In the treatment of melanoma, either Nivolumab or Pembrolizumab, patients who developed vitiligo, one of the cutaneous manifestations of adverse reactions to immunotherapy, had better outcomes.
Multiple studies of Nivolumab for NSCLC have shown that patients who had an adverse reaction had better outcomes, with rates approaching 2 times that of patients who did not have an adverse reaction.
But it’s important to note that in these studies, there was no direct correlation between more severe adverse reactions and better outcomes, and some patients stopped because they couldn’t tolerate the adverse reactions. In the future, it will be more important to clarify the specific link between adverse effects and efficacy, and the reasons behind them, in order to achieve truly efficient and less toxic therapy.
Co-reviewed by: Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute Dr. Wang Zhen, Deputy Chief Physician Xue-Tao Lai