radiologists may be the first provider to recognize them, providing an opportunity for early treatment. Awareness of IRAEs and how to best image them will prepare radiologists to make a meaningful contribution to patient care as part of the clinical team.

Imaging features of toxicities associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

The past decade has witnessed a change in landscape of cancer management with the advent of precision oncology. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment and have played an important role in improving patient survival. While the patients are living longer, treatment with ICIs are sometimes associated with adverse effects, some of which could be fatal. Radiologists can play a crucial role by early identification of some of these adverse effects during restaging scans. Our paper focuses on the imaging features of commonly occurring ICI toxicities based on organ system.

Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Immune-related Adverse Events: A Histopathologic Review

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been increasingly used to treat various malignant neoplasms. Despite their superior efficacy in treating certain ones, their global immune-activation effect leads to systemic side effects, referred to as immune-related adverse events. Immune-related adverse events affect a variety of organs, including the skin, gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, and endocrine organs. Gastrointestinal tract immune-related adverse events present with a wide range of symptoms with variable severity, which may lead to treatment interruption and administration of immunosuppression therapy in many cases. Histopathologic changes are diverse, overlapping with many other conditions. Therefore, recognizing these changes is crucial in diagnosing immune-related adverse events. This review discusses the pathologic manifestations of gastrointestinal immune-related adverse events and discusses the primary differential diagnoses.

Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Adverse Events

The expanded approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for the treatment of multiple cancer types has offered patients more opportunities in treatment selection and survival.Hepatotoxicity is a well-recognized immune-related adverse event (irAE) associated with treatment with ICI. It is considered a type of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Depending on the specific ICI and whether the patient receives single- or dual-drug therapy, the incidence of hepatotoxicity in general could be as high as 30%. As more patients receive treatment with ICI, more cases of hepatotoxicity are expected to occur. Clinicians must exercise close pharmacovigilance to recognize liver-related irAEs early.ICI-mediated hepatobiliary toxicity (or "IMH") generally presents as asymptomatic elevations of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase, with or without alkaline phosphatase elevation. Some patients may present with jaundice, fever, or malaise. Rarely, it may cause liver failure and death. The diagnosis of IMH is made after careful exclusion of other causes of acute hepatitis based on medical history, laboratory evaluation, imaging, and liver histological findings. In clinically significant cases of IMH, the management involves discontinuation of ICI followed by close monitoring and the initiation of immunosuppression. Current society guidelines, which are not based on robust evidence, specify treatment recommendations depending on the grade of liver injury, according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0. However, our clinical experience suggests possible alternatives, including lower corticosteroid dosing with adjunct therapies. Whereas current guidelines endorse permanent cessation of future ICI treatment in patients diagnosed with grades 3-4 IMH, published clinical experience suggests potential for flexibility when assessing for candidacy of resuming ICI.Because histologic bile duct injury has been observed in cases ascribed to IMH, ICI-mediated cholangiopathic disease probably exists on a spectrum within IMH. Even extrahepatic bile duct involvement has been observed. This phenotype warrants special considerations in treatment and surveillance.ICI-related cholecystitis has been rarely reported in the literature. Management follows current standards of care for typical cases of cholecystitis. No relationship with ICI-mediated cholangiopathic disease has been observed.Assessing for and managing ICI-associated pancreatic injury remain challenging to the clinician. Many cases of asymptomatic serum lipase elevation are detected on routine labs without clinical signs or symptoms of typical acute pancreatitis. However, symptomatic patients should be initially managed like traditional cases of acute pancreatitis requiring hospitalization for evaluation and inpatient management.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Oral Mucositis Associated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients With Cancer

BACKGROUND

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy predisposes patients to immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Data are limited regarding the incidence, management, and outcomes of one such irAE: mucositis. In this study, we evaluated the clinical characteristics, disease course, treatment, and outcomes of ICI-mediated mucositis.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, single-center study of patients who received ICI therapy and developed oral mucositis at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 2009 to September 2019. Inclusion criteria included age ≥18 years, a diagnosis of oral mucositis and/or stomatitis based on ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, and therapy using CTLA-4 or PD-1/L1 inhibitors alone or combined with other agents.

