The safety and efficacy of immune-checkpoint inhibitors in patients with cancer and pre-existing autoimmune diseases

This study aims at investigating the safety and efficacy of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with cancer and pre-existing autoimmune disease (AID). PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant studies. The primary end points of the study were immunotoxicity and cancer response. At the early use of ICIs, compared with those with active AID, grade 3–4 AID flare occurred more frequently in patients with inactive AID after treatment with ICIs; and the incidence of grade 3–4 immunotoxic effects was significantly lower in patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy than those without corresponding treatment. In addition, patients with worsening AID generally obtained a better objective response than those without a flare. This study demonstrates that the toxic effects induced by immunotherapy are generally manageable in patients with cancer and pre-existing AID, some of whom even achieve satisfactory antitumor effects in clinical practice.