Winson Y. Cheung on Managing Side Effects for Patients on Checkpoint Inhibitors

Winson Y. Cheung, MD, Medical Oncologist at the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver, discusses the nurse’s role in managing side effects for patients who are on checkpoint inhibitors.

In a study of patients with metastatic melanoma who have taken checkpoint inhibitors, Cheung found that the vast majority of patients experienced side effects of varying degrees, the most common being diarrhea and skin rash. As checkpoint inhibitors continue to expand in use to treat other cancer types, it is important that nurses are aware of the side effects and know how to best manage them.