Bhadra T, Lucke-Wold B. Risk elements and diagnostic indicators for asymptomatic immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis in esophageal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(44): 113689 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i44.113689]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Brandon Lucke-Wold, MD, Doctor, Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, 1505 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States. brandon.lucke-wold@neurosurgery.ufl.edu
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Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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Letter to the Editor
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Nov 28, 2025 (publication date) through Dec 1, 2025
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Publication Name
World Journal of Gastroenterology
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1007-9327
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Bhadra T, Lucke-Wold B. Risk elements and diagnostic indicators for asymptomatic immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis in esophageal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(44): 113689 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i44.113689]
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 28, 2025; 31(44): 113689 Published online Nov 28, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i44.113689
Risk elements and diagnostic indicators for asymptomatic immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis in esophageal cancer
Tushar Bhadra, Brandon Lucke-Wold
Tushar Bhadra, Department of General Surgery, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Brandon Lucke-Wold, Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States
Author contributions: Bhadra T designed research and wrote the letter; Lucke-Wold B performed research and revised the letter.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Brandon Lucke-Wold, MD, Doctor, Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, 1505 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States. brandon.lucke-wold@neurosurgery.ufl.edu
Received: September 1, 2025 Revised: September 25, 2025 Accepted: October 16, 2025 Published online: November 28, 2025 Processing time: 88 Days and 13.8 Hours
Abstract
This article pertains to the study by Liu et al. Myocarditis caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with esophageal cancer is a concerning issue. This was found to be linked by increased levels of creatine kinase (CK) and CK isoenzymes, as well as older age and male gender. All these risk factors behind this phenomenon, which could be incorporated into a unified prediction model, have been briefly discussed. Several recommendations have been made to validate this prediction model for use in different clinical scenarios.
Core Tip: Immune checkpoint inhibitors, which play a significant role in esophageal cancer therapy, can cause myocarditis in these patients. Several risk factors, such as advanced age, male sex, elevated creatine kinase (CK) and CK isoenzymes, contribute to this phenomenon. All these indicators can be combined into a single model to aid in early detection and personalized risk management. Prospective cohort studies with large sample sizes should be conducted, utilizing modern imaging modalities like magnetic resonance imaging.