RESULTS

We identified 152 patients with a mean age of 60 years, 51% of whom were men. Of the sample patients, 73% had stage IV cancer, with melanoma the most common (28%). Median time from ICI initiation to mucositis was 91 days. The most common clinical presentation of mucositis was odynophagia and/or oral pain (89%), 91% developed CTCAE grade 1-2 mucositis, and 78% received anti-PD-1/L1 monotherapy. Compared with anti-PD-1/L1-based therapy, anti-CTLA-4-based therapy was more frequently associated with earlier onset of mucositis (73 vs 96 days; P=.077) and a lower rate of symptom resolution (76% vs 92%; P=.029); 24% of patients required immunosuppressive therapy, which was associated with longer symptom duration (84 vs 34 days; P=.002) and higher mucositis recurrence rate (61% vs 32%; P=.006). ICI interruption was associated with worse survival (P=.037). Mucositis recurrence, immunosuppressant use, and presence of other irAEs did not affect survival.

CONCLUSIONS

For ICI-mediated mucositis, a diagnosis of exclusion has not been well recognized and is understudied. Although the clinical symptoms of mucositis are mostly mild, approximately 25% of patients require immunosuppression. Mucositis recurrence can occur in approximately 39% patients. Our results showed that ICI interruption compromises overall survival.

Diagnosis and Management of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Colitis

Increased use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has created a rise in immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which may affect any system in the body. Gastrointestinal (GI) irAEs such as immune-mediated colitis are common, occurring in 35% to 50% of patients receiving ICIs. GI irAEs usually develop 6 to 8 weeks after ICI initiation and can involve any part of the GI system. Patients with immune-mediated colitis are categorized into 1 of 5 grades based on the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, which also guide treatment decisions. An infectious cause for the diarrhea should be excluded in all patients. Patients with grade 1 symptoms are managed conservatively. Patients with grade 2 or higher symptoms should undergo a colonoscopy and are treated with systemic corticosteroids and, depending on their response, biologic therapy. The aim of this article is to review the diagnosis and management of patients with immune-mediated colitis, which should be identified early and addressed promptly to avoid detrimental outcomes.

Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) clinical practice guideline on immune checkpoint inhibitor-related adverse events

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the standard of care for the treatment of several cancers. While these immunotherapies have improved patient outcomes in many clinical settings, they bring accompanying risks of toxicity, specifically immune-related adverse events (irAEs). There is a need for clear, effective guidelines for the management of irAEs during ICI treatment, motivating the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) to convene an expert panel to develop a clinical practice guideline. The panel discussed the recognition and management of single and combination ICI irAEs and ultimately developed evidence- and consensus-based recommendations to assist medical professionals in clinical decision-making and to improve outcomes for patients.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Diagnosis and Management of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Colitis and Hepatitis: Expert Review

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the treatment landscape for oncology, leading to durable remissions in a subset of patients, but also a broad range of potentially life-threatening inflammatory toxicities, many of which involve the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and liver. The purpose of this expert review was to update gastroenterologists on the gastrointestinal and hepatic toxicities of ICIs and provide best practice advice on their diagnosis and management.

METHODS

The evidence reviewed in this work combines the expert clinical opinion of the authors with a comprehensive search of several English-language databases and a manual review of relevant publications.

Machine Learning for Detection of Safety Signals From Spontaneous Reporting System Data: Example of Nivolumab and Docetaxel

Introduction: Various methods have been implemented to detect adverse drug reaction (ADR) signals. However, the applicability of machine learning methods has not yet been fully evaluated.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of machine learning algorithms in detecting ADR signals of nivolumab and docetaxel, new and old anticancer agents.

Methods: We conducted a safety surveillance study of nivolumab and docetaxel using the Korea national spontaneous reporting database from 2009 to 2018. We constructed a novel input dataset for each study drug comprised of known ADRs that were listed in the drug labels and unknown ADRs. Given the known ADRs, we trained machine learning algorithms and evaluated predictive performance in generating safety signals of machine learning algorithms (gradient boosting machine [GBM] and random forest [RF]) compared with traditional disproportionality analysis methods (reporting odds ratio [ROR] and information component [IC]) by using the area under the curve (AUC). Each method then was implemented to detect new safety signals from the unknown ADR datasets.

