Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and CVD Risk in Patients With Melanoma
Source: Cancer Therapy Advisor, January 2023
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy may increase the risk of major atherosclerotic cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with high-risk or advanced melanoma, according to a study published in Cardio-Oncology.
This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with stage II, III, or IV melanoma who presented to an academic tertiary hospital in Victoria, Australia from 2015 through 2020.
The study cohort comprised 646 patients, of whom 289 had been treated with ICI. Baseline demographic characteristics were comparable between treatment groups. The median age was 67.9 years in the ICI-treated group and 66.1 years in the non-ICI treated group. Men comprised a greater percentage of the ICI group than the non-ICI group (72.0% vs 62.5%; P =.01). Melanoma characteristics, including cancer stage and histologic subtype, were similar between the groups.