Table 1

Incidence and mortality rate of ICI-related pneumonia and pneumonitis (including ARDS) for patients with cancer

Agent (target)Tumor typeTreated patients(n)Patients, n (%)Reference
PneumoniaPneumonia-associated deathAll-grade pneumonitisPneumonitis-associated deathARDS
Nivolumab (PD-1)Melanoma3132 (0.6%)NA5 (1.6%)NANAHodi FS, et al. Lancet Oncol 2018;19:1480–92.
206NANA3 (1.5%)NANARobert C, et al. N Engl J Med 2015;372:320–30.
268NANA5 (1.9%)NANAWeber JS, et al. Lancet Oncol 2015;16:375–84.
NSCLC28717 (5.9%)NA8 (2.8%)NANABorghaei H, et al. N Engl J Med 2015; 373:1627–39.
391NANA9 (2.3%)1 (0.3%)NAHellmann MD, et al. N Engl J Med 2018;378:2093–104.
131NANA6 (4.6%)NANABrahmer J, et al. N Engl J Med 2015;373:123–35.
HNSCC23610 (4.2%)NA5 (2.1%)1 (0.4%)NAFerris RL, et al. N Engl J Med 2016;375:1856–67.
Pembrolizumab (PD-1)Melanoma277NANA5 (1.8%)NANARobert C, et al. N Engl J Med 2015;372:2521–32.
357NANA3 (0.8%)NANARibas A, et al. Lancet Oncol 2015;16:908–18.
277NANA3 (1.1%)NANASchachter J, et al. Lancet 2017;390:1853–62.
NSCLC3395 (1.5%)1 (0.3%)16 (4.7%)2 (0.6%)NAHerbst RS, et al. Lancet 2016;387:1540–50.
636NANA43 (6.8%)1 (0.2%)NAMok TSK, et al. Lancet 2019;393:1819–30.
550NANA10 (1.8%)NANALeigh NB, et al. Lancet Respir Med 2019;7:347–57.
154NANA12 (7.8%)1 (0.6%)NAReck M, et al. J Clin Oncol 2019;37:537–46.
154NANA9 (5.8%)NANAReck M, et al. N Engl J Med 2016;375:1823–33.
Urothelial Cancer3701 (0.3%)1 (0.3%)5 (1.4%)NANABalar AV, et al. Lancet Oncol 2017;18:1483–92.
Urothelial carcinoma266NANA11 (4.1%)1 (0.4%)NABellmunt J, et al. N Engl J Med 2017;376:1015–26.
Gastric cancer294NANA8 (2.7%)NANAShitara K, et al. Lancet 2018;392:123–33.
Atezolizumab (PD-L1)NSCLC1424 (3%)NA4 (3%)NANAFehrenbacher L, et al. Lancet 2016;387:1837–46.
609NANA6 (1%)NANARittmeyer A, et al. Lancet 2017;389:255–65.
Ipilimumab (CTLA-4)Melanoma311NANA5 (1.6%)NANAHodi FS, et al. Lancet Oncol 2018;19:1480–92.
256NANA1 (0.4%)NANARobert C, et al. N Engl J Med 2015;372:2521–32.
Prostate cancer39324 (6%)1 (0.3%)5 (1.3%)NANAKwon ED, et al. Lancet Oncol 2014;15:700–12.
Tremelimumab (CTLA-4)Malignant mesothelioma38018 (4.7%)1 (0.3%)3 (0.8%)NA1 (0.3%)Maio M, et al. Lancet Oncol 2017;18:1261–73.
Melanoma3251 (0.3%)1 (0.3%)NANANARibas A, et al. J Clin Oncol 2013;31:616–22.
Ipilimumab+nivolumab (CTLA-4+PD-1)Melanoma313NANA23 (7.3%)NANAHodi FS, et al. Lancet Oncol 2018;19:1480–92
313NANA22 (7%)NANAWolchok JD, et al. N Engl J Med 2017;377:1345–56.
941 (1%)NA9 (10%)1 (1%)NAHodi FS, et al. Lancet Oncol 2016;17:1558–68.
NSCLC391 (2.6%)NA2 (5.1%)NANAHellmann MD, et al. Lancet Oncol 2017;18:31–41.
576NANA22 (3.8%)3 (0.5%)NAHellmann MD, et al. N Engl J Med 2018;378:2093–104.
SCLC61NANA2 (3.2%)NANAAntonia SJ, et al. Lancet Oncol 2016;17:883–95.
  • ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; CTLA-4, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4; HNSCC, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; ICI, immune checkpoint inhibitor; NA, not applicable; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; PD-1, programmed death 1; PD-L1, programmed death-ligand 1; SCLC, small cell lung cancer.