Thyroid disorders induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors

Management Aspects of Medical Therapy in Graves' Disease

OBJECTIVE

Graves' disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Treatment options include antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine, and surgery. In this review, we focus on the medical aspects of managing Graves' Disease.

METHODS

Authors conducted a literature review of PubMed to include studies and review articles on Graves' disease management, antithyroid drugs, long term safety of antithyroid drugs, hyperthyroidism in pregnancy, Graves' ophthalmopathy and special circumstances related to hyperthyroidism.

RESULTS

In adjunction to antithyroid drugs, medical management for Graves' disease also includes beta blockers, glucocorticoids, and iodine containing agents. Antithyroid drugs are currently the preferred option for initial management of Graves' disease, reflecting a shift in practice observed in the US over the past two decades. Antithyroid drugs in appropriate doses are well tolerated and safe when used for longer duration, during pregnancy and other circumstances discussed in this article. Routine thyroid function tests are important for monitoring. TRAb plays an essential role in determining duration of treatment and assessing the likelihood of recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Medical management of Graves' Disease with ATD is safe and effective. Long term use beyond 24 months in patients with elevated TRAb is a reasonable alternative option to surgery and RAI due to higher rates of remission.

Longitudinal Assessment of FT3 to FT4 Conversion Ratio in Predicting the Efficacy of First-Line Pembrolizumab-Based Therapy in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Propensity-Score Matching Analysis of Data from the National Drug Monitoring Agency

Baseline thyroid function, as measured by the fT3 to fT4 ratio, has been shown to influence the prognosis of advanced cancer patients receiving active treatments. Although immune checkpoint blockade can alter the balance of thyroid hormones, this interaction has not been thoroughly investigated. The present research sought to determine whether changes in the fT3/fT4 ratio could affect the survival outcomes of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were undergoing pembrolizumab-based therapies. This study included patients with metastatic NSCLC who received pembrolizumab as upfront treatment, either alone or in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy. Relevant data were gathered before the start (time point 1) and after 12 weeks (time point 2) of treatment. From April 2018 to May 2023, we enrolled 258 eligible patients, 156 (60.5%) and 102 (39.5%) of whom were treated with single-agent or combination therapy, respectively. We stratified patients into two groups based on baseline fT3 and fT4 values [euthyroid cohort defined by fT3 and fT4 both within the normal range vs. euthyroid sick syndrome cohort defined by low fT3 and/or fT4 levels]. We examined the differences in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) by univariate and multivariate analyses. After applying propensity-score matching, we considered 88 relevant cases in each cohort. Longitudinal comparison of fT3/fT4 ratios showed a significant increase in the median value after pembrolizumab-based therapy (p < 0.001). We computed ROC curves to analyze the correlation between fT3/fT4 ratios and survival outcomes. The relative AUC values were not viable in predicting a positive outcome at the first time point. Conversely, assessment at the second time point revealed a significant association with PFS [AUC 0.82 (95% CI 0.75-0.89), p < 0.001] and OS [AUC 0.81 (95% CI 0.75-0.88), p < 0.001]. After a median follow-up of 20.2 (95% CI 16.2-24.2) months, the median PFS for the low and high fT3/fT4 ratio groups was 4.1 (95% CI 3.0-5.1) and 15.3 (95% CI 10.3-20.1) months, respectively (p < 0.001). The median OS for the low and high fT3/fT4 ratio groups was 6.7 (95% CI 4.9-8.5) and 19.6 (95% CI 16.4-22.8) months, respectively (p < 0.001). The multivariate analysis revealed that a low fT3/fT4 ratio was independently associated with shorter PFS [HR 2.51 (1.66-3.78); p < 0.001] and OS [HR 2.18 (1.43-3.34); p < 0.001]. After the optimal weighting of prognostic factors according to thyroid function impairment, the fT3/fT4 ratio at baseline did not affect the survival of patients receiving immune checkpoint blockade for advanced NSCLC. Patients with an increased fT3/fT4 ratio experienced a significantly decreased risk of disease progression and mortality. The longitudinal assessment of fT3/fT4 ratio may play a predictive role in this specific therapeutic setting.

