Faisal S. Ali

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) are gaining increasing popularity as an efficacious treatment for advanced malignancies. ICPI treatment can be complicated by diarrhea and colitis. Systemic steroids are the first line treatment. Infliximab is reserved for severe refractory cases. We aimed to assess the impact of ICPI-induced diarrhea and colitis and their immunosuppressive treatment on patients' outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective analysis was conducted in 327 cancer patients who received ICPIs between 2011 and 2017. Patients with ICPI-induced toxicities in other organs were excluded. We collected data about patient demographics, clinical variables, and overall survival. We used descriptive analysis to compare different groups based on the occurrence and the treatment of diarrhea and colitis. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test were used to estimate and compare overall survival durations between groups. RESULTS: Diarrhea was recorded in 117 (36%) patients; 79 (24%) of them required immunosuppressive treatment of either systemic corticosteroid without infliximab (n = 44) or with infliximab (n = 35). Caucasian ethnicity, melanoma, stage 3 cancer, and ipilimumab were predictors of colitis that requires immunosuppression. Patients who required immunosuppressants had better overall survival than those who did not require treatment for colitis or diarrhea (P < 0.001). Immunosuppression for diarrhea or colitis did not affect the overall survival significantly (P = 0.232), nor did the choice of treatment (corticosteroids with vs. without infliximab; P = 0.768). Diarrhea was an independent predictor of a favorable overall survival (P < 0.001), irrespective of treatment need (P = 0.003). We confirmed the same results in a subgroup analysis for patients with stage IV malignancies only. Patients who received long duration of steroid treatment (> 30 days) had numerically higher infection rate than those who received steroid for shorter duration (40.4 vs. 25.8%, P = 0.160). Likewise, long duration of steroid without infliximab was associated with increased risk of infection compared to short duration of steroid with infliximab (42.9% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.089). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ICPI-induced diarrhea or colitis have improved survival outcomes. Diarrhea is an independent predictor of an improved survival regardless of treatment requirement. Immunosuppressive treatment for diarrhea did not significantly affect overall survival, however, infection rates were numerically higher among patients who received steroids for a long duration. Therefore, early non-steroid immunosuppressive therapy may ensure a more favorable overall outcome.

BACKGROUND: Immune-mediated diarrhea and colitis (IMDC) can limit immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treatment, which is efficacious for advanced malignancies. Steroids and infliximab are commonly used to treat it. These agents induce systemic immunosuppression, with its associated morbidity. We assessed clinical outcomes of vedolizumab as an alternative treatment for IMDC. METHODS: We analyzed a retrospective case series of adults who had IMDC refractory to steroids and/or infliximab and received vedolizumab from 12/2016 through 04/2018. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients were included. The median time from ICI therapy to IMDC onset was 10 weeks. Fifteen patients (54%) had grade 2 and 13 (46%) had grade 3 or 4 IMDC. Mucosal ulceration was present in 8 patients (29%), and nonulcerative inflammation was present in 13 (46%). All patients had features of active histologic inflammation; 14 (50%) had features of chronicity, and 10 (36%) had features of microscopic colitis concurrently. The mean duration of steroid therapy was 96 days (standard deviation 74 days). Nine patients received infliximab in addition to steroids and their IMDC was refractory to it. Among these, the duration of steroid use was 131 days compared with 85 days in patients who did not receive infliximab. Likewise, patients who failed infliximab before vedolizumab had a clinical success rate of 67% compared to 95% for patients that did not receive infliximab. The median number of vedolizumab infusions was 3 (interquartile range 1-4). The mean duration of follow-up was 15 months. Twenty-four patients (86%) achieved and sustained clinical remission. Repeat endoscopic evaluation was performed in 17 patients. Endoscopic remission was attained in 7 (54%) of the 13 patients who had abnormal endoscopic findings initially; 5/17 patients (29%) reached histologic remission as well. CONCLUSIONS: Vedolizumab can be appropriate for the treatment of steroid-refractory IMDC, with favorable outcomes and a good safety profile.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPI) are efficacious treatments for advanced malignancies but can result in immune mediated diarrhea and colitis (IDC). Currently, the guidelines for the treatment of IDC depend only on clinical symptoms. Endoscopic and histologic features of such adverse events are not well studied in a manner that can help to gauge treatment plans. We aimed to characterize endoscopic and histologic features of IDC and to assess their association with clinical outcomes. METHODS: Our study included patients who had undergone endoscopy for IDC (1/2010 to 3/2018). Patients with GI infection at time of onset were excluded. High-risk endoscopic features were ulcers deeper than 2 mm, larger than 1 cm, and extensive colonic involvement. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to assess the association of endoscopic and histological features with clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 182 patients was included; most were white (92%), males (65%) with a mean age of 60 years. Median time from ICPI initiation to IDC was 7 weeks. Fifty-three percent had grade 3-4 diarrhea, and 32% grade 3-4 colitis. Forty-nine patients had mucosal ulcerations, 66 non-ulcerative inflammation and 67 normal endoscopy. Calprotectin was higher in patients with ulceration (P = 0.04). The sensitivity of lactoferrin to detect histologic and endoscopic inflammation was 90% and 70% respectively. Patients who underwent endoscopy earlier than 7 days after IDC onset had shorter duration of IDC symptoms and duration of steroid treatment than those who underwent endoscopy after 7 days of IDC onset (P = 0.026 and P = 0.053, respectively). Patients who underwent endoscopy > 30 days of symptom onset required longer duration of steroids (P = 0.02), had more recurrent symptoms (P < 0.01) and received later infliximab/vedolizumab add-on therapy than did those who underwent endoscopy ≤30 days (P = 0.03). High-risk features were associated with more frequent (P = 0.03) and longer duration (P = 0.02) hospitalization and infliximab/vedolizumab requirement (P < 0.01). Patients with active histological inflammation had more recurrence (P < 0.01) and repeat endoscopy (P < 0.01). Repeat endoscopy was required in 47 patients. A multivariate logistic regression revealed that longer ICPI treatment was associated with more frequent hospitalizations (OR 1.00; 95%CI 1.00-1.01; P < 0.01) and high-risk endoscopic features were associated with the requirement of infliximab/vedolizumab (OR 3.89; 95%CI 1.68-9.01; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: High risk endoscopic features and active histologic inflammation represent important markers of disease severity with clinical implications and should be used in a timely manner to devise IDC-focused treatment algorithms.

