Durvalumab Immunotherapy Nursing management of immune-related adverse events during the journey of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: When resection is not an option, platinum-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has been the historic standard of care in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Prognosis remains poor with CRT alone. Durvalumab has shown significant improvement (versus placebo) in progression-free and overall survival in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC without progression following CRT. OBJECTIVE:This article aims to provide an overview of the efficacy and safety outcomes with durvalumab in patients with stage III NSCLC and identify management strategies for potential adverse events (AEs). METHODS: A review of published literature and guidelines was performed to evaluate durvalumab clinical outcomes and AE management strategies. FINDINGS: Durvalumab has established efficacy in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC and is now the standard of care following CRT. Nurses need to be trained to recognize potential immune-related AEs in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.