scholarly journals Assessment and Management of Cardiotoxicity in Hematologic Malignancies

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Anca Bojan ◽  
Tunde Torok-Vistai ◽  
Andrada Parvu

With the increasing overall survival of cancer patients due to recent discoveries in oncology, the incidence of side effects is also rising, and along with secondary malignancies, cardiotoxicity is one of the most concerning side effects, affecting the quality of life of cancer survivors. There are two types of cardiotoxicity associated with chemotherapy; the first one is acute, life-threatening but, fortunately, in most of the cases, reversible; and the second one is with late onset and mostly irreversible. The most studied drugs associated with cardiotoxicity are anthracyclines, but many new agents have demonstrated unexpected cardiotoxic effect, including those currently used in multiple myeloma treatment (proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory agents), tyrosine kinase inhibitors used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia and some forms of acute leukemia, and immune checkpoint inhibitors recently introduced in treatment of refractory lymphoma patients. To prevent irreversible myocardial damage, early recognition of cardiac toxicity is mandatory. Traditional methods like echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging are capable of detecting structural and functional changings, but unable to detect early myocardial damage; therefore, more sensible biomarkers like troponins and natriuretic peptides have to be introduced into the current practice. Baseline assessment of patients allows the identification of those with high risk for cardiotoxicity, while monitoring during and after treatment is important for early detection of cardiotoxicity and prompt intervention.

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerasia-Maria Plachouri ◽  
Eleftheria Vryzaki ◽  
Sophia Georgiou

Background:The introduction of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in the recent years has resulted in high response rates and extended survival in patients with metastatic/advanced malignancies. Their mechanism of action is the indirect activation of cytotoxic T-cells through the blockade of inhibitory receptors of immunomodulatory pathways, such as cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1). Despite their impressive therapeutic results, they can also induce immune-related toxicity, affecting various organs, including the skin.Objective:To provide an updated summarized overview of the most common immune-mediated cutaneous side effects and their management.Method:English articles derived from the databases PubMed and SCOPUS and published between 2009 and 2018, were analyzed for this narrative review.Results:The most common adverse cutaneous reactions include maculopapular rash, lichenoid reactions, vitiligo and pruritus, with severity Grade 1 or 2. Less frequent but eventually life-threatening skin side effects, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms and Toxic Epidermal necrolysis, have also been reported.Conclusion:Basic knowledge of the Immune-Checkpoint-Inhibitors-induced skin toxicity is necessary in order to recognize these treatment-related complications. The most frequent skin side effects, such as maculopapular rash, vitiligo and pruritus, tend to subside under symptomatic treatment so that permanent discontinuation of therapy is not commonly necessary. In the case of life-threatening side effects, apart from the necessary symptomatic treatment, the immunotherapy should be permanently stopped. Information concerning the management of ICIs-mediated skin toxicity can be obtained from the literature as well as from the Summary of Product Characteristics of each agent.


Author(s):  
Joshua A. Sloan ◽  
Philip O. Katz

The medical and lay literature has exploded with reports of adverse events associated with proton pump inhibitors over the last 10 to 15 years. The dissemination of these reports to patients and clinicians have created substantial concerns regarding what has been an exceptionally valuable drug class, dramatically improving patient quality of life, and in many cases preventing life threatening side effects of other medication. Patients are more frequently seeking to avoid these medications, and practitioners are reducing or discontinuing them to the patient’s detriment due to a misunderstanding of the data. This review will discuss the data regarding the most commonly publicized adverse events and attempt to put them in perspective.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-15
Author(s):  
Łukasz Hajac ◽  
Martyna Hajac ◽  
Adam Maciejczyk