PURPOSE Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy often is suspended because of immune-mediated diarrhea and colitis (IMDC). We examined the rate of and risk factors for IMDC recurrence after ICI resumption. METHODS This retrospective multicenter study examined patients who resumed ICI therapy after improvement of IMDC between January 2010 and November 2018. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses assessed the association of clinical covariates and IMDC recurrence. RESULTS Of the 167 patients in our analysis, 32 resumed an anti–cytotoxic T-cell lymphocyte-4 (CTLA-4) agent, and 135 an anti–programmed cell death 1 or ligand 1 (PD-1/L1) agent. The median age was 60 years (interquartile range [IQR], 50-69 years). The median duration from IMDC to restart of ICI treatment was 49 days (IQR, 23-136 days). IMDC recurred in 57 patients (34%) overall (44% of those receiving an anti–CTLA-4 and 32% of those receiving an anti–PD-1/L1); 47 of these patients (82%) required immunosuppressive therapy for recurrent IMDC, and all required permanent discontinuation of ICI therapy. The median duration from ICI resumption to IMDC recurrence was 53 days (IQR, 22-138 days). On multivariable logistic regression, patients who received anti–PD-1/L1 therapy at initial IMDC had a higher risk of IMDC recurrence (odds ratio [OR], 3.45; 95% CI, 1.59 to 7.69; P = .002). Risk of IMDC recurrence was higher for patients who required immunosuppression for initial IMDC (OR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.08 to 9.62; P = .019) or had a longer duration of IMDC symptoms in the initial episode (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.03; P = .031). Risk of IMDC recurrence was lower after resumption of anti–PD-1/L1 therapy than after resumption of anti–CTLA-4 therapy (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.81; P = .019). CONCLUSION One third of patients who resumed ICI treatment after IMDC experienced recurrent IMDC. Recurrence of IMDC was less frequent after resumption of anti–PD-1/L1 than after resumption of anti–CTLA-4.

BACKGROUND: Current treatment guidelines for immune-mediated colitis (IMC) recommend 4 to 6 weeks of steroids as first-line therapy, followed by selective immunosuppressive therapy (SIT) (infliximab or vedolizumab) in patients who do not respond to steroids. We assessed the effect of early SIT introduction and number of SIT infusions on clinical outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients with IMC who received SIT at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between January and December 2018. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations between clinical outcomes and features of IMC. RESULTS: Of the 1459 patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors, 179 developed IMC of any grade; 84 of these 179 patients received SIT. Of the 84 patients who received SIT, 79% were males, and the mean age was 60 years (standard deviation, 14). Compared with patients who received SIT > 10 days after IMC onset, patients who received early SIT (≤10 days) required fewer hospitalizations (P = 0.03), experienced steroid taper failure less frequently (P = 0.03), had fewer steroid tapering attempts (P < 0.01), had a shorter course of steroid treatment (P = 0.09), and had a shorter duration of symptoms (P < 0.01). Patients who received one or two infusions of SIT achieved histologic remission less frequently (P = 0.09) and had higher fecal calprotectin levels after SIT (P = 0.01) compared with patients who received three or more infusions. Risk factors for IMC recurrence after weaning off steroids included: 1) needing multiple hospitalizations, 2) experiencing steroid taper failure after SIT, 3) receiving infliximab rather than vedolizumab, 4) receiving fewer than three infusions of SIT, 5) having higher fecal calprotectin levels after SIT, and 6) receiving a longer course of steroids, hospitalization and IMC symptoms. Unsuccessful weaning from steroids after SIT was associated with high IMC grades; multiple hospitalizations; steroid-resistant IMC; long interval from IMC to SIT initiation; and long duration of steroids, IMC symptoms, and hospitalization. CONCLUSION: SIT should be introduced early in the disease course of IMC instead of waiting until failure of steroid therapy or steroid taper. Patients who received three or more infusions of SIT had more favorable clinical outcomes.