Aaron Sverdlov, Professor and Director of Heart Failure at University of Newcastle, Member Board of Directors at International Cardio-Oncology Society, shared on LinkedIn:
“New publication in Supportive Care in Cancer, The Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) journal.
Cardiovascular complications of immune checkpoint inhibitors are often viewed primarily through the lens of myocarditis. Our new paper suggests that the broader cardiovascular burden in routine clinical practice is much greater.
In this real-world Australian cohort of 1,080 patients treated with ICIs:
- Almost 1 in 3 had at least one cardiovascular hospital admission.
- Ischemic heart disease, venous thromboembolism and atrial fibrillation/flutter were the most frequent causes; myocarditis accounted for only a small proportion of admissions.
- Pre-existing ischemic heart disease, heart failure/cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia were strong predictors of subsequent cardiovascular hospitalization.
- Following a cardiovascular admission, the adjusted hazard of subsequent mortality was >3 fold higher.
Key message: Cardiovascular care for patients receiving ICIs cannot be limited to surveillance for myocarditis. Careful assessment and management of pre-existing cardiovascular disease and risk factors before, during and after cancer treatment – remain critically important.
Congratulations to Joshua D. Bennetts, who led this work, and thank you to our excellent multidisciplinary team: Jie Yu, Trent Williams, Andre van der Westhuizen, Ina Nordman, Prajwol Shrestha, Rhonda Walker, Joerg Herrmann and Doan Ngo.
Very pleased to see this work from the Newcastle Centre of Excellence in Cardio-Oncology now published.”
Title: Risk factors associated with cardiovascular hospital admissions and all-cause mortality in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Authors: Joshua D. Bennetts, Jie Yu, Trent D. Williams, Andre Van der Westhuizen, Ina I. C. Nordman, Prajwol Shrestha, Rhonda Walker, Joerg Herrmann, Aaron L. Sverdlov, Doan T. M. Ngo.
You can also read: ‘Navigating Immunotherapy Side Effects: Understanding Immune-Related Adverse Events‘
