Eur Heart J: Immuno-checkpoint inhibitor therapy can induce heart disease

20, 2020 /--- According to a recent study published online in the European Heart Journal, immunosuppressant (ICI) treatment is associated with an increase in heart events in patients with lung cancer and malignant melanoma.
(Photo: www.pixabay.com) Maria D'Souza, M.D., from Herlev-Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues studied the risk of heart events or cardiovascular death in patients with continuous lung cancer or malignant melanoma in Denmark between 2011 and 2017.
data included 25,573 lung cancer patients, of whom 743 were treated with programmed cell death 1 inhibitor (PD1i) and 13,568 with malignant melanoma, of which 145 were treated with PD1i and 212 with cytotoxic T lymphocyte-related protein 4 inhibitors (CTLA-4i).
found that lung cancer patients treated with PD1i had an absolute 9.7 percent risk of heart events within a year.
risk of malignant melanoma treated with PD1i and CTLA-4i was 6.6% and 7.5%, respectively.
risk of heart events in patients who receive or are not treated with ICI.
six months after the first ICI was given, the risk ratios for lung cancer patients and patients with malignant melanoma treated with PD1i and CTLA-4i were 2.14, 4.30 and 4.93, respectively.
risk ratios for lung cancer and malignant melanoma patients treated with CTLA-4i after six months were 2.26 and 3.48, respectively.
previous studies have shown that most adverse side effects affecting the heart occur in the first few weeks or months after treatment begins," D'Souza said in a statement.
, our results suggest that the increased risk of heart disease will continue after the first six months.
" (Bioon.com) Source: Immune checkpoint or therapy tied to cardiac event risk Source: Maria D'Souza et al. The risk of cardiac events in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors: a nationwide Danish study. European Heart Journal, ehaa884,