Ocular Surface Side Effects of Novel Anticancer Drugs

Abstract

Surgery, anticancer drugs (chemotherapy, hormonal medicines, and targeted treatments), and/or radiation are common treatment strategies for neoplastic diseases. Anticancer drugs eliminate malignant cells through the inhibition of specific pathways that contribute to the formation and development of cancer. Given the ability of such pharmacological medications to combat cancerous cells, their role in the management of neoplastic diseases has become essential. However, these drugs may also lead to undesirable systemic and ocular adverse effects due to cyto/neuro-toxicity and inflammatory reactions. Ocular surface side effects are recognized to significantly impact patient’s quality of life and quality of vision. Blepharoconjunctivitis is known to be a common side effect caused by oxaliplatin, cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, and docetaxel, while anastrozole, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil can all determine dry eye disease. However, the potential processes involved in the development of these alterations are yet not fully understood, especially for novel drugs currently available for cancer treatment. This review aims at analyzing the potential ocular surface and adnexal side effects of novel anticancer medications, trying to provide a better understanding of the underlying pharmacological processes and useful insights on the choice of proper management.

Safety Profile of the Trastuzumab-Based ADCs: Analysis of Real-World Data Registered in EudraVigilance

“…Compared to the group of other ADCs, T-DM1 has a higher probability of reporting for several categories such as "Eye disorders", "Ear and labyrinth disorders", "Cardiac disorders", "Hepatobiliary disorders", etc. Various research groups have documented eye disorders in patients under treatment with T-DM1, such as corneal changes [49,50], e.g., cystoid lesions in the deep corneal epithelial cells [51] and lacrimal drainage system stenosis [52]. Ocular toxicity of T-DM1 also had a high frequency in a pharmacovigilance study conducted by Liu et al on FAERS database [46].…”

Synthesis and biological research of new imidazolone-sulphonamide-pyrimidine hybrids as potential EGFR-TK inhibitors and apoptosis-inducing agents

“… 5,6 Although great improvements have been made in the survival rate from many cancers using contemporary therapeutic strategies, several side effects are unavoidable. 7 Therefore, the search for new molecules with good antitumor effectiveness and low adverse effects is encouraging. 8 Molecular breakthroughs have led to the discovery of cellular parts involved in the initiation, propagation and proliferation of lesions that lead to primary cancer and metastases.…”