Abstract
Immunotherapy is a treatment modality, which has experienced a renaissance in the treatment of solid tumours during last decade. The understanding of immune response and the discovery if immune checkpoints have contributed to the development of a brand new class of anti-tumour agents called chceckpoint inhibitors.
Despite undeniable progress in the treatment of several solid tumours (including melanoma and non small cell lung cancer), the immunotherapy is associated with considerable toxicity, wihich differs substantially from the well-known toxicity of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The number of patient being treated with checkpoing inhibitors has been increasing steadily during past years.
It can be precluded that this trend will continue as the immunotherapy has shown promising results in a broad spectrum of solid tumours. It is very likely that many health-care specialists outside cancer centres, including general practitioners, will potentially encounter adverse events associated with checkpoint inhibitors.
It is therefore crucial to provide these specialists with sufficient information regarding the diagnostics and management of immunotherapy related toxicities and make this topic a subject of a broad discussion acros the medical society.