1 in 5 Patients Experience Skin Toxicity With Nivolumab/Relatlimab
Source: Medscape, March 2025
TOPLINE:
In a study of patients with advanced melanoma, the prevalence of cutaneous immune–related adverse events (cirAEs) associated with nivolumab/relatlimab combination therapy was 21.5%, with rash and maculopapular eruption being most common.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study of 186 patients in the Mass General Brigham Research Patient Data Registry (55% men; mean age, 71 years; 97% White) with unresectable or metastatic melanoma who were treated with nivolumab, a programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor, and relatlimab, a lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) antibody–mediated inhibitor, during 2022-2024.
- A total of 77% of patients had stage IV and 18% had stage III disease.
- A manual chart review was used to collect information on assessing patient characteristics, immune-related adverse events (irAE), and cirAEs.
TAKEAWAY:
- Of all patients, 117 (63%) experienced at least one irAE, predominantly affecting the endocrine (56%) or gastrointestinal systems (50%).
- In addition, 40 (21.5%) of patients experienced at least one cirAE, with rash not otherwise specified (37.5%), maculopapular eruption (22.5%), and pruritus (12.5%) being the most common.
- Most cirAEs were managed with topical steroids (57.5%) or oral steroids (37.5%); 15% were treated with oral antipruritic therapy. No patients had to discontinue treatment because of cirAEs.
- Having had a prior hypersensitivity reaction was significantly associated with developing cirAEs (P = .004).