Neurologic Complications of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Thoracic Malignancies

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the prognosis of cancers previously considered lethal. The spectrum of therapeutic indications is rapidly expanding, including the vast majority of thoracic malignancies. By enhancing the immune responses against cancer, the ICI treatments lead to the development of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that may affect any organ. Severity varies from mild to fatal clinical manifestations. Neurologic involvement is relatively rare and highly heterogeneous, including central and peripheral nervous system diseases associated with neural-specific autoantibodies or not, central nervous system vasculitis, and granulomatous and demyelinating disorders. Symptoms often manifest within the first four cycles of treatment and can develop regardless of the class of ICI used. An unfavorable outcome is found in up to one-third of patients and is generally associated with the patients’ clinical characteristics (e.g., age, coexistence of systemic adverse events), cancer type (e.g., lung cancer versus other), and specific clinical setting (e.g., ICI treatment in patients with preexisting paraneoplastic neurologic autoimmunity, ICI rechallenge after a first neurologic irAE). Diagnosis should be suspected in patients with new-onset neurologic symptoms while on ICI treatment which are not explained by metastatic disease or other metabolic/infectious disorders. Recommended treatment is based on clinical severity and consists of ICI discontinuation with or without immunosuppressive/immunomodulatory therapy, although alternative approaches are reasonable depending on cancer status (e.g., aggressive immunosuppression without discontinuing ICI in patients with initial cancer response). Early recognition and appropriate treatment of these neurologic irAEs are crucial for improved patient outcomes and therapeutic planning.