Toxicities and outcomes: Do steroids matter?

Abstract

Hypophysitis is a common toxicity of ipilimumab and may be managed with either low- or high-dose steroids. In this issue of <i>Cancer</i>, Faje and colleagues observe that patients treated with low-dose steroids have equivalent rates of hypophysitis resolution compared to those who receive higher doses. Importantly, however, melanoma-specific outcomes are improved in the low-dose cohort. Herein, we discuss the implications of this finding and the known associations between steroids and clinical outcomes to cancer immunotherapy.