Risk of Dyslipidemia Associated with VEGF/VEGFR Inhibitors: A Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

This meta-analysis was performed to investigate hyperlipidemia in patients with carcinoma treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors.

METHODS

We searched for eligible phase II and III studies using PubMed and Embase databases. We then summarized reported occurrences of hyperlipidemia in patients with different cancers. Relative risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by Revman 5 software in meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Eleven trials (4760 subjects) were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, VEGF/VEGFR inhibitors had similar incidence of hypertriglyceridemia (RR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.24%-1.32%, P = .19), hypercholesterolemia (RR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.42%-3.16%, P = .78), and LDL elevation (RR = 4.58, 95% CI = 0.80%-26.25%, P = .09) than control drugs, under high heterogeneity. Moreover, subgroup analyses found VEGF/VEGFR inhibitors had higher incidence of hypertriglyceridemia (RR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.37%-2.52%, P < .001) and hypercholesterolemia (RR = 2.95, 95% CI = 2.02%-4.30%, P = .006) than blank control or placebo control drugs (placebo-controlled-group), although with lower incidence of hypertriglyceridemia (RR = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.12%-0.69%, P < .001) and hypercholesterolemia (RR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.28%-0.56%, P < .001) than positive control drugs (positive-controlled-groups).

CONCLUSION

The use of VEGF/VEGFR inhibitors, especially the multitargeted VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs), was associated with higher risk of hyperlipidemia than the use of placebo, but this risk was less than that associated with mTOR or FGFR inhibitors. It indicated that clinicians need to pay close attention to the occurrence of hyperlipidemia in VEGFR-TKIs therapies.

Metabolic disorders associated with the use of targeted cancer therapies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The everyday use of targeted therapies, whose mechanisms of action differ from the conventional cytotoxic agents, also causes the emergence of new toxicities as metabolic disorders about which little is known. We propose a systematic literature review of the incidence and physiopathology of targeted therapies-induced metabolic disorders and provide some management guidance.

RECENT FINDINGS

In recent decades, significant breakthroughs in molecular oncology and immunology have been made. The administration of targeted therapies and immunotherapy has been associated with metabolic toxicities such as endocrine disorders, dyslipidemia, induced diabetes, and electrolytic disorders. Current data show that metabolic disorders are becoming increasingly common, but rarely life threatening and often reversible with prompt therapeutic intervention.

SUMMARY

In the era of targeted therapies, medical oncologists should know the symptoms, carefully monitor patients for potential metabolic disorders, and manage these emerging side-effects with the help of endocrinologists and other medical specialists.