Prescription Pattern of Immunotherapy in the Management of Solid Cancers: A Retrospective Study

Solid cancers are abnormal tissues in organ systems without liquid or cysts. Immunotherapy, an advanced treatment option, stimulates the host immune system to destroy cancer cells. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) are the main class of immunotherapy, used as direct anti-cancer agents or supportive therapy alone or in combination with other treatments. The trend of immunotherapy use in solid cancers may vary by geographical region and ethnicity. The goal of the study was to assess the drug use pattern of immunotherapy in patients diagnosed with solid cancers in the Indian clinical setting. This was a retrospective study carried out in the Department of Oncology, ESIC MC-PGIMSR, and Model Hospital, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru, for 6 months by collecting the data in the patient medical records from June 2021 to May 2023. A total of 40 samples were collected and statistically analyzed using Microsoft Excel. A total of 40 solid cancer patients received immunotherapy. The majority of the patients were in the 56–65year age category and were male. Lung cancer was the most common solid cancer (20%), followed by oral cancer (17.5%). Metastasis was present in the majority (67.5%) of the study population, with more lymph node metastasis (42.5%). PD-1 inhibitors were used mostly (72.5%), with Nivolumab being the primary drug of choice. Atezolizumab was the major PD-L1 inhibitor drug used in the study population. A statistically significant association between immunotherapy and metastasis of solid cancers was observed in the Chi-square test for independence. The study concluded that immunotherapy drugs were used according to international professional guidelines and the findings agree with the various global experiences and are helpful in similar clinical settings where immunotherapy is used.