Breast cancer and neoplasms of the thyroid gland: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Background

With the rising incidence of breast cancer (BC) and neoplasms of the thyroid gland, a potential link between the two has drawn increasing attention. However, the causal relationship remains unclear due to various confounding factors. This study aims to investigate the causality between BC and thyroid tumors using Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods

We conducted a bidirectional two-sample MR analysis, utilizing breast cancer-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) and thyroid tumor-related SNPs from the FinnGen (https://www.finngen.fi/) database. First, we performed univariable MR (UVMR) to assess the causal relationship between BC and both malignant and benign thyroid tumors, followed by reverse causality analysis. To account for potential confounders, we applied multivariable MR (MVMR). The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was primarily used, with secondary analyses performed using the weighted median and MR-Egger regression approaches.

Results

UVMR analysis revealed a significant positive causal relationship between BC and malignant thyroid tumors (odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.291, 1.143-1.458, P = 3.90×10-5). No causal relationship was found between BC and benign thyroid tumors. The MVMR analysis, adjusting for confounding factors such as smoking, drinking, and body mass index (BMI), confirmed the robustness of the results.

Conclusion

This study provides genetic evidence supporting a causal relationship between BC and malignant thyroid tumors. These findings highlight the importance of thyroid cancer screening in BC patients. However, further MR studies or randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are necessary to assess small effects accurately.

Immune-Related Adverse Events Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and CAR-T Cell Therapy: A Comprehensive Imaging-Based Review

Immunotherapy has revolutionized oncology care, improving patient outcomes in several cancers. However, these therapies are also associated with typical immune-related adverse events due to the enhanced inflammatory and immune response. These toxicities can arise at any time during treatment but are more frequent within the first few months. Any organ and tissue can be affected, ranging from mild to life-threatening. While some manifestations are common and more often mild, such as dermatitis and colitis, others are rarer and more severe, such as myocarditis. Management depends on the severity, with treatment being held for >grade 2 toxicities. Steroids are used in more severe cases, and immunosuppressive treatment may be considered for non-responsive toxicities, along with specific organ support. A multidisciplinary approach is mandatory for prompt identification and management. The diagnosis is primarily of exclusion. It often relies on imaging features, and, when possible, cytologic and/or pathological analyses are performed for confirmation. In case of clinical suspicion, imaging is required to assess the presence, extent, and features of abnormalities and to evoke and rule out differential diagnoses. This imaging-based review illustrates the diverse system-specific toxicities associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T-cells with a multidisciplinary perspective. Clinical characteristics, imaging features, cytological and histological patterns, as well as the management approach, are presented with insights into radiological tips to distinguish these toxicities from the most important differential diagnoses and mimickers-including tumor progression, pseudoprogression, inflammation, and infection-to guide imaging and clinical specialists in the pathway of diagnosing immune-related adverse events.

Sintilimab combined with anlotinib as first-line treatment for advanced sarcomatoid carcinoma of head and neck: a case report and literature review

Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) is a rare, complex, aggressive tumor that spreads rapidly, is highly malignant, and has metastasized. Surgical resection is the primary treatment, and it usually occurs in the lungs and kidneys but rarely in the neck. Patients with advanced sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) of the head and neck (HN) have a poor progonsis. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been established as treatments for many solid tumors; however, the effectiveness of ICIs in treating SC of HN is still little recognized. We report a case study of a middle-aged woman with primary sarcomatoid carcinoma of the neck. She developed sarcomatoid carcinoma of the contralateral neck 7 months after the first surgical treatment. Subsequently, disease recurrence and metastasis occurred 8 months after the second surgery. The patient did not receive any treatment after both surgeries. The tumor showed high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, with a combined positive score (CPS): 95. The patient's response to treatment was assessed as partial remission (PR) after 2 cycles of anlotinib combined with sintilimab. The patient has survived for over 2 years and remains in PR status, despite experiencing grade 2 hypothyroidism as an adverse event during treatment. The case highlights the efficacy and safety of anlotinib and sintilimab as a first-line treatment.