Results: Of all methods implemented, GBM achieved the best average predictive performance (AUC: 0.97 and 0.93 for nivolumab and docetaxel). The AUC achieved by each method was 0.95 and 0.92 (RF), 0.55 and 0.51 (ROR), and 0.49 and 0.48 (IC) for respective drug. GBM detected additional 24 and nine signals for nivolumab and 82 and 76 for docetaxel compared to ROR and IC, respectively, from the unknown ADR datasets.

Conclusion: Machine learning algorithm based on GBM performed better and detected more new ADR signals than traditional disproportionality analysis methods.

Gastrointestinal adverse events of immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has emerged as an effective treatment for different types of cancer. ICIs are monoclonal antibodies that inhibit the signaling pathway that suppress antitumor T-cell activity. Patients benefit from increased overall and progression-free survival, but the enhancement of normal immunity can result in autoimmune manifestations, called immune-related adverse events (IRAEs), which may lead to a discontinuation of cancer therapy and to severe also life-threating events. IRAEs may affect any organs or system in the human body, being the gastrointestinal (GI) tract one of the most involved districts. Imaging plays an important role in recognizing GI IRAEs and radiologist should be familiar with the main spectrum of radiological appearance. Indeed, early detection of GI IRAEs is crucial for proper patient management and reduces morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this review is to present the most relevant imaging manifestation of GI IRAEs.

Abdominal CT manifestations of adverse events to immunotherapy: a primer for radiologists

Immunotherapy is a rapidly growing field within oncology and is being increasingly used in the management of several malignancies. Due to their unique mechanism of action on the immune system and neoplastic cells, the response pattern and adverse events of this novel therapy are distinct from conventional systemic therapies. Accordingly, the imaging appearances following immunotherapy including adverse events are unique and at times perplexing. Imaging is integral to management of patients on immunotherapeutic agents and a thorough understanding of its mechanism, response patterns and adverse events is crucial for precise interpretation of imaging studies. This review provides a description of the mechanism of action of current immunotherapeutic agents and the organ-wise description of their side effects.

Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) 2020 clinical practice recommendations for the management of severe gastrointestinal and hepatic toxicities from checkpoint inhibitors

Immune-related adverse events (IrAEs) affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and liver are among the most frequent and most severe inflammatory toxicities from contemporary immunotherapy. Inflammation of the colon and or small intestines (entero)colitis is the single most common GI IrAE and is an important cause of delay of discontinuation of immunotherapy. The severity of these GI IrAEs can range from manageable with symptomatic treatment alone to life-threatening complications, including perforation and liver failure. The frequency and severity of GI IrAEs is dependent on the specific immunotherapy given, with cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen (CTLA)-4 blockade more likely to induce severe GI IrAEs than blockade of either programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) or PD-1 ligand (PD-L1), and combination therapy showing the highest rate of GI IrAEs, particularly in the liver. To date, we have minimal prospective data on the appropriate diagnosis and management of GI IrAEs, and recommendations are based largely on retrospective data and expert opinion. Although clinical diagnoses of GI IrAEs are common, biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis of both immunotherapy-induced enterocolitis and hepatitis and can play an important role in excluding competing, though less common, diagnoses and ensuring optimal management. GI IrAEs typically respond to high-dose corticosteroids, though a significant fraction of patients requires secondary immune suppression. For colitis, both TNF-α blockade with infliximab and integrin inhibition with vedolizumab have proved highly effective in corticosteroid-refractory cases. Detailed guidelines have been published for the management of low-grade GI IrAEs. In the setting of more severe toxicities, involvement of a GI specialist is generally recommended. The purpose of this review is to survey the available literature and provide management recommendations focused on the GI specialist.

Anti-programmed cell death-1 and anti-programmed cell death ligand-1 immune-related liver diseases: from clinical pivotal studies to real-life experience

INTRODUCTION

Monoclonal antibodies directed against programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) and its ligand (anti-PD-L1) showed a significant efficacy among different immunogenic metastatic tumors such as melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Between immune-related adverse events (irAEs) dependent on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs), immune-related liver diseases are uncommon and a definitive diagnosis is not always feasible.

