Cancer Immunotherapy

Question 1

Name three examples of cancer immunotherapies

Answer 1

Checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, T-cell therapy

Question 2

What are the targets of checkpoint inhibitors?

Answer 2

CTLA-4 expressed by T cells

PD1 expressed by T cells, PDL1 is the inhibitory signal, inhibiting this signal means that T cells are uninhibited

Question 3

What are the side effects of checkpoint inhibitors?

Answer 3

Autoimmune disorders (balance between autoimmune attack and cancer attack). Hypo/hyperthyroidism, hepatitis

Question 4

Which complications would you be worried about in immunotherapy patient with colitis?

Answer 4

Toxic megacolon and bowel perforation

Question 5

Why would you screen for TB, hep B, and hep C?

Answer 5

Immunotherapies can re-activate latent viruses/bacteria

Question 6

What is the difference between prednisolone and methylprednisolone?

Answer 6

Methylpred is more potent than pred! 4mg methy= 5mg pred

Question 7

Which cancer does ipilimumab treat?

Answer 7

Metastatic melanoma