Everolimus is a new anti-cancer molecule: Metabolic side effects as lipid disorders and hyperglycemia

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Molecular targeted therapies are increasingly replacing traditional chemotherapy for cancer treatment.
• This shift has led to a different profile of adverse events affecting various organ systems.
• Everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, is approved for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and other cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the metabolic side effects associated with everolimus treatment.
• To highlight the differences in dosing for anti-cancer versus anti-rejection therapy.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on everolimus and its side effects.
• Analysis of reported adverse events, focusing on metabolic complications.

Main Results:

• Metabolic side effects are the most frequently reported adverse events with everolimus.
• Dosing for anti-cancer treatment (5-10 mg/day) is higher than for anti-rejection (1.5-3.0 mg/day).

Conclusions:

• Everolimus, while effective in cancer treatment, presents a distinct set of adverse events, particularly metabolic ones.
• Understanding these side effects is crucial for patient management and optimizing therapy.