Worsening and newly diagnosed paraneoplastic syndromes following anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 immunotherapies, a descriptive study

J Immunother Cancer. 2019 Dec 3;7(1):337. doi: 10.1186/s40425-019-0821-8.

Abstract

Background: Paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS) are autoimmune disorders specifically associated with cancer. There are few data on anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy in patients with a PNS. Our objective was to describe the outcome for patients with a pre-existing or newly diagnosed PNS following the initiation of anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy.

Methods: We included all adult patients (aged ≥18) treated with anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy for a solid tumor, diagnosed with a PNS, and registered in French pharmacovigilance databases. Patients were allocated to cohorts 1 and 2 if the PNS had been diagnosed before vs. after the initiation of immunotherapy, respectively.

Findings: Of the 1304 adult patients screened between June 27th, 2014, and January 2nd, 2019, 32 (2.45%) had a PNS and were allocated to either cohort 1 (n = 16) or cohort 2 (n = 16). The median (range) age was 64 (45-88). The tumor types were non-small-cell lung cancer (n = 15, 47%), melanoma (n = 6, 19%), renal carcinoma (n = 3, 9%), and other malignancies (n = 8, 25%). Eleven (34%) patients presented with a neurologic PNS, nine (28%) had a rheumatologic PNS, eight (25%) had a connective tissue PNS, and four (13%) had other types of PNS. The highest severity grade for the PNS was 1-2 in 10 patients (31%) and ≥ 3 in 22 patients (69%). Four patients (13%) died as a result of the progression of a neurologic PNS (encephalitis in three cases, and Lambert-Eaton syndrome in one case). Following the initiation of immunotherapy, the PNS symptoms worsened in eight (50%) of the 16 patients in cohort 1.

Interpretation: Our results show that PNSs tend to be worsened or revealed by anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy. Cases of paraneoplastic encephalitis are of notable concern, in view of their severity. When initiating immunotherapy, physicians should carefully monitor patients with a pre-existing PNS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / adverse effects*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / therapeutic use
  • Autoimmune Diseases / diagnosis
  • Autoimmune Diseases / epidemiology
  • Autoimmune Diseases / etiology
  • B7-H1 Antigen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Female
  • France / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms / complications*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes / diagnosis
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes / epidemiology*
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes / etiology*
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Symptom Assessment

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • CD274 protein, human
  • PDCD1 protein, human
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor