Immune checkpoint inhibitors and dermatologic procedures: a retrospective review of postoperative complications

Excerpt

In 2011, with ipilimumab, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) gained FDA approval for the treatment of metastatic melanoma [4]. Since then, indications have been broadened to include malignancies such as squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, and urogenital carcinoma. As indications for ICI expand, more patients on ICI will undergo dermatologic procedures. The adverse effects of ICI therapy are largely secondary to immune system activation, including colitis, hepatitis, and pneumonitis [1, 3]. It has not been well-studied how these types of immunotherapies affect dermatologic procedures. We investigated rates of postoperative complications in patients on ICI at time of dermatologic surgery. …