WCLC 2016 | Toxicities of immunotherapy and patient expectations in lung cancer

Beth Eaby-Sandy, MSN, CRNP, OCN of Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA discusses immunotherapy expectations. Patients expect the typical side effects of chemotherapy when given intravenous (IV) treatments like immunotherapy. Patients need to understand that IV immunotherapy has different effects, such as gastrointestinal (GI) and lung toxicities. It is important that patients who have sudden increase in symptoms related to these toxicities get in contact. The laboratory values for hepatitis, nephritis, and endocrinopathies, must be monitored by taking a blood sample at every visit. Recorded at the 2016 World Conference of Lung Cancer (WCLC) of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) in Vienna, Austria.