Nausea and vomiting are one of most frequent side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Effective prevention and treatment of these symptoms is essential for better quality of life for patients undergoing oncological therapies. Nausea and vomiting can be acute, delayed or anticipatory. Leading mechanisms and methods of treatment are different for each of those. Most often used groups of drugs are: 5-HT3-antagonists, glucocorticosteroids, NK1-antagonists. Another important group are neuroleptics, which are therapy of choice for anticipatory vomiting. Modern antiemetic medications are in most cases safe and effective. But as every treatment it causes risks of adverse events which may be serious and difficult to manage. It applies in particular to long-acting drugs. Most common side effects are headache, constipation and sedation. But more severe or life-threatening symptoms may appear, like intestinal obstruction and serotonin syndrome. Some of the drugs also come with risk of interacting with other treatment. Changes in pharmacokinetics may lead to additional toxicities. In elderly, especially with cardiac disease, in risk of ileus or cachexia these drugs shall be used with caution.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enes Akyüz ◽  
Mohd. Farooq Shaikh ◽  
Betül Köklü ◽  
Cansu Ozenen ◽  
Alina Arulsamy

: Over the decades, various interventions have been developed and utilized to treat epilepsy. However, majority of epileptic patients are often first prescribed with anti-epileptic drugs (AED), now known as anti-seizure drugs (ASD), as a first line of defense to suppress their seizures and regain their quality of life. ASDs exert their anti-convulsant effects through various mechanisms of action including regulation of ion channels, blocking of glutamate-mediated stimulating neurotransmitter interaction, and enhancing the inhibitory GABA transmission. About one third of epileptic patients are often resistant to anti-convulsant drugs, while others develop numerous side effects which may lead to treatment discontinuation and further deterioration of quality of life. Common side effects of ASDs include headache, nausea and dizziness. However, more adverse effects such as auditory and visual problems, skin problems, liver dysfunction, pancreatitis and kidney disorders may also be witnessed. Some ASDs may even result in life-threatening conditions as well as serious abnormalities, especially in patients with comorbidities and in pregnant women. Nevertheless, some clinicians had observed a reduction in the development of side effects post individualized ASD treatment. This suggest that a careful and well-informed ASD recommendation to patients may be crucial for an effective and side-effect free control of their seizures. Therefore, this review aimed to elucidate the anticonvulsant effects of ASDs as well as their side effect profile, by discussing their mechanism of action and reported adverse effects based on clinical and preclinical studies, thereby providing clinicians with a greater understanding of the safety of current ASDs.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255716
Author(s):  
Náthali Felícia Mineiro dos Santos Garrett ◽  
Ana Cristina Carvalho da Costa ◽  
Elaine Barros Ferreira ◽  
Giovanni Damiani ◽  
Paula Elaine Diniz dos Reis ◽  
...  

Background Checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized advanced melanoma care; however, their cutaneous side effects have not been definitively elucidated. Objective To identify the prevalence of cutaneous toxicity in patients with melanoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors as monotherapy and/or in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Materials and methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, which encompassed both clinical trials and observational studies describing the dermatological toxicities in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. The protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Review under the number CRD42018091915. The searches were performed using the CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL, LILACS, LIVIVO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated with the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data Results A total of 9,802 articles were identified in the databases. The final sample comprised 39 studies. The evaluated drugs were ipilimumab, tremelimumab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab. The results suggest that the most prevalent side effect was grade 1 and 2 pruritus (24%), followed by grade 1 and 2 rash (21%) and grade 1 and 2 vitiligo (10%). Conclusion The most prevalent side effects in patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors are pruritus, rash, and vitiligo, and they are rated mostly as grades 1 and 2 adverse events. Remarkably, vitiligo is most commonly found in patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors.


