Modulation of peripheral blood immune cells by early use of steroids and its association with clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

In patients with mNSCLC treated with ICIs, early use of steroids was associated with worse clinical outcomes and remarkable modulation of peripheral blood immune cells, which could contribute to restraining the activation of antitumour immunity. If confirmed in prospective studies, these findings would highlight the importance of carefully evaluating and, whenever possible, avoiding steroids during early phases of ICI treatment.