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Gentile G, Scagnoli S, Arecco L, Santini D, Botticelli A, Lambertini M. Assessing risks and knowledge gaps on the impact of systemic therapies in early breast cancer on female fertility: A systematic review of the literature. Cancer Treat Rev 2024; 128:102769. [PMID: 38810574 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2024.102769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The therapeutic landscape for early breast cancer (eBC) has expanded by introducing novel anticancer agents into clinical practice. During their reproductive years, women with eBC should be informed of the potential risk of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and infertility with the proposed systemic therapy. Although the topic of female fertility is becoming increasingly relevant in patients with cancer, limited information is available on the gonadotoxicity of new agents available for eBC treatment. Analyses from clinical trials and prospective data on ovarian function biomarkers are lacking. The purpose of this systematic review is to report the available preclinical and clinical data on female fertility risk with the use of the new agents that are part of clinical practice use or under development for eBC management. This review highlights the clear need to perform additional research efforts to improve our understanding on the gonoadtoxicity of new anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Gentile
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza-University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Simone Scagnoli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza-University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Luca Arecco
- Institut Jules Bordet and l'Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Rue Meylemeersch, 90 (Rez Haut Nord), Anderlecht, 1070 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
| | - Daniele Santini
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Andrea Botticelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza-University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Matteo Lambertini
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy; Department of Medical Oncology, U.O.C. Clinica di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova 16132, Italy.
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2
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Ligon JA, Cupit-Link MC, Yu C, Levine J, Foley T, Rotz S, Sharma A, Gomez-Lobo V, Shah NN. Pediatric Cancer Immunotherapy and Potential for Impact on Fertility: A Need for Evidence-Based Guidance. Transplant Cell Ther 2024:S2666-6367(24)00463-9. [PMID: 38866240 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtct.2024.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The use of immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults has become common. As the use of immunotherapy has expanded, including in earlier lines of therapy, it has become evident that several aspects of how these immunotherapies impact longer term outcomes among survivors are understudied. Traditional cancer therapies like alkylating and platin agents carry the greatest risk of infertility, but little is known about the impact of novel immunotherapies on fertility. This topic is of great interest to patients, patient advocates and clinicians. In this paper, we review immunotherapeutic agents used to treat childhood and young adult cancers and discuss potential mechanisms by which they may impact fertility based on the known interplay between the immune system and reproductive organs. We highlight the relative paucity of high-quality literature examining these late effects. We discuss interventions to optimize fertility preservation for our patients. Conducting longitudinal, collaborative, and prospective research on the fertility outcomes of pediatric and young adult patients with cancer who receive immunotherapy is critical to learn how to effectively counsel our patients on long-term fertility outcomes and indications for fertility preservation procedures. Collection of patient-level data will be necessary to draft evidence-based guidelines on which providers can make therapy recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Ligon
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL, US.
| | | | - Christine Yu
- Department of Pediatric Medicine, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jennifer Levine
- Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Division of Oncology, Children's National Hospital, Washington DC
| | - Toni Foley
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Seth Rotz
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Akshay Sharma
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Veronica Gomez-Lobo
- Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Nirali N Shah
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Silvestris E, D’Oronzo S, Petracca EA, D’Addario C, Cormio G, Loizzi V, Canosa S, Corrado G. Fertility Preservation in the Era of Immuno-Oncology: Lights and Shadows. J Pers Med 2024; 14:431. [PMID: 38673058 PMCID: PMC11050999 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14040431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, immuno-oncology has revolutionized the cancer treatment field by harnessing the immune system's power to counteract cancer cells. While this innovative approach holds great promise for improving cancer outcomes, it also raises important considerations related to fertility and reproductive toxicity. In fact, most young females receiving gonadotoxic anti-cancer treatments undergo iatrogenic ovarian exhaustion, resulting in a permanent illness that precludes the vocation of motherhood as a natural female sexual identity. Although commonly used, oocyte cryopreservation for future in vitro fertilization and even ovarian cortex transplantation are considered unsafe procedures in cancer patients due to their oncogenic risks; whereas, ovarian stem cells might support neo-oogenesis, providing a novel stemness model of regenerative medicine for future fertility preservation programs in oncology. Recent scientific evidence has postulated that immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) might in some way reduce fertility by inducing either primary or secondary hypogonadism, whose incidence and mechanisms are not yet known. Therefore, considering the lack of data, it is currently not possible to define the most suitable FP procedure for young patients who are candidates for ICIs. In this report, we will investigate the few available data concerning the molecular regulation of ICI therapy and their resulting gonadal toxicity, to hypothesize the most suitable fertility preservation strategy for patients receiving these drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Silvestris
- Gynecologic Oncology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II” Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (E.A.P.); (G.C.); (V.L.)
| | - Stella D’Oronzo
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine (DIM), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy;
- Division of Medical Oncology, A.O.U. Consorziale Policlinico di Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Easter Anna Petracca
- Gynecologic Oncology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II” Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (E.A.P.); (G.C.); (V.L.)
| | - Claudia D’Addario
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine (DIM), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy;
- Division of Medical Oncology, A.O.U. Consorziale Policlinico di Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Gennaro Cormio
- Gynecologic Oncology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II” Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (E.A.P.); (G.C.); (V.L.)
