• Júlia de Almeida Santos Freitas, Marinho Marques da Silva Neto, Cleverton Kleiton Freitas de Lima, Ney Cristian Amaral Boa Sorte, Maria Teresita Bendicho, and Aníbal de Freitas Santos Júnior.
• Life Sciences Department, State University of Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
• Med Clin (Barc). 2024 Oct 15.

IntroductionThe treatment of cancer when associated with autoimmune diseases (AID) has been the subject of immunotherapy investigation, especially with the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Clinical studies have restricted the evaluation of its use in special populations such as patients with AID, leaving a gap regarding the safety of using immunotherapy.ObjectiveDiscuss the safety of using ICI in patients with cancer and AID, in specialized oncology units, in the cities of Bahia, Brazil.MethodsRetrospective and quantitative cross-sectional study on immune-related adverse events (IRAE) to the use of ICI in patients with cancer and AID.ResultsPatients (39 with cancer, and 14 with AID and cancer) were studied. Men (between 30 and 95 years old), melanoma and lung cancer and Hashimoto's thyroiditis were predominance. Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab (anti-PDL-1) were drugs most used. In general, patients using anti-PDL-1 with AID had IRAE with greater frequency and severity: Grade 1 (57%) and 3/4 grades (43%) reactions. The gastrointestinal system presented a greater IRAE in both groups, however in patients with AID more severe reactions were found (0% versus 60%). Patients with cancer and AID had higher rates of IRAE compared to patients without AID, respectively, of discontinuation (50% versus 18%) and interruption (85% versus 20%) of treatment.ConclusionIRAE increased in patients using ICI with cancer and AID. This suggests that the presence of IAD, in cancer patients, can increase the severity of IRAE. Therefore, the adoption of more appropriate therapeutic strategies is essential for better therapeutic results.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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