OncoReview

Cardiotoxicity in cancer immunotherapy: from pathogenesis to prevention ? narrative review

Mateusz Mierniczek — 2025-06-30

Cancer immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, improve survival but carry a risk of severe cardiotoxicity. Myocarditis is the most dangerous complication with high mortality, and its mechanism involves T-cell auto-aggression or cytokine storms. Risk management requires vigilance, monitoring of cardiac biomarkers, and imaging studies. Prompt treatment with high-dose glucocorticosteroids is crucial. Collaboration within cardio-oncology teams is fundamental for safety, and further research must focus on precise risk stratification to protect patients while maintaining therapeutic efficacy.

Cabozantinib in monotherapy and combination therapy for first-line renal cell carcinoma: Patient profiles

Piotr Tomczak — 2025-06-30

Systemic treatment of metastatic kidney cancer is continuously evolving, which leads to the need to choose between monotherapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors or the use of one of the dual therapy regimens.

Cabozantinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of VEGFR, MET, and AXL receptors, is registered for monotherapy and in combination with nivolumab as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic kidney cancer. The drug is characterized by a good profile of efficacy and side effects, as demonstrated in both clinical trials and the results of real-world data analyses. Cabozantinib also has specific pharmacokinetic features, which may be a consideration when choosing treatment. Cabozantinib represents a valuable treatment option in the first line for patients with metastatic kidney cancer and a defined clinical profile.

Anaplastic ependymoma of the cerebellum and fourth ventricle with calcification without clear contours and hemorrhages: a case report and literature review

Daniel Encarnación-Santos — 2025-06-30

First case: A 2-year-old boy was brought to our center via emergency room due to possible periodic headaches that had been developing for 3 months. We noted gait instability, marked ataxia when walking. Brain MRI: diagnosed, which revealed and a space-occupying lesion of the posterior cranial fossa, (PCF). Diagnosis: Tumor mass in the posterior cranial fossa, the presence of changes in the posterior cranial fossa.
Second case: An 8-year-old boy was brought to our center via the emergency room. According to the mother, the child received a head injury and has been experiencing nausea, dizziness, and repeated vomiting accompanied by muscle weakness. MRI, show a mass with calcifications and hemorrhages in the posterior cavity. They were admitted for possible evaluation and management treatment.