Fig. 4. Time course and potential importance of key issues throughout the course of treatment with immune-checkpoint inhibitors.

The relevant time frame of important patient-specific/toxicity-related factors (top), includes acute toxicities, which are largely relevant while patients are on therapy, chronic toxicities, which probably slowly decline over time, and the potential (theoretical) effects of such toxicities on other immune processes such as atherosclerosis, which could increase over time. Tumour-specific factors, including the risks of recurrence and the need for rechallenge, both of which appear to decrease over time are depicted below the timeline. ICI, immune-checkpoint inhibitor.