A new study published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network found that patients who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and multiple immunosuppressive therapies for cancer treatment are at higher risk of serious infections.

Nearly half of the infections recorded in these patients were severe, life-threatening, or fatal infections. Regardless of whether or not the infections are severe, complications can "adversely impact quality of life, disrupt cancer-directed therapies, lead to hospitalizations, and even result in death."

Patients who are receiving ICIs may receive multi-agent immunosuppressive therapy (IST) to treat severe autoimmune complications. There isn't much evidence on how IST affects the risk of opportunistic and non-opportunistic infections in high-risk patients with solid tumors who experience these complications. 

52% of the 142 patients receiving at least one steroid and two non-steroidal ISTs for treatment of an immune-related adverse event experienced an infection. Treatment with multiple ISTs was also associated with increased rates and severity of infection. Patients aged 65 and older were at greater risk of opportunistic infections, and those with cardiac immune-related adverse events were more susceptible to non-opportunistic infections.