Tyrosine kinase inhibitor–induced hypothyroidism: mechanism and clinical implications

Since the first experimentally proven tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) imatinib was introduced in the clinical setting, TKIs have attracted widespread attention because of their remarkable therapeutic effects and improvement of survival rates. TKIs are small-molecule, multi-target, anti-cancer agents that target different tyrosine kinases and block downstream signaling.

However, with in-depth research on TKI drugs, the adverse reactions—for example, thyroid dysfunction—have become a concern and thus have attracted the attention of numerous researchers. Thyroid dysfunction, especially hypothyroidism, that occurs in high incidence during TKI therapy has a close relationship with treatment efficacy, but the mechanism of TKI-induced thyroid dysfunction is obscure.

This review discusses the epidemiology, possible mechanisms, and clinical significance of hypothyroidism in cancer patients treated with TKI.