Dr. Beer on the Immune-Related Adverse Events of Ipilimumab in mCRPC

Tomasz Beer, MD, FACP, professor of medicine, deputy director of the Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, characterizes the immune-related adverse events associated with ipilimumab in a phase III metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer trial.

Beer says the study was an analysis of the results of the first, large, randomized study of ipilimumab in advanced prostate cancer. Ipilimumab is an immune modulator that works by breaking tolerance and stimulating the immune system so that it can recognize and attack the prostate cancer.

Since ipilimumab is not specific to a cancer antigen, Beer says, it causes side effects that are related to an overactive immune system. Data from the analysis, which was presented at the 2014 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, showed that the side effect profile of ipilimumab in prostate cancer is similar to what was previously described in melanoma, where the drug is approved.

Beer says standard approaches to the management of these side effects are almost always effective.