Adverse Effects of Lung Cancer Immunotherapy Among Socioeconomically Marginalized Lung Cancer Patients

Lung cancer remains a major contributor of cancer-related deaths and account for more than half of lung cancer deaths. In the U.S., lung cancer accounts for almost 25% of all U.S. cancer deaths and certain population groups bear a disproportionate burden. Immunotherapy is a novel treatment for lung cancer that has shown improvements in stalling disease progression and overall survival. But these treatments are associated with a plethora of adverse events that can affect any organ in the body. Most of the evidence on the adverse effects associated with immunotherapy is documented from clinical trials which often exclude the socioeconomically marginalized population. Hence little evidence exists on the incidence and range of adverse events in this population group. This study contributes to the evidence on the frequency and types of immunotherapy side effects experienced by socioeconomically marginalized populations.