Ocular side effects of novel anti-cancer biological therapies

Abstract

To examine the ocular side effects of selected biological anti-cancer therapies and the ocular and systemic prognosis of patients receiving them. We retrospectively reviewed all medical records of patients who received biological anti-cancer treatment from 1/2012 to 12/2017 and who were treated at our ocular oncology service. The following data was retrieved: primary malignancy, metastasis, type of biological therapy, ocular side effects, ophthalmic treatment, non-ocular side effects, and ocular and systemic disease prognoses. Twenty-two patients received biological therapies and reported ocular side effects. Eighteen patients (81.8%) had bilateral ocular side effects, including uveitis (40.9%), dry eye (22.7%), and central serous retinopathy (22.7%). One patient (4.5%) had central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO), and one patient (4.5%) had branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). At the end of follow-up, 6 patients (27.27%) had resolution of the ocular disease, 13 patients (59.09%) had stable ocular disease, and 3 patients (13.64%) had progression of the ocular disease. Visual acuity improved significantly at the end of follow-up compared to initial values. Eighteen patients (81.8%) were alive at study closure. Biological therapies can cause a wide range of ocular side effects ranging from dry eye symptoms to severe pathologies that may cause ocular morbidity and vision loss, such as uveitis, CRAO and BRVO. All patients receiving biological treatments should be screened by ophthalmologists before treatment, re-screened every 4–6 months during treatment, and again at the end of treatment. Patients on biological treatment who have ocular complaints should be urgently referred to ocular consultation for early identification and early intervention.

Novel Meibomian Gland and Tarsal Conjunctival Changes Associated with Trastuzumab, Pertuzumab, and Anastrozole Treatment for Metastatic HER2 Positive Breast Cancer: A Case Report and Literature Review

“…The systemic chemo-, biological-, and endocrine therapies improved survival in metastatic malignancies [ 1 ] but may cause severe ophthalmic adverse events, too [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. MGD is the leading cause of dry eye worldwide.…”

Application of Andersen–Newman model to assess cataract surgery uptake among older Australian women: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH)

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Potential Ophthalmological Side Effects Induced by Anti-Neoplastic Regimens for the Treatment of Genitourinary Cancers: A Review

“…This can be attributed not only to the growing number of used agents but also due to the fact that patients demonstrate a longer life expectancy. Unfortunately, underreporting regarding ocular side effects exists and the majority of the available literature is provided from case reports [9][10][11]. Interestingly, many molecular targets of the novel GU anti-neoplastic regimens are expressed in the eye, which may have implications and demonstrate several side effects in the ocular and periocular tissues [12].…”

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