Pneumonitis with combined immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims: This study systematically evaluated cases of pneumonitis following combined immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). Methods: Studies from Embase, PubMed and the Cochrane Library on patients with LA-NSCLC who received CRT and ICIs were reviewed. The primary outcomes were rates of all-grade, grade 3–5 and grade 5 pneumonitis. Results: Overall, 35 studies involving 5000 patients were enrolled. The pooled rates of all-grade, grade 3–5 and grade 5 pneumonitis were 33.0% (95% CI: 23.5–42.6), 6.1% (95% CI: 4.7–7.4) and 0.8% (95% CI: 0.3–1.2), respectively, with 7.6% of patients discontinuing ICIs because of pneumonitis. Conclusion: The incidence rates of pneumonitis following combined CRT and ICIs for LA-NSCLC were acceptable. However, the pulmonary toxicity of concurrent CRT and nivolumab plus ipilimumab should be noted.