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine (DIM), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy;
| | - Vera Loizzi
- Gynecologic Oncology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II” Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (E.A.P.); (G.C.); (V.L.)
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Stefano Canosa
- IVIRMA, Global Research Alliance, LIVET, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Giacomo Corrado
- Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Department of Woman, Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00136 Roma, Italy;
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Güven DC, Thong MS, Arndt V. Survivorship outcomes in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a scoping review. J Cancer Surviv 2024:10.1007/s11764-023-01507-w. [PMID: 38175366 DOI: 10.1007/s11764-023-01507-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become a central part of cancer care. However, the survivorship outcomes in patients treated with ICIs are understudied. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to evaluate the current status of the field and to establish research gaps regarding survivorship outcomes with ICIs in real-life cohorts. METHODS We used the Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase databases to systematically filter published studies with real-life cohorts from January 1, 2010, until October 19, 2022. Studies evaluating at least one survivorship outcome in ICI-treated patients were included. RESULTS A total of 39 papers were included. Quality of life (QoL) (n = 23), toxicity burden (n = 16), and psychosocial issues (n = 9) were the most frequently evaluated survivorship outcomes. Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy and a response to treatment were associated with better QoL. In addition, the ICIs were associated with grade 3 or higher immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in 10-15% and late/long-term irAEs in 20-30% of the survivors. Regarding psychosocial problems, over 30% of survivors showed evidence of anxiety and depression, and 30-40% of survivors reported neurocognitive impairments. CONCLUSION The survivors treated with ICIs have impairments in most survivorship domains. Further research is needed to gather data on the understudied survivorship outcomes like late and long-term effects, fertility, financial toxicity, and return to work in survivors treated with ICIs. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS Available evidence demonstrates that a significant portion of survivors treated with ICIs have a significant toxicity burden, lower QoL than the general population, and a high rate of psychosocial problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Can Güven
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, 06100 Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey.
- Health Sciences University, Elazig City Hospital, Elazig, Turkey.
- Unit of Cancer Survivorship, Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Melissa Sy Thong
- Unit of Cancer Survivorship, Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Volker Arndt
- Unit of Cancer Survivorship, Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Tuerxun H, Zhao Y, Li Y, Liu X, Wen S, Cao J, Cui J, Zhao Y. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors as A Threat to Reproductive Function: A Systematic Review. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023:104064. [PMID: 37379960 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the indications for immunotherapy in cancer treatment have been expanding. The increased risk of cancer in young people, coupled with the fact that many women or men choose to delay childbearing, has made an increasing number of patients of childbearing age eligible for immunotherapy. Furthermore, with the improvements of various treatments, more young people and children are able to survive cancer. As a result, long-term sequelae of cancer treatments, such as reproductive dysfunction, are increasingly important for survivors. While many anti-cancer drugs are known to cause reproduction dysfunction, the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) on reproduction function remain largely unknown. Through a retrospective analysis of previous reports and literature, this article aims to elucidate the causes of reproductive dysfunction induced by ICIs and focus on their specific mechanisms, in order to providing some guidance to clinicians and patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halahati Tuerxun
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Yixin Zhao
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Yawen Li
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Xingyu Liu
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Shuhui Wen
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Jingjing Cao
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Jiuwei Cui
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Roberts
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Dougan
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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Maristany S, DuVall AS, Stock W, Adeleye AJ. Primary ovarian insufficiency secondary to chemotherapy with inotuzumab ozogamicin and other agents. J Assist Reprod Genet 2022; 39:1733-1738. [PMID: 35727422 PMCID: PMC9209836 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-022-02548-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in targeted therapy with monoclonal antibodies have significantly improved outcomes for people with cancer, sometimes allowing patients to avoid ovotoxic agents altogether. The current understanding is that monoclonal antibody cancer therapies that are not targeted to ovarian antigens should not impact ovarian reserve or increase the risk of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). We present a case of rapid onset POI in a 23-year-old patient following chemotherapy for relapse/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with a monoclonal antibody drug-conjugate, inotuzumab ozogamicin, that targets CD22. She was also treated with intrathecal methotrexate, cytarabine, and vincristine which are typically considered low risk for ovotoxicity. She was ovulatory with an AMH of 1.0 ng/mL prior to treatment and 2 months later was found to have an undetectable AMH. The patient experienced a canceled fertility preservation cycle due to an absent response to gonadotropins during ovarian stimulation. Consideration should be given to potential gonadal effects of monoclonal antibody therapies that may not have previously been explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumiko Maristany
- The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Adam S DuVall
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Wendy Stock
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Amanda J Adeleye
- Section of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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