AREAS COVERED

We revised data from phase II/III clinical trials and real-world retrospective analyses on liver-related adverse events induced by anti-PD-1 (nivolumab/pembrolizumab) and anti-PD-L1 (atezolizumab) in advanced cancer populations (melanoma, NSCLC and RCC). Furthermore, we described clinical-pathological patterns of immune-related liver diseases in real-life.

EXPERT OPINION

Use of anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 led to a paradigm shift in the management of patients with melanoma, NSCLC and RCC. IrAEs can occur potentially in any tissue, leading to discontinuation of ICPIs, at least in a small proportion of these patients, and to a negative impact on their prognosis. Hepatobiliary immune-related adverse events are underestimated due to inappropriate monitoring. Development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer patients receiving ICPIs as well as the identification of predictive biomarkers of liver injury could allow a better patients' selection and improve clinical outcomes of immune-related liver diseases.

B-mode ultrasonographic diagnosis in gallbladder wall thickening

Diseases associated with gallbladder wall thickening include benign entities such as adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder, acute and chronic cholecystitis, and hyperplasia associated with pancreaticobiliary maljunction, and also cancer. Unique conditions such as sclerosing cholecystitis and cholecystitis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment can also manifest as wall thickening, as in some systemic inflammatory conditions. Gallbladder cancer, the most serious disease that can show wall thickening, can be difficult to diagnose early and to distinguish from benign causes of wall thickening, contributing to a poor prognosis. Differentiating between xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis and gallbladder cancer with wall thickening can be particularly problematic. Cancers that thicken the wall while coexisting with benign lesions that cause wall thickening represent another potential pitfall. In contrast, some benign gallbladder lesions that can cause wall thickening, such as adenomyomatosis and acute cholecystitis, typically show characteristic ultrasonographic features that, together with clinical findings, permit easier diagnosis. In this review of the literature, we describe B-mode abdominal ultrasonographic diagnosis of gallbladder lesions showing wall thickening.

Hepatobiliary Adverse Events

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are increasingly used for multiple cancer types. Hepatotoxicity is a reported adverse event of ICI treatment. It can present as asymptomatic elevation of aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase or symptomatic hepatitis with fever, malaise, and even death in rare cases. The diagnosis of ICI-induced hepatitis is made after exclusion of other etiologies based on medical history, laboratory evaluation, and imaging and histological findings. Treatment of ICI-induced hepatitis consists of ICI discontinuation and immunosuppression in severe cases. Pancreatic injury as asymptomatic lipase elevation or acute pancreatitis-like disease with abdominal pain and evidence on imaging has been documented as a toxicity of ICI therapy. Appropriate treatment of pancreatitis still needs further investigation. Few cases, reports, and series documented cholecystitis and cholangitis as possible adverse events related to ICI therapy as well.

Management Considerations for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Enterocolitis Based on Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has significantly improved the outcomes of various advanced malignancies that were deemed unruly prior to its invention. Immune-mediated diarrhea and enterocolitis are among the most frequently encountered adverse events of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Given the increasing use of these therapies in the treatment of an ever-growing number of malignancies, providing appropriate treatment for such adverse effects has become crucial.

METHODS

In this review, we summarize the current body of evidence concerning the management of immune-mediated diarrhea and enterocolitis. Additionally, management of immune-mediated diarrhea and enterocolitis is likened to that of inflammatory bowel disease, given the resemblance between both entities in pathogenesis and clinical features. Reviewing the literature raised several points regarding this devastating toxicity that still need further investigation by future efforts.

RESULTS

Endoscopic and histologic evaluation is pivotal in the assessment of immune-mediated diarrhea and enterocolitis and provides vital information regarding the severity of the disease to guide treatment. Corticosteroids are the main therapy for immune-mediated diarrhea and enterocolitis, with infliximab and vedolizumab as second-line agents. Recently, fecal microbiota transplantation has emerged as a treatment option for immune-mediated diarrhea and enterocolitis that is refractory to corticosteroids. Restarting immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy after resolution of immune-mediated diarrhea and enterocolitis carries a risk of recurrence that is mostly controllable with current immune-suppressive treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Lastly, we propose a management algorithm for immune-mediated diarrhea and enterocolitis. Prospective research, preferably as collaborative efforts from oncology and gastroenterology specialists, is needed to refine the management of immune-mediated diarrhea and enterocolitis.