Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Older Adults

Cancer is primarily a disease of older adults. The treatment of advanced stage tumors usually involves the use of systemic agents that may be associated with significant risk of toxicity, especially in older patients. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are newcomers to the oncology world with improved efficacy and better safety profiles when compared to traditional cytotoxic drugs. This makes them an attractive treatment option. While there are no elderly specific trials, this review attempts to look at the current available data from a geriatric oncology perspective. We reviewed data from phase III studies that led to newly approved indications of checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, and renal cell cancer. Data were reviewed with respect to response, survival, and toxicity according to three groups: < 65 years, 65-75 years, and >75 years. Current literature does not allow one to draw definitive conclusions regarding the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in older adults. However, they may offer a potentially less toxic but equally efficacious treatment option for the senior adult oncology patient.