[Therapy monitoring and management of adverse events in PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibition].

Nivolumab was recently approved as the first inhibitor of the programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor and its ligand (PD-L1) for the treatment of urological cancer, namely metastasized renal cell carcinoma after prior therapy. The use of this new immunotherapy requires special therapy monitoring and management of side effects. An increase of immune cells around the tumor can initially mimic progression (so-called pseudoprogression). Treatment-associated side effects of higher grade according to the common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE grades 3 or 4) are relatively rare; however, new immune-mediated side effects can occur and affect the skin, liver (hepatitis), kidneys (nephritis), gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea and colitis), lungs (pneumonitis) and endocrine organs (hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and hypophysitis). Treatment has to be delayed or discontinued depending on the kind and degree of side effects; furthermore, corticosteroids can be administered as immunosuppressants. When recognized in time and with correct management, immune-mediated side effects are basically reversible.