The Nurse and Allied Health Professionals Committee, which consist of clinicians and researchers from around the world, identified the need for an evidence-based guideline to support nurses and allied health providers in managing side effects from immunotherapy, which are different from the side effects from chemotherapy and other traditional lung cancer treatments. This can assist healthcare providers in the grading, diagnostic work up, and management of the adverse events related to immunotherapy. The guide is divided into sections based on the organ system, including: Dermatologic Disorders, Endocrine Disorders, Eye Disorders, Hepatic Disorders, Neurologic Toxicities, Pulmonary Disorders, and Renal Toxicity.
The first pilot publication of the guidelines consisted of 250 printed sets of the laminated cards, distributed at the Nurse and Allied Health Professionals Committee Workshop and the International Thoracic Oncology Nurses Forum (ITONF) that took place in Yokohama, Japan prior to the 2017 World Conference on Lung Cancer.
Attendees were presented with information about the cards and a copy of the printed resource guide. The IASLC Nurse and Allied Health Committee then received feedback and input from the audience in the form of edits, suggestions, and comments about the cards, enabling the committee to continue to improve the product’s quality and breadth of information. Furthermore, additional comments have been accepted on the IASLC website since the production of the Resource Guide.
Future plans for the guide include expanded access, using print and digital versions in numerous languages. Supplementary patient resources and tools are being considered, such as bracelets and/or wallet cards, to help patient understanding and clinician evaluation of side effects from immunotherapy treatment.
For more information about the Resource Guide, please contact [email protected].
Read the article: Management of Immunotherapy Toxicity in NSCLC
