Elderly people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) present higher probability of malignancies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) improve cancer prognosis but pose risk of disease flares in people with pre-existing autoimmune conditions, including MS. Data addressing the impact of ICIs on MS are scarce. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the effects of ICIs on MS disease activity.

The efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors combined with CTLA-4 inhibitors in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer is controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors combined with CTLA-4 inhibitors for advanced colorectal cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer treatment, but they are associated with a range of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and emerging evidence suggests significant sex differences in the incidence, type, and severity of these toxicities, suggesting an influential factor and understanding sex-related differences in irAEs as crucial for optimizing patient care and improving clinical outcomes. In MOUSEION-07 study, we aimed to assess the association between sex and treatment-related adverse events in cancer patients treated with immunotherapy through a large up-to-date meta-analysis of available clinical trials. The present systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO no. CRD42024549518. Sixteen studies encompassing a total of 4658 patients were included, and 2133 adverse effects were highlighted. The analysis observed a not statistically significant difference in terms of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) between males and females (Odds Ratio 1.19; CI 0.88-1.63) and revealed the presence of publication bias (β = -2.53; 95% CI = [-4.03; -1.04]; P = 0.006). Sex differences in immunotherapy-related adverse events are a significant factor in cancer treatment, necessitating a personalized approach to patient care. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms driving these differences and to develop optimized strategies for monitoring and managing irAEs in both females and males.

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has a poor prognosis with current treatment options including chemotherapy and androgen receptor signaling inhibitor (ARSI) medications. Poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors alone and in combination with ARSI has recently been incorporated in management for mCRPC deficient in BRCA1/2 genes. However, downregulating androgen-receptor signaling using ARSIs can upregulate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, promoting tumor cell survival. This creates a rationale for co-targeting both these pathways. This systematic review aimed to investigate AKT inhibitors and ARSI combination therapy.

Virtual reality is on the rise and is currently postulated as one of the most innovative and promising techniques in the management of pain and anxiety in cancer patients, in the face of painful processes or the stress involved in chemotherapy treatment. The objective has been to find out the effectiveness of virtual reality in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Several literature reviews were conducted between November 2023 and January 2024 in the Pubmed, Web of Science and PEDro databases. The keywords "virtual reality," "cancer," "oncology," "exercise" and "chemotherapy" were combined using the Boolean operator AND. 641 manuscripts were selected as potential manuscripts and after elimination of duplicates and application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, six articles comprised the final review sample. Virtual reality has proven to be an effective technique in reducing the anxiety, pain, asthenia and stress suffered by patients diagnosed with cancer and chemotherapy treatment. The distraction generated by this therapeutic modality, with a wide range of scenarios, helps to reduce the painful perception and worry of these procedures. However, there are no standard application guidelines or application protocols that demonstrate the superiority of one technique over another. Virtual reality could be a valid complementary tool in the treatment of patients undergoing chemotherapy, showing positive results in pain reduction, anxiety, stress or asthenia. More studies are needed, with larger sample sizes and long-term follow-ups to establish treatment protocols in relation to the frequency, intensity, duration and periodicity of interventions with virtual reality.

Gastrointestinal immune-related adverse events (GI irAEs) are common manifestations of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) toxicity. We present a comprehensive systematic review of the incidence, management, and clinical course of irAEs across the entire GI system, including the luminal GI tract, liver, and pancreas. MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cochrane Library were used to conduct this review. All studies pertaining to GI irAEs were included. Both abstracts and full manuscripts were eligible if they included human subjects and were written in the English language. Articles not available in English, animal studies, or research not specific to GI toxicity of immunotherapy were excluded. We excluded certain article types depending on whether stronger evidence was available in the literature for a specific toxicity, for example, if prospective studies were available on a topic, retrospective studies and case reports were excluded. We extracted a final 166 articles for our review and followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for data reporting. Risk of bias tools were not used to evaluate the extracted studies given the narrative nature of this manuscript, but each study was critically appraised by the manuscript writer. We detail the incidence, presentation, evaluation, management, and outcomes of the various GI toxicities that may arise with ICI therapy. Specifically, we discuss the characteristics of upper GI toxicity (esophagitis and gastroenteritis), lower GI toxicity (colitis), hepatobiliary inflammation, pancreatitis, and rarer forms of GI toxicity. We hope this review serves as a useful and accessible clinical tool that helps physicians familiarize themselves with the nuances of gastrointestinal/hepatic/pancreatic ICI toxicity diagnosis and management.

High expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) has been recognized as a marker of improved efficacy of immunotherapy in gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA); however, the optimal PD-L1 cut-off is still debated. The aim of the present review was to analyze available phase III trials and to identify the appropriate PD-L1 expression cut-off for GEA.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is a critical concern for patients with a diagnosis of cancer receiving chemotherapy worldwide. Our aim was to assess the rate of HBV reactivation during chemotherapy globally. We systematically reviewed PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases for chemotherapy-related HBV reactivation studies from inception until July 2023. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled reactivation rate. Total 86 studies involving 21,297 patients were included, comprising 62 and 24 studies from Eastern and Western regions. Pooled results indicated a 9% reactivation rate (95%CI: 7%-13%, I2 = 95%). Reactivation rates were 10% (95%CI: 7%-14%, I2 = 92%) for hematological malignancies and 5% (95%CI: 3%-9%, I2 = 94%) for solid tumors. Presence of HBV DNA, HBeAg, and HBsAg were correlated with reactivation rates of 29% (95%CI: 10%-60%, I2 = 91%), 23% (95%CI: 14%-36%, I2 = 78%), and 15% (95%CI: 11%-20%, I2 = 90%), respectively. For patients with positive anti-HBe Ab, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs Ab serology, pooled reactivation rates were 7% (95%CI: 3%-14%, I2 = 81%), 4% (95%CI: 3%-7%, I2 = 85%), and 3% (95%CI: 2%-6%, I2 = 80%), respectively. With antiviral prophylaxis, reactivation rates were 1% (95%CI: 0%-17%, I2 = 59%), 1% (95%CI: 0%-5%, I2 = 0%), 4% (95%CI: 2%-9%, I2 = 85%), and 6% (95%CI: 3%-12%, I2 = 32%) for patients receiving tenofovir, entecavir, lamivudine, and telbivudine, respectively. Patients with a diagnosis of cancer undergoing chemotherapy face increased risk of HBV reactivation. This analysis raises public awareness and serves as a resource for future clinical trials.

The use of standard-dose cancer treatment can result in a decline in the functional abilities of older adults with cancer. The "start-low, go-slow" (SLGS) strategy involves initiating cancer treatment at lower-than-standard doses in selected patients who are vulnerable to excess toxicity and escalating based on tolerance. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the available data and the effectiveness of the SLGS strategy in the treatment of cancer in older adults with incurable solid cancer.

This meta-analysis aimed to determine the incidence and overall risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) related to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

The combination of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors and anticancer therapies has been in the spotlight in recent years. However, the risks associated with these combination therapies are not fully elucidated. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the relative risk of organ-specific immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and common adverse events (AEs) in patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-based combination therapies compared to those treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy for solid tumors.

The purpose of the present systematic review and meta-analyses was to appraise the case-control studies that have evaluated late adverse effects of chemotherapy for treating hematological malignancies in pediatric patients.

Adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have recently emerged as guideline-recommended treatments of high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC). However, there is limited evidence regarding the optimal candidates and the differential efficacy of adjuvant ICI regimens.

