Evaluating the influence of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with IMRT on thyroid dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BackgroundImmunotherapy represents a major breakthrough in malignant tumor treatment in recent years. Anti-PD-1 immunotherapy has significantly prolonged Event-free Survival (EFS) in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC). However, its potent anti-tumor effects can also attack normal tissues and organs, lea...

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Main Authors: Liqianqi Chen, Zihuang Li, Xianming Li, Shihai Wu, Long Gong, Gang Xu, Shanyi Chen, Yucong Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1495946/full
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author Liqianqi Chen
Zihuang Li
Xianming Li
Shihai Wu
Long Gong
Gang Xu
Shanyi Chen
Yucong Zhang
author_facet Liqianqi Chen
Zihuang Li
Xianming Li
Shihai Wu
Long Gong
Gang Xu
Shanyi Chen
Yucong Zhang
author_sort Liqianqi Chen
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundImmunotherapy represents a major breakthrough in malignant tumor treatment in recent years. Anti-PD-1 immunotherapy has significantly prolonged Event-free Survival (EFS) in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC). However, its potent anti-tumor effects can also attack normal tissues and organs, leading to immune-related adverse effects (irAE), with the thyroid being one of the most commonly affected organs. This study aims to analyze the incidence and related factors of thyroid dysfunction in NPC patients receiving anti-PD-1 immunotherapy with/without Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and further explore whether radiotherapy interacts with thyroid immune-related adverse reactions.Methods108 NPC patients receiving immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively included. Data collected included smoking status, BMI, presence of thyroid nodules, staging, treatment modality, thyroid mean dose (Dmean), percentage of thyroid volume receiving more than x Gy, pituitary mean dose (Dmean), and TSH and FT4 levels per cycle. T-tests, rank-sum tests, multivariate logistic regression analysis, ROC curves, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the effects of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with chemoradiotherapy on thyroid function.ResultsPatients with pre-treatment smoking history, thyroid nodules, and cervical lymph node metastasis were more likely to develop thyroid dysfunction (P<0.05). During treatment, 81 patients developed varying degrees of thyroid dysfunction. Subclinical hyperthyroidism (33.9%) was most common in the immunotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy group, while subclinical hypothyroidism (23.9%) was most common in the immunotherapy plus chemotherapy group. Compared to the immunotherapy plus chemotherapy group, the immunotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy group showed higher incidence and severity of hyperthyroidism (median peak FT4 concentration: 19.11 pmol/L vs 16.21 pmol/L) (P=0.001). The immunotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy group showed lower incidence but increased severity of hypothyroidism compared to the immunotherapy plus chemotherapy group, though these differences were not statistically significant.ConclusionNPC patients with smoking history, thyroid nodules, and cervical lymph node metastasis have significantly increased risk of thyroid dysfunction when receiving anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with IMRT. The combination of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and IMRT increases both the incidence and severity of thyroid dysfunction.
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spelling doaj-art-d2f1642a33e94dbfbc0a6d60e0c4624e2025-01-16T06:10:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-01-011510.3389/fimmu.2024.14959461495946Evaluating the influence of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with IMRT on thyroid dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinomaLiqianqi ChenZihuang LiXianming LiShihai WuLong GongGang XuShanyi ChenYucong ZhangBackgroundImmunotherapy represents a major breakthrough in malignant tumor treatment in recent years. Anti-PD-1 immunotherapy has significantly prolonged Event-free Survival (EFS) in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC). However, its potent anti-tumor effects can also attack normal tissues and organs, leading to immune-related adverse effects (irAE), with the thyroid being one of the most commonly affected organs. This study aims to analyze the incidence and related factors of thyroid dysfunction in NPC patients receiving anti-PD-1 immunotherapy with/without Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and further explore whether radiotherapy interacts with thyroid immune-related adverse reactions.Methods108 NPC patients receiving immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively included. Data collected included smoking status, BMI, presence of thyroid nodules, staging, treatment modality, thyroid mean dose (Dmean), percentage of thyroid volume receiving more than x Gy, pituitary mean dose (Dmean), and TSH and FT4 levels per cycle. T-tests, rank-sum tests, multivariate logistic regression analysis, ROC curves, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the effects of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with chemoradiotherapy on thyroid function.ResultsPatients with pre-treatment smoking history, thyroid nodules, and cervical lymph node metastasis were more likely to develop thyroid dysfunction (P<0.05). During treatment, 81 patients developed varying degrees of thyroid dysfunction. Subclinical hyperthyroidism (33.9%) was most common in the immunotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy group, while subclinical hypothyroidism (23.9%) was most common in the immunotherapy plus chemotherapy group. Compared to the immunotherapy plus chemotherapy group, the immunotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy group showed higher incidence and severity of hyperthyroidism (median peak FT4 concentration: 19.11 pmol/L vs 16.21 pmol/L) (P=0.001). The immunotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy group showed lower incidence but increased severity of hypothyroidism compared to the immunotherapy plus chemotherapy group, though these differences were not statistically significant.ConclusionNPC patients with smoking history, thyroid nodules, and cervical lymph node metastasis have significantly increased risk of thyroid dysfunction when receiving anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with IMRT. The combination of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and IMRT increases both the incidence and severity of thyroid dysfunction.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1495946/fullPD-1radiotherapythyroid dysfunctionnasopharyngeal carcinomaIMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy)
spellingShingle Liqianqi Chen
Zihuang Li
Xianming Li
Shihai Wu
Long Gong
Gang Xu
Shanyi Chen
Yucong Zhang
Evaluating the influence of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with IMRT on thyroid dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Frontiers in Immunology
PD-1
radiotherapy
thyroid dysfunction
nasopharyngeal carcinoma
IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy)
title Evaluating the influence of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with IMRT on thyroid dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
title_full Evaluating the influence of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with IMRT on thyroid dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
title_fullStr Evaluating the influence of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with IMRT on thyroid dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the influence of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with IMRT on thyroid dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
title_short Evaluating the influence of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy combined with IMRT on thyroid dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
title_sort evaluating the influence of anti pd 1 immunotherapy combined with imrt on thyroid dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
topic PD-1
radiotherapy
thyroid dysfunction
nasopharyngeal carcinoma
IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy)
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1495946/full
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