Fauzia Riaz, MD, on the Increased Use of Checkpoint Inhibitors in End-of-Life Care

Source: MEDPAGE TODAY, October 2020

The adoption of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has led to a significant increase in the use of systemic therapy at the end of life (EOL) in melanoma and a smaller yet significant increase in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to recent data.

The retrospective study, published online in JCO Oncology Practice, used patient-level data from a nationwide electronic health record–derived database to assess the use of chemotherapy or targeted/biologic therapies at the EOL, before and after FDA approval of ICIs. Patients in the study had advanced melanoma, NSCLC, or microsatellite stable (MSS) colon cancer and had died between 2013 and 2017.

In the following interview, Fauzia Riaz, MD, of Stanford Hospital and Clinics in California, elaborated on the team’s findings.

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