Immunotherapy utilizing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 inhibitors has revolutionized cancer therapy by enhancing T cell recognition and attack against cancer cells.1 Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are a limitation of ICI therapy, encompassing various manifestations such as colitis and cutaneous adverse events such as dermatitis, alopecia, and vitiligo.2 Hair loss is a common concern of cancer patients as they embark on their therapeutic paths. The evidence on alopecia from isolated clinical trials with ICI therapies is limited and largely lacks diagnostic and prognostic details to help guide patients.3,4 In this systematic review, we examined the types of alopecia as part of the irAEs of ICI therapy, timing of onset, prognosis, and treatment approaches. Our analysis includes 19 studies describing new-onset non-scarring or scarring alopecia following ICI treatment. Alopecia was a rare adverse event in the setting of ICIs (n=26) with the onset of alopecia occurring within one year of initiating treatment. Slightly over half of the affected patients reported some degree of hair regrowth after attempted alopecia-directed treatments. We discuss available data to increase awareness of this rare but potentially permanent side effect of ICI therapy. Further research is warranted to enhance our understanding of alopecia as an irAE and to optimize patient management strategies. J Drugs Dermatol. 2025;24(3):255-260. doi:10.36849/JDD.7828.

This study aimed to describe the clinical and prognostic characteristics of antibody-positive paraneoplastic neurological syndrome (PNS) associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

While it is widely acknowledged that fingerprint recognition has played an essential part in policing and forensic science, little is known about fingerprint alterations in medical science, specifically as a consequence of anticancer treatments. Thus, we aimed to analyze the extent of evidence between cancer treatments and fingerprint alterations in adults with cancer.

Fruquintinib, a VEGFR1-3 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is approved for treating refractory metastatic colorectal cancer. Recent clinical practice has shown that combining fruquintinib with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors can achieve better efficacy.The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of combining PD-1inhibitors with fruquintinib.

With the advent of asparaginase-based drugs, patients with natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) have achieved excellent efficacy. However, the prognosis is poor in patients with advanced disease, and even worse in relapse/refractory patients. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy or combination treatment strategies in patients with NKTCL.

Several first-line therapeutic strategies have been evaluated alongside platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (a/rEC). However, the optimal approach remains unclear.

Transarterial radioembolization with yttrium-90 (90Yt-TARE) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are emerging as treatment modalities for intermediate to advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on randomized controlled trials. Herein, we systematically reviewed the published literature on the effects of 90Yt-TARE and ICIs combined on clinical outcomes of HCC.

Over the years, there have been significant advancements in the field of cervical cancer research in developing new treatment approaches. One of the significant breakthroughs in cancer treatment is the emergence of immunotherapy that can be used as a standalone treatment or in combination with other cancer therapies. Immunotherapy has shown promising results in clinical trials and has become a viable strategy for treating cancer and improves the quality of life for cancer patients and overall survival rate. Here in the systematic review we are focusing towards the effectiveness and safety of immunotherapy in cervical cancer or HPV infections CIN with clinical trial data. The data extracted had from those studies were analyzed through certain statistical methods and subgroup analysis for validating and concluding our objective. PubMed and Science direct database were used for searching the studies with applied screening and filtering and 49 main reports were included for the studies. The immunotherapies subdivided to immune checkpoint inhibitors, cellular therapy and Vaccine were separately analysed through meta-analysis for the conclusion. The Pembrolizumab (immune checkpoint inhibitor), T cell therapy and Bivalent (Ecoli expressed) vaccine were analysed to be higher effective. Thus for future exploration on immunotherapy in cervical cancer, it was described in our studies of a combination of Ecoli rec HPV bivalent vaccine followed by Pembrolizumab or T cell therapy thus improving the immune mediated action against the cancer. Apart from that, a hypothetical model of multiepitope production on ecoli for vaccine generation has also been explained.

Gliomas, particularly glioblastoma (GBM), remain challenging to treat and have a poor prognosis. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting EGFR have shown promise, but their efficacy in gliomas is not well established. This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the safety and efficacy of EGFR TKIs in patients with glioma, specifically for primary and recurrent GBM.

This study systematically reviewed and conducted a network meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of first-line and second-line immunotherapy treatments for recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). The findings aim to provide robust evidence to guide clinical decision-making.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis (ICI-M) is a rare yet potentially fatal complication of immunotherapy, with no standardized treatment protocol due to limited data. The use of varying steroid doses has resulted in inconsistent outcomes.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of programmed cell death protein 1 or its ligand (PD-1/L1) inhibitors as first-line therapy in advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who are ineligible for platinum-based chemotherapy.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a B-cell malignancy primarily diagnosed in older adults. For younger patients, treatment options often include regimens based on fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab; however, at least 20% of patients exhibit resistance to these therapies. Ibrutinib, a covalent Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, has demonstrated enhanced safety compared to conventional treatments. This meta-analysis examines the efficacy and safety of ibrutinib in managing relapsed/refractory CLL.

