A case series on the safety of immunotherapy with reduced blood testing frequency in lung cancer patients

Background The necessity of regular blood tests with the administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors has not been investigated. This study examined the safety of omitting a blood test every 2 weeks for patients with lung cancer who were injected an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 201 patients diagnosed with lung cancer and administered with nivolumab or durvalumab between December 1, 2015, and February 30, 2020, in a single hospital. We extracted 16 patients who had treatments without blood testing every 2 weeks. Results Adverse events that resulted in discontinued treatment included two cases of interstitial pneumonia, one case of creatinine increase, and one infection. All four cases were detected by chest X-ray or their symptoms. Conclusions Our results indicate that immune checkpoint inhibitor administration without a blood test every 2 weeks did not subject patients to more adverse side effects.