The Inconsistent and Inadequate Reporting Of Immune-Related Adverse Events in PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials.

PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors profoundly changed the landscape of cancer treatment, and thousands of randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) were active or completed over the past decade. However, different from chemotherapy or targeted therapy, the profile of immune-related adverse effects (irAE) was unique. An understanding of irAEs is developed mainly from clinical trials; however, inconsistencies and controversies between trials were noted. This study primarily reviewed the evolution of irAE terminology and definitions and evaluated the reporting quality of each RCT. It was found that RCTs using combined immunotherapy were associated with higher quality of irAE reporting. This article identifies the controversies and deficiencies in current irAE reporting and provides possible explanations and suggestions for these inadequacies.