Ahead of VIPOS 2025, a cardiologist-led session sheds light on a vital frontier in oncology.
In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the landscape of cancer treatment. By harnessing the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells, they’ve offered hope in cancers once considered untreatable. But with this powerful new class of drugs comes a new set of challenges—cardiac side effects that, while rare, can be life-threatening.
As we gear up for VIPOS 2025, a dedicated session by a leading cardiologist will address one of the most pressing and evolving concerns in cancer care today: how to prevent and manage heart-related complications from immune therapy.
The Double-Edged Sword of Immunotherapy
Immune checkpoint inhibitors work by unleashing immune T-cells, lifting the “brakes” (like PD-1, PD-L1, or CTLA-4) that cancers exploit to escape detection. But this immune awakening can sometimes lead to unintended attacks on healthy tissues, including the heart.
- Cardiac side effects can range from mild to severe:
- Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle)
- Pericarditis (inflammation of the heart’s lining)
- Arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms)
- Heart failure
Although rare, ICI-associated myocarditis has a high mortality rate if not promptly diagnosed and treated.
Why It Matters
For patients and caregivers, these developments may sound alarming. But understanding risk and recognizing symptoms early is the key. And that’s where cardio-oncology—a growing interdisciplinary field—plays a critical role.
At VIPOS 2025, the spotlight will be on how oncologists and cardiologists must work hand-in-hand to:
Identify patients at high risk
Monitor heart health before, during, and after ICI therapy
Manage emerging cardiac issues swiftly and safely
Prevention: A Proactive Approach
- Preventing cardiac complications starts even before the first dose of immunotherapy:
- Baseline cardiac evaluation is recommended in high-risk individuals—especially those with pre-existing heart conditions.
- Monitoring markers like troponins and ECGs during therapy can help catch early signs of cardiac strain.
- Use of biomarkers and imaging, such as cardiac MRI, is expanding in clinical practice to detect subclinical myocarditis.
- Multidisciplinary teams and molecular tumor boards are increasingly factoring cardiac safety into therapeutic decisions.
Management: Act Fast, Think Multidisciplinary
- If cardiac side effects emerge, early intervention is crucial:
- Stopping immunotherapy temporarily or permanently
- Starting high-dose corticosteroids to dampen immune inflammation
- Involving cardiology teams for specialized support
- Sometimes introducing immunosuppressive agents if symptoms don’t resolve
Importantly, management strategies are evolving as more research emerges, and personalized risk-benefit analysis is guiding decisions on rechallenge.
What Patients Should Know
For the non-medical audience, the takeaway is both cautionary and reassuring. These complications are rare but serious, and most oncologists are now trained to recognize early warning signs. If you or a loved one is starting immunotherapy, you can ask:
Have I had a baseline cardiac evaluation?
What symptoms should I watch out for—chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath?
Will my treatment team involve a cardiologist if needed?
Looking Ahead: VIPOS 2025 Session
In an era where the heart and the immune system cross paths more than ever, the upcoming VIPOS 2025 session led by an expert cardiologist promises to bridge knowledge gaps, share protocols, and discuss case-based insights.
This talk will bring oncologists, cardiologists, researchers, and patients together to explore:
* The latest updates in cardio-oncology
* How to balance efficacy vs. safety in immunotherapy
* What future trials and innovations hold in this space
In Summary:
Immunotherapy is a game changer, but even the most powerful tools require vigilance. As we step into an era of smarter, safer cancer treatments, recognizing and managing heart-related side effects is no longer optional—it’s essential.
Let’s protect the heart while we fight cancer. Join us at VIPOS 2025 to be part of the conversation.
Stay tuned for session schedules, speaker announcements, and live updates from the cardio-oncology track at VIPOS 2025.