Recent Papers

Abstract :Background: Immediate drug hypersensitivity reactions (IDHRs) pose a significant barrier to cancer treatment and can lead to disruption of therapy, desensitization to the offending drug, and potentially severe patient outcomes. Knowledge on their frequency, drug-specific patterns of IDHRs, and management are imperative to increase safety and continuity of treatment. Methods: This systematic review was performed using PRISMA guidance. Eligible studies included all adult cancer patients receiving systemic anti-cancer therapy and reported IDHRs. Studies with patients treated for non-oncologic indications, or late-onset reactions, were excluded. Data were aggregated by drug class, including platinum compounds, taxanes, anthracyclines, monoclonal antibodies, and topoisomerase II inhibitors. Results: The frequency of IDHRs varied by drug class. The aggregate rates of IDHRs for taxanes and anthracyclines were the highest (57.3% and 64.3% respectively), with the most events occurring during the initial infusion. The aggregate rate of IDHRs for platinum compounds was reported to be 16.7%, and topoisomerase II inhibitors had the highest early-onset infusion rate at 77%. Monoclonal antibodies had a variable pattern and the possibility of late-onset reactions. There were a variety of desensitization plans utilized, mostly uniformly effective, however 10-24% of patients experienced breakthrough reactions. The findings in this review highlight the need for predictive markers and more uniformly adopted desensitization protocols to maximize the safety and efficiency of cancer therapy.

Copyright © 2025 Oshina U.M. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.