The immune checkpoint inhibitor avelumab increases aortic inflammation on [18F]FDG PET/CT: A retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are at increased risk of cardiovascular events. Preclinical studies suggest that this may result from inflammation-induced destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques.

Objective

To evaluate changes in vessel wall inflammation assessed using [18F]FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) after ICI initiation.

Methods

This was a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients with Merkel cell carcinoma who received at least one cycle of the programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor avelumab and underwent [18F]FDG PET/CT before initiation of treatment and after 3 months. The primary outcome was the change in the target-to-background ratio (TBRmax) in the descending

SUBMITTER: Strijdhorst A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12747342 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature