Association of use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors with survival and cardiovascular outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer in Taiwan

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are standard treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and EGFR sequence variation. However, TKIs have been reported to cause cardiotoxicity. A nationwide cohort study in Taiwan compared survival and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) among 24,129 NSCLC patients receiving TKIs and 24,129 matched controls who did not receive TKIs. Although TKI use was associated with a lower probability of mortality, the cumulative incidence of MACCEs was significantly increased among patients receiving TKIs compared with patients not receiving TKIs. The authors conclude that the study’s findings underline the importance of close monitoring of MACCEs in patients receiving TKI for NSCLC.