Tag Archives: immune checkpoint inhibitors

Introduction Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed cancer treatment, significantly improving survival across many tumour types. For instance, the 10-year results of the CheckMate-067 trial in metastatic melanoma reported a 43% overall survival (OS) rate, compared with under 5% before ICIs.1 ICIs function by inhibiting regulatory proteins expressed by immune cells, reducing self-tolerance and enhancing the immune system’s ability to recognise tumour cells. Most commercially available ICIs target the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)

Introduction Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionised outcomes in a number of advanced cancers. The median life-expectancy for patients with metastatic melanoma was nine months prior to the introduction of ICIs in 2011.1 One-year survival is now over 70%, and over half of patients are still alive at three years,2 with multiple phase II and III trials demonstrating durable responses in a range of tumour types.3 ICIs are antibodies that block the cytotoxic T-cell regulators lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4; ipilimumab), programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1; nivolumab, pembrolizumab and cemiplimab) or the PD-1 ligand (ate

As discussed by Findlay and colleagues, ICI-related myocarditis is rare but potentially fatal. Its true incidence remains unknown but data from a single cancer registry study from the USA suggests a prevalence of 1.14% with fatality rates as high as 50%.4,5 Data suggest that myocarditis is an early ICI-toxicity, typically seen within the first three months of starting treatment, and is more common in patients treated with combination anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD1 blockade. The prevalence of myocarditis in patients treated with chemotherapy and anti-PD1 or tyrosine kinase Inhibitors (TKI) and anti-PD1 combinations has not been described. Identifyin