Pericardial effusion with pembrolizumab.
Laura Fernández MadrigalOlalla Montero PérezMaria Yeray Rodriguez GarcésÁngel Inoriza RuedaFrancisco Javier Martínez MarcosPublished in: Journal of oncology pharmacy practice : official publication of the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (2022)
The cardiovascular system is among the least affected organs by immunotoxicity, with an incidence between 0.09-0.6%. However, some authors suspect the incidence is underestimated. Median time to onset is highly variable, ranging from 6 weeks since the first dose to 2 years after discontinuation of the treatment. There are not guidelines on the most effective management of the IrAEs, but according to the pharmaceutical reference, corticosteroids should be initiated followed by a progressive reduction. If no response is obtained, another immunosuppressive agent should be added. The determination to restart immunotherapy depends on the severity of the adverse reaction, the availability of other alternative treatments, and the cancer response.