Safety and efficacy of immunotherapy according to the age threshold of 80 years

Background: To compare safety and efficacy of ICIs among patients < 80 and those ≥ 80 years of age. Methods: A single-center retrospective observational cohort study comparing patients < 80 and ≥ 80 years of age matched for cancer site (lung vs others) and participation in a clinical trial. Primary endpoint: grade ≥ 2 toxicity during the first three months of ICI therapy. The two groups were compared using univariate and multivariate regression. Results: Two hundred and ten consecutive patients were recruited, with the following characteristics: mean age: 66.5 ± 16.8, 20% aged ≥ 80 years, 75% male, 97% ECOG-PS ≤ 2, 78% G8-index ≤ 14/17, 80% lung or kidney cancer, and 97% metastatic cancer. The grade ≥ 2 toxicity rate during the first three months of ICI therapy was 68%. Patients aged ≥ 80 years of age had a more significant (P < 0.05) proportion of grade ≥ 2 non-hematological toxicities (64% vs 45%) than those aged < 80 years: rash (14% vs 4%), arthralgia (7.1% vs 0.6%), colitis (4.7% vs 0.6%), cytolysis (7.1% vs 1.2%), gastrointestinal bleeding (2.4% vs 0%), onycholysis (2.4% vs 0%), oral mucositis (2.4% vs 0%), psoriasis (2.4% vs 0%), or other skin toxicities (25% vs 3%). Efficacy among patients ≥ 80 and < 80 years of age was comparable. Conclusions: Although non-hematological toxicities affected 20% more patients aged ≥ 80 years, hematological toxicities and efficacy were comparable between patients aged ≥ 80 and < 80 years with advanced cancer and treated with ICIs.