Chronic Immune-Related AEs Common in Patients With Melanoma Receiving Anti-PD-1 Therapy

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with melanoma treated with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) treatment, chronic immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are common, according to a study published online Oct. 2 in JAMA Network Open.Roma A. Kankaria, M.D., M.P.H., from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study at seven institutions in the United States and Australia involving patients with stage III to IV melanoma treated with adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy. Potential risk factors and possible candidate inflammatory pathways associated with development of chronic nonendocrine irAEs were examined.The researchers found that 73 percent of the 303 patients developed acute irAEs and 48 percent developed chronic irAEs. Hypothyroidism, arthritis, and dermatitis were the most common chronic irAEs (31, 17, and 12 percent, respectively). Compared with nonchronic irAEs, chronic irAEs had later onset (median, 153.0 versus 99.0 days) and more frequent exposure to corticosteroids (35 versus 24 percent). Corticosteroid treatment and onset time had a significant interaction in an exploratory risk factor analysis of 300 nonendocrine irAEs, with increased odds of developing chronic irAEs for corticosteroid-treated patients with earlier-onset irAEs (odds ratio, 3.00), adjusting for age, sex, and anti-PD-1 therapy continuation. After false discovery rate (FDR) adjustment, patients with chronic irAEs had higher circulating plasma levels of eight different cytokines, while 19 cytokines had significantly higher circulating plasma levels prior to FDR adjustment."Given the long-term survival of patients who receive adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy, further research should aim to identify patients at higher risk of irAEs and investigate novel treatment approaches," the authors write.Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Chronic Immune-Related AEs Common in Patients With Melanoma Receiving Anti-PD-1 Therapy

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