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World J Gastroenterol. Dec 28, 2018; 24(48): 5433-5438
Published online Dec 28, 2018. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i48.5433
Checkpoint inhibitors: What gastroenterologists need to know
Monjur Ahmed
Monjur Ahmed, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States
Author contributions: Ahmed M finished this manuscript alone.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No conflict of interest exists.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Monjur Ahmed, MD, FRCP, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, 132 South 10th Street, Suite 468, Main Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States. monjur.ahmed@jefferson.edu.
Telephone: +1-215-9521493 Fax: +1-215-7551850
Received: September 28, 2018
Peer-review started: September 28, 2018
First decision: October 26, 2018
Revised: November 7, 2018
Accepted: November 16, 2018
Article in press: November 16, 2018
Published online: December 28, 2018
Processing time: 90 Days and 12.4 Hours
Abstract

Checkpoint inhibitors are increasingly being used in clinical practice. They can cause various gastrointestinal, hepatic and pancreatic side effects. As these side effects can be serious, appropriate management is essential. The different checkpoint inhibitors with their mechanisms of action and indications, as well as evaluation and management of gastrointestinal, hepatic and pancreatic side effects, are discussed in this article.

Keywords: Checkpoint inhibitors; Immunotherapy; Gastrointestinal management; Hepatic and pancreatic side effects

Core tip: Checkpoint inhibitors are a kind of immunotherapy used in the treatment of various malignancies. Nevertheless, they carry the risk of causing different immune-related side effects. Physicians should be vigilant in recognizing and appropriately managing these side effects for a better outcome.