SUNITINIB, A VEGFR RECEPTOR TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITOR
AND ITS THYROID EFFECTS
RALUCA-ALEXANDRA TRIFANESCU 1,2, OANA-GABRIELA TRIFANESCU 1,3*, ANDREI GOLDSTEIN 2, MARIANA PURICE 2, RODICA ANGHEL 1,3, CATALINA POIANA 1,2
1“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 37 Dionisie Lupu Street, Sector 1, 020022, Bucharest, Romania
2“C.I. Parhon” National Institute of Endocrinology, 34 - 38 Aviatorilor Avenue, Sector 1, 011863, Bucharest, Romania
3“Al. Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 252 Fundeni Street, Sector 2, 022328, Bucharest, Romania
*corresponding author: endoparhon@gmail.com
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Abstract:
Thyroid dysfunction occurs in 14 - 85% of patients treated with sunitinib, a multitargeted tyrosine-kinase inhibitor. Twentynine
patients (20 males/9 females) treated with sunitinib (median dose 50 mg/day, 4 weeks “on”, 2 weeks “off” treatment
regimen) for metastatic renal cell carcinoma were diagnosed with sunitinib-induced thyroid dysfunction. Thyroid function
tests (thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4 (thyroxine)) were measured by chemiluminescence. Primary hypothyroidism
was initially diagnosed in 25 patients (86.2%), while transient thyrotoxicosis occurred in 4 patients (13.8%), followed by
persistent hypothyroidism. Median duration of sunitinib treatment till diagnosis of hypothyroidism was 7 months and of
thyrotoxicosis of 6.5 months, respectively. Overt hypothyroidism (17/25 patients) prevailed over subclinical hypothyroidism
(8/25 patients), while overt thyrotoxicosis occurred similarly with subclinical thyrotoxicosis (2/4 patients). Due to high
prevalence of sunitinib-induced thyroid dysfunction, monitoring of thyroid function is recommended.

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