Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy Induces Inflammatory Activity in Large Arteries

“If our study results can be replicated in prospective settings, we should think about future combination therapies with atherosclerosis-stabilizing agents like statins to potentially protect patients at cardiovascular risk from unfortunate events after therapy”

“Because of unchanged FDG activity in the spleen and bone marrow, we assumed there is nonsignificant extramedullary monocytopoiesis/hematopoiesis after [immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy], whereas the specific activation of less calcified lesions may suggest [immune checkpoint inhibitors] could profoundly impact local innate immune cells, particularly in patients experiencing early/vulnerable atherosclerotic phase but not in advanced segments presenting demoted immune cells”