Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a rare condition due to the presence of gas within the bowel wall; it is mainly caused by endoscopic procedures, infections and other gastrointestinal diseases. Oncological therapies have been reported to be a cause of PI as well, but their role is not clearly defined. This systematic review investigates the concurrency of PI and antitumor therapy in cancer patients, considering both solid tumors and onco-hematological ones. We performed a literature review of PubMed, Embase and the Web of Science up to September 2021 according to the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 62 papers reporting 88 different episodes were included. PI was mainly reported with targeted therapies (sunitinib and bevacizumab above all) within the first 12 weeks of treatment. This adverse event mostly occurred in the metastatic setting, but in 10 cases, it also occurred also in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting. PI was mostly localized in the large intestine, being fatal in 11 cases, while in the remaining cases, symptoms were usually mild, or even absent. A significant risk of PI reoccurrence after drug reintroduction was also reported (6/18 patients), with no fatal outcomes. Potential pharmacological mechanisms underlying PI pathogenesis are also discussed. In conclusion, although uncommonly, PI can occur during oncological therapies and may lead to life-threatening complications; therefore, consideration of its occurrence among other adverse events is warranted in the presence of clinical suspicion.

Immunocytokines are an emerging class of antibody-cytokine fusion proteins combining the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the potent immunostimulatory effects of cytokines, potentially enhancing the anti-tumor immune response while reducing systemic toxicity. We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. We performed a comprehensive literature search using PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. The search strategy included the terms "immunocytokine", "cytokine", "tumor", and "cancer". Filters were applied to retrieve only peer-reviewed articles and clinical trials. 25 publications were retrieved: 15 were Phase I studies; 2 Phase I/II, and 8 Phase II. Regarding ongoing clinical trials, 62 studies were included: 30 were Phase I studies, 2 Phase III, and the remaining 30 were either Phase II (n = 13) or Phase I/II (n = 17). In 50/62 trials, the primary and co-primary outcomes included safety measures, such as adverse effects, dose-limiting toxicities, and maximum tolerated dose. In both studies from literature and ongoing clinical trials, the most common target was extra-domain B (EDB) of fibronectin, and the most investigated type of cancer was melanoma. While all published studies focused on solid tumors, several ongoing trials include hematologic malignancies. Research interest in immunocytokines as a potential cancer treatment is increasing, although only limited data are currently available. Several trials, mainly in the early phase, are ongoing, paving the way for a possible broader clinical application of this class of immunotherapeutics.