Ocular adverse effects of anti-cancer chemotherapy.

Cancer ranks as the second leading cause of mortality in Europe, following cardiovascular diseases. Every year, 2.6 million people are diagnosed with this disease, and 1.2 million die. It has an impact not only on individual health but also on society and the economy. The survival rate has improved with the introduction of new diagnostic methods and anti-cancer chemotherapy. While more aggressive chemotherapeutic regimens and combination therapies have demonstrated efficacy against cancer cells, they also have detrimental effects on normal cells, leading to systemic and ocular adverse reactions associated with cytotoxicity, inflammation, and neurotoxicity. Consequently, we have an increased survival rate, but the appearance of these ocular adverse effects decreases the quality of life. Ocular toxicity induced by chemotherapeutic agents is often underestimated. While prevention may not be possible, proper management by an ophthalmologist, an integral part of the oncology patient's medical team, is crucial. The ophthalmologist should assess the patient before initiating chemotherapeutic treatment and continue monitoring throughout to identify any adverse ocular reactions resulting from the systemic chemotherapy. This article aimed to briefly highlight the adverse reactions occurring at the ocular surface in patients undergoing chemotherapeutic treatment. Fortunately, these ocular side effects are limited only to the period in which the chemotherapeutic treatment is done, with most of them disappearing a few weeks after stopping the treatment.

Meibomian gland changes in breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel-partial results.

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate that the narrowing and/ or atrophy of the Meibomian glands is the cause of the occurrence of hyperlacrimation in women who suffer from breast cancer and who have docetaxel in their treatment regimen. Method: The study involved 10 patients diagnosed with breast cancer, who received docetaxel as treatment (study group), and 10 breast cancer patients receiving other chemotherapy treatment (control group). The study was a prospective, controlled and comparative. We mainly analyzed two very important indicators, non-invasive tear film breaking time (NKBUT) and meibography. Results: A decrease and/ or narrowing of Meibomian glands in the study group (breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel) was observed on the meibography. Also, a decrease of the NKBUT was observed in the study group. The average variation of NKBUT in docetaxel patients (22%) and the average variation of meiboscopy in docetaxel patients (33%) showed the effect of docetaxel over time compared to patients who received other anticancer therapy, in whom the mean variation was very small, natural. Conclusions: The action of docetaxel at the level of the two studied indicators (NKBUT and Meiboscopy) was noteworthy at the level of the study group, the changes observed in the Meibomian glands being reversible. They resolved within a few weeks of completion of docetaxel treatment. Abbreviations: RE = right eye, OSD = ocular surface disease, NKBUT = noninvasive keratography tear breaking time.