Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapies – OncWonk – Dr Bier’s Oncology Research Reviews

Differential impact of proton pump inhibitors and antibiotics on immunotherapy efficacy after chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a post-hoc analysis of the PACIFIC trial

July 10, 2026

| Cancers, Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapies

Comment: There is a pervasive habit in oncology of treating supportive care medications as biologically inert. However, outside of the cancer clinic, the epidemiological data is already glaringly clear: proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are not benign. Chronic PPI use is definitively linked to increased risks of chronic kidney disease, major adverse cardiovascular events, and elevated […]

Vitamin D supplementation increases objective response rate and prolongs progression-free time in patients with advanced melanoma undergoing anti-PD-1 therapy

February 3, 2026

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| Cancer - Melanoma, Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapies

Comment: The clinical management of advanced melanoma has been transformed by the arrival of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, yet we frequently observe a frustrating divergence in response among patients receiving the same conventional standard-of-care. This observational cohort study of 200 patients identifies a critical metabolic requirement that likely dictates the success of these conventional treatments: serum vitamin […]

The Intriguing Thyroid Hormones-Lung Cancer Association as Exemplification of the Thyroid Hormones-Cancer Association: Three Decades of Evolving Research

November 1, 2025

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| Cancers, Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapies, Medications - General Pharmaceuticals

Comment: This is a fascinating review of a complex topic. The key clinical pearl here is the paradoxical finding that treatment-induced hypothyroidism (from TKIs/ICPis) often correlates with a favorable prognosis. It underscores the need to closely monitor thyroid function in these patients—not just as a side effect to be managed, but as a potential prognostic […]

Sucralose consumption ablates cancer immunotherapy response through microbiome disruption.

September 28, 2025

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| Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapies, Nutrition

Comment: Interesting mechanism regarding the depletion of arginine, and restoration of function with arginine or citrulline supplementation. Does that indicate that supplementing with those would benefit people on immunotherapy regardless – there is data to support that it does, see here. Summary: Sucralose Consumption Ablates Cancer Immunotherapy Response Through Microbiome Disruption Clinical Bottom Line This […]