Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40979015›Full record

ArticleCureus2025

Rheumatic Immune-Related Adverse Events: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy and Ramifications for Health Disparities.

Laura Kobashigawa, Nicole Zagelbaum, Katherine Ruddy, Martha Delgado, Baljeet Rai, Victoria Gevorgyan, Kiana Mortezaei, William Stohl, Elizabeth Taylor-Albert

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Laura KobashigawaDivision of Rheumatology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
Nicole ZagelbaumDivision of Rheumatology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
Katherine RuddyDivision of Rheumatology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
Martha DelgadoDivision of Rheumatology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
Baljeet RaiDivision of Rheumatology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
Victoria GevorgyanDivision of Rheumatology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
Kiana MortezaeiDivision of Rheumatology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
William StohlDivision of Rheumatology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
Elizabeth Taylor-AlbertDivision of Rheumatology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy; however, they have been associated with clinically significant immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including rheumatic irAEs. Rheumatic irAEs due to ICIs are not well characterized among ethnic minorities.

objectiveAccordingly, we investigated rheumatic irAEs and referrals to rheumatologists at a public medical center (MC) serving a predominantly Hispanic population and a neighboring private MC serving a predominantly a population that identified as White, Black, Asian, or Indigenous population, with each MC being staffed by faculty from the same medical school.

methodsThe medical records of patients 18+ years seen at either MC from May 2015 through May 2021 were screened for treatment with ICIs by ICD codes. We compared characteristics of ICI-treated patients who developed irAEs vs. those who did not develop irAEs. Overall, 28 (20.9%) and 74 (15.5%) patients developed documented irAEs at the public and private MCs, respectively. Of these, 21 patients (six at the public MC; 15 at the private MC) developed rheumatic irAEs. We compared referral rates to rheumatologists and management of rheumatic irAEs between these two groups.

resultsAcross both MCs, the most common rheumatic irAEs were arthritis (66.7%) and myositis (14.3%). Compared to private patients, public patients were more likely to be Hispanic (66.7% vs. 13.3%, p=0.012) and less likely to be referred to a rheumatologist (16.7% vs. 66.7%, p=0.036). There were no significant differences between institutions in cancer outcomes in patients with rheumatic iRAEs.

conclusionThe significantly lower rate of referrals to rheumatologists among patients with rheumatic irAEs at a public MC compared to patients at a neighboring private MC raises concern for healthcare disparities. Larger studies with racially diverse patients are necessary to help ensure equitable care for all patients.

Indexed as

access to health carehealthcare disparityimmune checkpoint inhibitors (icis)immune-related adverse event (irae)patient referral

Identifiers

PMID40979015
PMCPMC12448134

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.