Is Timing of Steroid Exposure Prior to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Initiation Associated with Treatment Outcomes in Melanoma? A Population-Based Study.

ABSTRACT: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) harness the immune system and are the therapy of choice for multiple cancers. Although immunosuppressive agents such as steroids are also used in many cancers, it is unknown how their timing affects treatment outcomes. Thus, we investigated the relationship between the timing of steroid exposure preceding ICI administration and subsequent treatment outcomes in melanoma. This population-based study utilized the SEER-Medicare-linked database to identify patients diagnosed with melanoma between 1991 and 2015 and receiving ICIs between 2010 and 2016, examining last steroid exposure in the 12 months preceding ICI. The main outcome was all-cause mortality (ACM) after ICIs. Modifications of the Cox proportional hazards model were used to calculate time-dependen

SUBMITTER: Nikita N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8909505 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature