According to the results of a retrospective study published in Molecular and Clinical Oncology, early initiation of highly immunosuppressive infliximab (IFX) and high-dose systemic steroid administration should be considered for diarrhoea/colitis and other immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in the setting of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. This article summarises the study and throws light on the outcomes of IFX treatment.

The authors of the study wrote:

“Immune‑related adverse events, which often occur in association with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment, require early detection and appropriate management considering their potentially fatal outcomes. Among irAEs, diarrhoea/colitis occurs particularly frequently, and serious complications, such as intestinal perforation, may follow unless timely and appropriate treatment is provided."

The study

In the current study, researchers examined the outcomes of IFX treatment in Japanese cancer patients who developed severe steroid-resistant irAEs secondary to various ICIs. They also assessed the efficacy and safety of IFX in the treatment of such irAEs.

Researchers examined the outcomes in eight patients with different types of cancers. Of these patients, four had malignant melanoma, three had lung cancer, and one had renal cancer.