Cunningham-Bussel A, Wang J, Prisco LC, et al. - Novel predictors of rheum-rheumatic immune-related adverse events (rheum-irAEs) that included melanoma, genitourinary cancer, pre-existing autoimmune disease, combination immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), and glucocorticoid use were distinguished. The findings imply that the proportion of cancer patients experiencing rheum-irAEs may be even higher than we report since we applied stringent criteria to distinguish cases. These observations may distinguish cancer patients at risk of developing rheum-irAEs and de novo inflammatory arthritis and inform pathogenesis.

• Researchers distinguished 8,028 ICI recipients (mean age 65.5 years, 43.1% female, and 31.8% with lung cancer). Furthermore, after ICI, 404 (5.0%) were assessed by rheumatology and 475 (5.9%) received an IM to treat any irAE.

• They observed 226 (2.8%) confirmed rheum-irAE cases and 118 (1.5%) had de novo inflammatory arthritis.

• The results showed that rheumatic diseases (either pre-existing or rheum-irAEs) were a leading indication for IM use (27.9%).

• In comparison with 2,312 controls without rheum-irAEs, baseline predictors of rheum-irAEs included melanoma (multivariable OR 4.06, 2.54-6.51) and genitourinary cancer (OR 2.22, 1.39-3.54; ref=lung cancer), combination ICI (OR 2.35, 1.48-3.74; ref=PD-1 inhibitor monotherapy), autoimmune disease (OR 2.04, 1.45-2.85), and recent glucocorticoid use (OR 2.13, 1.51-2.98; ref=no use).

• As per the findings, predictors of de novo inflammatory arthritis were similar.