Matthew R. Zibelman, MD, assistant professor, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, advisory committee of the Association of Community Cancer Centers, discusses the management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs).

An initiative is looking at the management of these AEs. The idea of the workshop is to help offer guidance and educational initiatives with the intention of improving patient outcomes following immunotherapy—generally with checkpoint inhibitors as they are used most commonly, says Zibelman.

The goal of a workshop being conducted by the Association of Community Cancer Centers Immuno-Oncology Institute is to provide interventions of education both to patients, as well as to staff and faculty, to improve their understanding of the relationship between AEs and patient outcomes. As part of the workshop, 2 cancer centers have been selected to participate with the program. This will offer education to patients and physicians alike, says Zibelman.

Zibelman explains that this will take the form of tumor boards. Members of the committee will monitor the centers to see whether there are improvements in how physicians manage their patients, how they recognize these side effects, and how they treat them. The ultimate goal is to show that these interventions can make a difference and can be used and repurposed for other organizations as well.

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Dr. Zibelman on Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events

Matthew R. Zibelman, MD, assistant professor, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses immunotherapy combinations in the treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Recently, data about nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) showed a benefit in the first-line treatment of patients with RCC, states Zibelman. There is a high chance that this is going to be a combination that will be used in standard practice soon. The combinations with immunotherapy and the oral TKIs are very promising and may be better tolerated. As time goes on, it will be between those combinations and attempting to identify which groups are better for one versus the other, explains Zibelman.

According to Zibelman, it is more toxic to give the combination. Ipilimumab plus nivolumab clearly has an increased toxicity, which limits it. About 40% of patients seem to have significant side effects, which needs to be taken into consideration. Combinations that have similar efficacy, but are even better tolerated, would a great asset to the treatment landscape, Zibelman adds.

Dr. Zibelman on Combinations of Immunotherapy for RCC

Matthew R. Zibelman, MD, assistant professor, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses determining treatments for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

After standard therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), there is currently no good data to guide what regimen should come next, states Zibelman. Nivolumab (Opdivo) has been well tolerated, which has made it appealing to many patients. Additionally, patients with bone metastases tend to respond well to cabozantinib (Cabometyx).

Matthew R. Zibelman, MD

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Dr. Zibelman on Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events

Dr. Zibelman on Combinations of Immunotherapy for RCC

Dr. Zibelman on Determining Treatments for Patients with RCC