Immunotherapy and Antivascular Targeted Therapy in Patients' Treatment with Concurrent Malignant Tumors after Organ Transplantation: Opportunity or Challenge

J Immunol Res. 2022 Jun 2:2022:6440419. doi: 10.1155/2022/6440419. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the therapeutic effects and organ rejection of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy or antivascular targeting therapy on patients with combined malignancies after organ transplantation.

Methods: We collected retrospective studies on "post-transplantation, cancer, immunotherapy, and vascular targeting therapy" in Embase, Wanfang database, Cochrane Library, VIP databases, CNKI, and PubMed, and the case data were organized and analyzed.

Results: Data from only 40 papers met our requirements, which included 2 literature reviews, 4 original researches, and 34 case reports from 2016 to 2020. A total of 40 studies involving 66 patients were included, who were divided into 3 groups (patients using CTLA-4 inhibitors, group 1; patients who received sequential or concurrent anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapy, group 2; and patients using PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, group 3). There was no statistical difference in patients' DCR between the three groups (P > 0.05). Also, compared with group 2, there was no statistically significant difference in recipient organ rejection in group 1 and group 3 (P > 0.05). The DCR rate for antivascular targeted therapy is approximately 60%.

Conclusions: Immunotherapy should be carefully selected for patients with combined malignancies after organ transplantation. Antivascular targeted therapy is one of the options worth considering; the risk of side effects of drug therapy is something that needs to be closely monitored when combined with immunotherapy.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use
  • Immunotherapy / adverse effects
  • Neoplasms* / etiology
  • Organ Transplantation* / adverse effects
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
  • Immunologic Factors