Acquired Hypothyroidism in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors

Abstract

Purpose

We analyze a number of studies that describe the relationship between the onset of hypothyroidism and the prognosis of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated with TKIs.

Patients and Methods

Targeted therapies are currently considered as the first-line treatment for patients with mRCC. The occurrence of hypothyroidism in the treatment of mRCC with TKIs is a major side effect. A comprehensive search was performed in Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Institute for Scientific Information, and CKNI. The following keywords and descriptors were used during the search and were combined in a number of sequences in English and Chinese languages: protein kinase inhibitors (including sunitinib, pazopanib, tivozanib, cabozantinib, axitinib, sorafenib), hypothyroidism and renal cell carcinoma.

Results

Scholars have studied the clinical relationship between hypothyroidism and TKI treatment and its molecular biology mechanism. Most studies hold that hypothyroidism occurring during TKI therapy may serve as potential biomarkers of response and efficacy of treatment, but there is no consensus on this point.

Conclusion

The mechanism of hypothyroidism occurring is still unclear. Therefore, more studies are needed to clarify whether better outcomes are associated with TKI-induced hypothyroidism in mRCC patients, helping to maximize the treatment outcome of mRCC patients.

Keywords:

• metastatic renal cell carcinoma
• mRCC
• tyrosine kinase inhibitors
• TKIs
• hypothyroidism
• progression-free survival
• PFS
• overall survival
• OS

Acknowledgments

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.