Citation: British Journal of Cancer. 2020, 123(2), 207–15. (2020 May 18 Online ahead of print.)
Author: Vincent Ting Fung Cheung, Tarun Gupta, Anna Olsson-Brown, Sreedhar Subramanian, Sarah Christina Sasson, Jonathan Heseltine, Eve Fryer, Elena Collantes, Joseph J Sacco, Munir Pirmohamed, Alison Simmons, Paul Klenerman, Mark Tuthill, Andrew S Protheroe, Meenali Chitnis, Benjamin Peter Fairfax, Miranda Jane Payne, Mark Ross Middleton, Oliver Brain
Abstract: Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) improve survival but cause immune-related adverse events (irAE). We sought to determine if CTCAE classification, IBD biomarkers/endoscopic/histological scores correlate with irAE colitis outcomes.
Methods: A dual-centre retrospective study was performed on patients receiving ICI for melanoma, NSCLC or urothelial cancer from 2012 to 2018. Demographics, clinical data, endoscopies (reanalysed using Mayo/Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) scores), histology (scored with Nancy Index) and treatment outcomes were analysed.
Results: In all, 1074 patients were analysed. Twelve percent (134) developed irAE colitis. Median patient age was 66, 59% were male. CTCAE diarrhoea grade does not correlate with steroid/ infliximab use. G3/4 colitis patients are more likely to need infliximab (p < 0.0001) but colitis grade does not correlate with steroid duration. CRP, albumin and haemoglobin do not correlate with severity. The UCEIS (p = 0.008) and Mayo (p = 0.016) scores correlate with severity/infliximab requirement. Patients with higher Nancy indices (3/4) are more likely to require infliximab (p = 0.03).
Conclusions: CTCAE assessment does not accurately reflect colitis severity and our data do not support its use in isolation, as this may negatively impact timely management. Our data support utilising endoscopic scoring for patients with >grade 1 CTCAE disease, and demonstrate the potential prognostic utility of objective histologic scoring.
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