Association between immune-related dermatologic adverse events and efficacy of pembrolizumab in non-small cell lung cancer patients

We retrospectively evaluated the incidence of skin immune-related adverse effects (irAEs) in patients treated with pembrolizumab (PMB) and explored and the relationship between skin irAEs and PMB efficacy. Thirty-two patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with PMB between April 2017 and May 2018 were enrolled. The patients were separated into two groups, namely, skin irAEs and no-skin irAEs group. We investigated the ratio and degree of express skin irAEs, period of skin irAEs and treatment, and the PFS between the two groups. Additionally, we evaluated the PFS between the irAE and no-irAEs groups. The median patient age was 76.5 (range 56-92) years. The European Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) score of 26, 5, and 1 was 0-1, 2, and 3, respectively. The male/female ratio was 23/9. In terms of clinical stages, 6, 21, and 5 patients were in stages III and IV, and postoperative relapse, respectively. Skin irAEs were observed in 10 patients (31%). The progression-free survival of patients with skin irAEs (median, 390 days) was longer than that of patients without skin irAEs (median, 128.5 days). Overall, we suggested a significant association between skin irAEs and the efficacy of PMB in treating non-small cell lung cancer. As skin irAEs can be an indicator of treatment efficacy, it is important for medical staff, including pharmacists, to closely observe these adverse events.