2013 ◽  
Vol 71 (9B) ◽  
pp. 661-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osvaldo J M Nascimento

Leprosy is a chronic infectious peripheral neuropathy caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The different clinical presentations of the disease are determined by the quality of the host immune response. Early detection of leprosy and treatment by multidrug therapy are the most important steps in preventing deformity and disability. Thus the early recognition of the clinical leprosy presentation is essential. Mononeuritis, mononeuritis multiplex (MM), polyneuritis (MM summation) are the most frequent. The frequent anesthetic skin lesions are absent in the pure neuritic leprosy presentation form. Isolated peripheral nerve involvement is common, including the cranial ones. Arthritic presentation is occasionally seen, usually misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis. Attention should be given to autonomic dysfunctions in leprosy. There are clinical presentations with severe neuropathic pain - painful small-fiber neuropathy. Leprous late-onset neuropathy (LLON) clinical presentation should be considered facing a patient who develop an inflammatory neuropathy many years after a previous skin leprosy treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 128 (10) ◽  
pp. 1576-1593
Author(s):  
Virginia S. Hahn ◽  
Kathleen W. Zhang ◽  
Lova Sun ◽  
Vivek Narayan ◽  
Daniel J. Lenihan ◽  
...  

Oncology has seen growing use of newly developed targeted therapies. Although this has resulted in dramatic improvements in progression-free and overall survival, challenges in the management of toxicities related to longer-term treatment of these therapies have also become evident. Although a targeted approach often exploits the differences between cancer cells and noncancer cells, overlap in signaling pathways necessary for the maintenance of function and survival in multiple cell types has resulted in systemic toxicities. In particular, cardiovascular toxicities are of important concern. In this review, we highlight several targeted therapies commonly used across a variety of cancer types, including HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2)+ targeted therapies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, proteasome inhibitors, androgen deprivation therapies, and MEK (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase)/BRAF (v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B) inhibitors. We present the oncological indications, heart failure incidence, hypothesized mechanisms of cardiotoxicity, and potential mechanistic rationale for specific cardioprotective strategies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 2018-2025
Author(s):  
Hani MJ Khojah

Objective To investigate the level of counselling regarding the effects of sedating antihistamines on driving skills provided by private community pharmacies in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This study randomly selected private community pharmacies. Mystery shoppers following a similar scenario individually visited these pharmacies. These clients asked for a commonly used brand of sedating antihistamine and noted the counselling offered by the pharmacist. If spontaneous counselling was not offered, necessary information regarding the medication’s use was requested. Finally, the content of counselling was documented. Results Of the 100 pharmacies selected, 12 were excluded for various reasons and 88 pharmacies were included in the study. Only 23 pharmacies offered spontaneous counselling. Although 73.9% of pharmacists (65 of 88), spontaneously or upon request, mentioned sedation as a side-effect, only one pharmacist warned the client against driving after taking the medication, and three other pharmacists warned against dealing with hazardous machinery. Other side-effects were almost ignored. Conclusion A life-threatening insufficiency in the quality of counselling at Saudi Arabian private community pharmacies exists. Traffic accidents, secondary to the side-effects of sedating antihistamines, may be avoided if proper counselling is offered. Saudi Arabian authorities should take appropriate actions to ensure optimal practice in community pharmacies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 226-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umberto Campia

Chemotherapy, alone or in association with radiation therapy, has represented the cornerstone of cancer treatment for decades. However, in the last several years, an unprecedented progress in the understanding of cancer biology and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets have led to a paradigm shift in the management of patients with neoplastic diseases. The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, vascular endothelial growth factor pathway inhibitors, immunomodulatory agents, proteasome inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells, among others, has been associated with prolonged survival in many forms of cancer. A common feature of both chemotherapy and novel cancer treatments is the frequent occurrence of vascular toxicity, mainly mediated by injury to the endothelium. While the mechanisms may vary between agents, the clinical manifestations may overlap and range from hypertension, vasospastic and thrombotic arterial events (myocardial ischemia and infarction, peripheral ischemia, and limb gangrene), venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) to capillary leak syndrome. Therefore, the effective management of patients with cancer requires a multidisciplinary team approach in which oncologist and cardiovascular medicine specialists work together to prevent, detect, and minimize acute vascular toxicity and long-term consequences of cancer therapy.


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