A standardized multi-day antiemetic regimen for multi-day chemotherapy remains elusive. This systematic review evaluated the efficacy and safety of multi-day antiemetic regimens in patients undergoing multi-day intravenous chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy treatments that target programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) or its ligand (PD-L1) have revolutionized the treatment of metastatic melanoma and currently represent the standard first-line treatment for this type of cancer. However, it is still not entirely clear which biomarkers are cost-effective, simple, and highly reliable. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to analyze the predictive value of the baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) regarding disease progression and overall survival of patients with metastatic melanoma undergoing treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies comparing high versus low NLR. We performed the meta-analysis using RStudio v4.4.2 software. A total of 20 studies and 2691 patients were included, all with diagnoses of melanoma. The majority of the individuals were male 2278 (84, 65%). The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) ranged from 5.0 to 44.4 and from 1.8 to 15.0 months, respectively. Compared with the high NLR ratio, the low exposure group achieved better rates of OS [hazard ratio (HR), 2.07; 95% CI, 1.73-2.48; P  < 0.00001; I ² = 47%]. Regarding PFS, there was a statistically significant difference between groups with tendencies toward the low NLR exposure group (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.39-1.81; P  < 0.00001; I²=31%]. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed significant lower OS in melanoma patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade who had elevated baseline NLR values. Furthermore, an increased PFS was observed in patients with a lower baseline NLR value. This study highlights NLR as an important prognostic biomarker for patients with metastatic melanoma who are candidates for treatment with PD-1 and PD-L1.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves often show delayed survival benefit followed by long-term survival in a subgroup of patients. Such outcomes can violate the proportional hazards assumption, leading to a loss of statistical power.

With the increasing of PI3K/AKT/mTOR (PAM) inhibitors in cancer therapy, there is a growing need to understand the incidence of cardiovascular events (CVAEs) associated with PAM inhibitors. A systematic search of all randomized clinical trials (RCTs) containing at least one PAM group in electronic databases such as PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov registry, Embase, Medline, Cochrane Library, and major conferences was performed to extract available CVAEs. The cut-off date was January 31, 2024. Study heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. The risk of CVAEs associated with PAM inhibitors was calculated using Peto OR. The primary outcome was the incidence (95% CI) of PAM inhibitors cardiovascular adverse events in the total population and subgroups. The secondary outcome was the pooled risk of different CVAEs associated with PAM inhibitor exposure in the RCTs. 33 unique RCTs (n = 12,351) were included. The incidence of PAM inhibitors CVAEs of any grade in the intervention group was 48.2%, yielding a combined OR of 2.52 (95% CI 1.82-3.49). The incidence of severe adverse cardiovascular events (≥ grade 3) in the intervention group was estimated at 7.1%, yielding a combined Peto OR of 1.41 (95% CI 1.04-1.93). PAM inhibitors were associated with an increased risk of 5 CVAEs including peripheral edema, lymphoedema, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and hyperlipidemia, with higher risks for hypercholesterolemia (Peto OR: 3.27,95% CI 2.61-4.11, P < 0.01; I2 = 55.5%, P = 0.06) and hyperlipidemia (Peto OR: 3.53. 95% CI 1.70-7.32, P < 0.01; I2 = 19.3%, P = 0.29). This study identified an overall incidence of PAM inhibitors CVAEs and the increased risks associated with PAM inhibitor for five specific CVAEs, not confined to hypercholesterolemia and peripheral edema.

Melanoma, a highly malignant skin tumor, can develop systemic metastases during the early stage. Several studies of melanoma animal models indicate that curcumin, a natural plant extract, inhibits melanoma growth through various mechanisms. To evaluate the relationships among different experimental conditions, curcumin itself, its derivatives, and special formulations, it is necessary to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study aims to estimate and project the population attributable fraction (PAF) of cancer incidence and death due to carcinogenic drug use in Korea from 2015 to 2030, to estimate the degree of cancer prevention from exposure to carcinogenic drugs in Korea. Selected carcinogenic drugs were immunosuppressive and antineoplastic drugs classified as group I by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Based on the documentation in Shennong's Herbal Classics, numerous Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are noted to possess anti-tumor properties, and TCM has been used in China for thousands of years. Particularly, current research have demonstrated that TCM combined with immunotherapy exhibited enhanced anti-tumor effects.