Dr. Reid on Assessing irAEs in Patients With Cancer

Pankti Reid, MD, MPH, rheumatologist, assistant professor ​of medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, discusses ​assessing immune-related adverse effects (irAEs) patients with cancer.

Patient history has always been a key driver in how questions ​regarding irAEs are addressed, says Reid. Notably, some irAEs present early in the course of treatment, while others take longer to develop​, adds Reid.

Low-grade toxicities are usually quicker to treat, especially with medications such as topical steroids, ​says Reid. While this may clue into the potential for higher-grade toxicities, prospective research is still needed to study this potential.

Ultimately, becoming familiar with a patient’s history of irAEs is of paramount importance when treating patients with checkpoint inhibitors, Reid concludes.