PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jan-Henning Schierz
AU  - Ismet Sarikaya
AU  - Uwe Wollina
AU  - Leonore Unger
AU  - Ali Sarikaya
TI  - Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor–Related Adverse Effects and <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT Findings
AID  - 10.2967/jnmt.121.262151
DP  - 2021 Dec 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
PG  - 324--329
VI  - 49
IP  - 4
4099  - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/49/4/324.short
4100  - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/49/4/324.full
SO  - J. Nucl. Med. Technol.2021 Dec 01; 49
AB  - Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatments activate T cells against tumors. Activated T cells attack not only the tumor but also healthy cells, causing an autoimmune reaction in various tissues. These immune-related adverse effects (IRAEs) cause 18F-FDG uptake in various tissues due to inflammation. It is important to recognize and report these findings on 18F-FDG PET/CT studies. 18F-FDG PET helps to determine the presence, location, and severity of IRAEs. In severe cases, ICI treatments are interrupted or suspended and antiinflammatory treatments are started. 18F-FDG uptake due to IRAEs may mimic metastases or disease progression. Their presence may also help in predicting response to treatment and have prognostic implications. In this review article, we provide basic information about ICI treatments, IRAEs, and 18F-FDG PET/CT findings.