Immune-related adverse events of COVID-19 vaccination in skin cancer patients receiving immune-checkpoint inhibitor treatment

Autor: Strobel, Sophia B., Machiraju, Devayani, Kälber, Katharina A., Hassel, Jessica C.
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy
ISSN: 1432-0851
0340-7004
Popis: To date, few data are available regarding Adverse events (AEs) in cancer patients who are vaccinated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while being actively treated with Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We aimed to assess the safety of COVID-19 vaccines approved in Germany. Specifically, we investigated the frequency of general side effects and immune-related AEs of COVID-19 vaccination. A triage survey was used to collect the following information for patients with metastatic skin cancer: vaccine type, date of receipt of each dose of vaccine, and self-reported side effects. Clinical data were retrieved from the patients’ medical records. Of 130 patients with metastatic skin cancer, 89 patients were on immunotherapy and received COVID-19 vaccination. Of these 89 patients (median age: 64 years; 57 [64%] men), 89% had melanoma, and 71% received ICI therapy with a PD-1 antibody. Eighty-eight percent received an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination. The median follow-up time was 125 days after the first vaccination, and 84 days after the second. The most common observed side effects were mild to moderate pain at the injection site (40%), followed by fatigue (24%). Grade 3 irAEs were reported in eight patients, seven of whom were on nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination treatment. Of the 19 patients vaccinated within 72 h before/after ICI, five developed irAEs within 17 days (1–17 days). This small cohort study suggests that approved COVID-19 vaccinations are safe for use in cancer patients receiving ICIs. However, some precautions should be taken, especially regarding the timing of vaccination and ICI treatment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00262-021-03133-w.
Databáze: OpenAIRE