Aims/Background The classification of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) as a subtype of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) remained an ongoing controversy. This meta-analysis examines the efficacy of intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents in nAMD patients with or without PCV. Methods A systematic search was conducted in four databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library, from their inception to 1 July 2023. The outcome measure was the change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and center retinal thickness (CRT) from the baseline to different follow-up durations. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis was performed when significant heterogeneity was detected. Results This meta-analysis included sixteen studies involving 6679 patients, comprising 5070 non-PCV and 1609 PCV cases. The findings revealed that the improvement in BCVA at 6-month follow-up (mean difference (MD) = 0.05; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.02 to 0.07; p = 0.0001) and the reduction in CRT at 3-month follow-up duration (MD = 10.29; 95% CI, 0.93 to 19.66; p = 0.03) were significantly greater in the PCV group compared to the non-PCV group. Conclusion This meta-analysis indicates that PCV may exhibit better short-term efficacy in response to anti-VEGF therapy than non-PCV. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO (CRD42023445591).

Vincristine, a chemotherapy drug primarily used in pediatric cancer treatments like acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Wilms' tumor, is known for neurotoxic side effects, including a rare but under-discussed manifestation-vincristine-induced ptosis. This systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42024617946) analyzed data from three databases, identifying 379 articles. Of these, 28 articles encompassing 31 unique pediatric cases were included, with Turkey contributing the highest number of cases (9 cases, 29.03%). The median age was 3 years (IQR: 2 - 5.5), with 58.06% male (18 cases) and 41.93% female (13 cases). Ptosis appeared bilaterally in 61.29% (19 cases) and unilaterally in 38.71% (12 cases), showing a left-side predominance in unilateral cases. The median time to symptom onset after the last vincristine dose was 6 days (IQR: 2 - 12). Treatment protocols varied; 74.19% (23 cases) adjusted or discontinued vincristine, with 34.78% (8 cases) restarting after skipping doses. Pyridoxine with or without pyridostigmine was used in 70% (14 of 20 treated cases), and recovery was generally favorable, with symptoms resolving within 28 days (IQR: 22.75 - 42) in most cases. Mild residual ptosis was noted in 9.67% (3 cases). Our review shows the significant variability inherent to management approaches in this patient demographic and highlights the need for standardized documentation and treatment approaches, proposing "VINTOSIS-3" as a practical treatment protocol. Furthermore, the VICTORIA (Vincristine-InduCed pTOsis cRIteriA) Grading is introduced to standardize ptosis severity evaluation. We further emphasize the importance of early detection, vigilant monitoring, and tailored interventions to balance neurotoxicity management with chemotherapy efficacy. What is Known: • Vincristine, a widely used chemotherapeutic agent in pediatric oncology, is associated with toxic side effects, primarily peripheral neuropathy. • Ocular complications of vincristine, including ptosis, have been reported but remain under-recognized. What is New: • Vincristine-induced ptosis is predominantly bilateral, but when unilateral, it shows a left-sided predominance and typically appears after a median of four doses. • The proposed VICTORIA Grading standardizes severity assessment, and the VINTOSIS-3 protocol provides a structured approach to management.

Fluoropyrimidines and irinotecan cause diarrhea, which can be particularly severe in some cases. Probiotic supplementation is a potential option for managing chemotherapy-induced diarrhea. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of probiotics in managing diarrhea induced by fluoropyrimidine or irinotecan-based chemotherapy in cancer patients.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) represent an important new class of immunotherapy used in cancer treatment. Though effective, immune-related adverse events (irAE) are reported, including cerebral vasculitis (nirVasculitis). In this systematic review, we aim to identify clinical and laboratory features of nirVasculitis and exemplify these in six local clinical cases.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a disease of the older person. Due to the demands of intensive chemotherapy, there is a significant risk of over or undertreatment, leading to either iatrogenic harm or missed windows of opportunity for remission or cure. Better tools to aid clinical decision making and risk stratify patients are needed. We aimed to investigate the association between frailty and the treatment and disease-related outcomes of adults receiving systemic therapy for AML.

The efficacy and off-target effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in cancer treatment vary among patients. Monocytes likely contribute to this heterogeneous response due to their crucial role in immune homeostasis. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of monocytes on ICI efficacy and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients with cancer. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for clinical studies from January 2000 to December 2023. Articles were included if they mentioned cancer, ICI, monocytes, or any monocyte-related terminology. Animal studies and studies where ICIs were combined with other biologics were excluded, except for studies where two ICIs were used. This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023396297) prior to data extraction and analysis. Monocyte-related markers, such as absolute monocyte count (AMC), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR), specific monocyte subpopulations, and m-MDSCs were assessed in relation to ICI efficacy and safety. Bayesian meta-analysis was conducted for AMC and MLR. The risk of bias assessment was done using the Cochrane-ROBINS-I tool. Out of 5787 studies identified in our search, 155 eligible studies report peripheral blood monocyte-related markers as predictors of response to ICI, and 32 of these studies describe irAEs. Overall, based on 63 studies, a high MLR was a prognostic biomarker for short progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) hazard ratio (HR): 1.5 (95% CI: 1.21-1.88) and 1.52 (95% CI:1.13-2.08), respectively. The increased percentage of classical monocytes was an unfavorable predictor of survival, while low baseline rates of monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (m-MDSCs) were favorable. Elevated intermediate monocyte frequencies were associated but not significantly correlated with the development of irAEs. Baseline monocyte phenotyping may serve as a composite biomarker of response to ICI; however, more data is needed regarding irAEs. Monocyte-related variables may aid in risk assessment and treatment decision strategies for patients receiving ICI in terms of both efficacy and safety.

The combination of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor with CTLA-4 inhibitor for advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) is presently a significant area of research, however its clinical application remains contentious. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of first-line PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor in combination with CTLA-4 inhibitor (CP) in the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC.