Impact of influenza syndrome and flu vaccine on survival of cancer patients during immunotherapy in the INVIDIa study

Immunotherapy. 2020 Feb;12(2):151-159. doi: 10.2217/imt-2019-0180.

Abstract

Aim: INVIDIa was a retrospective, multicenter study, exploring the clinical efficacy of influenza vaccine in 300 cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy. Overall survival (OS) was immature at the initial report. Methods: We reported the final OS analysis from the original study population and within subgroups. Results: Both at the univariate and multivariate analysis, the occurrence of influenza syndrome (IS) was significantly related to better OS in the overall population (OR: 0.53 [95% CI: 0.32-0.88]; p = 0.01). In the lung cancer subgroup, receiving flu vaccine and/or developing IS was related to better OS (p = 0.04). Within elderly patients, the flu vaccine was the main variable for the relative OS advantage (p = 0.05). Conclusion: Receiving the flu vaccine and/or developing IS was related to better OS within the INVIDIa population.

Keywords: flu vaccine; immune checkpoint inhibitors; immunotherapy; influenza syndrome; influenza vaccination; overall survival.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / immunology
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use*
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Influenza Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Influenza, Human / complications*
  • Influenza, Human / immunology
  • Italy
  • Male
  • Neoplasms / complications*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / immunology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Analysis
  • Syndrome

Substances

  • Immunologic Factors
  • Influenza Vaccines