Association of neoadjuvant immunotherapy with postoperative major morbidity after oncologic surgery
Annals of Surgical Oncology, 2024
This study assessed the impact of neoadjuvant immunotherapy on surgical complication risk across six cancer types: oral cavity, rectal, colon, anal, esophageal, and non-small cell lung cancers. Among 953,612 patients who underwent non-palliative oncologic surgery, only 0.5% received neoadjuvant immunotherapy. We found no significant association between neoadjuvant immunotherapy and the composite outcome of major postoperative morbidity (i.e., extended hospital length of stay, unplanned 30-day readmission, or 30-day mortality). Our findings suggest that immunotherapy is safe before surgery across six types of cancer. As neoadjuvant immunotherapy becomes more prevalent and as more surgeons are considering operating on patients who have recently completed or are currently undergoing immunotherapy, understanding its impact on surgical outcomes is crucial for optimizing patient care.
*equally contributing first authors
Recommended citation: Habib DRS*, Shou M*, Phillips RH, Pickens A, Hawkins A, Idrees K, Khan A. Association of neoadjuvant immunotherapy with postoperative major morbidity after oncologic surgery. Ann Surg Onc. 2024;31(13):8508-8513. doi:10.1245/s10434-024-16284-8