TB Research

Incidence of Active Tuberculosis in Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Fujita K, Yamamoto Y, Kanai O, Okamura M, Hashimoto M, Nakatani K, Sawai S, Mio T

Open Forum Infectious Diseases · 2020-04

Abstract

Although it ameliorates lung cancer, immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) presents complications of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis. Incidence of tuberculosis during immunotherapy remains unclear. We found that 1.7% of patients developed active tuberculosis during immunotherapy at our institution. In patients with a positive interferon-gamma release assay status before ICI therapy, physicians should pay close attention to developing tuberculosis.