Genotoxic Chemotherapy in Li-Fraumeni Syndrome: Molecular Mechanisms, Clinical Consequences, and Alternative Therapeutic Strategies.
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INTRODUCTION: Li-Fraumeni syndrome is an extremely rare autosomal dominant hereditary cancer predisposition disorder that is brought about by pathogenic germline TP53 variants. Insiders are unusually susceptible to malignancies of various organ systems and may also suffer from increased toxicity to DNA, damaging cytotoxic agents as a result of defective cellular damage response pathways. This study aims to analyze the DNA-damaging effects of commonly used cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents in an LFS population, reveal the molecular pathophysiology underlying treatment, related secondary cancer development, and determine the clinical applicability of alternative non-DNA-damaging therapeutic options. METHODS: We searched PubMed and MEDLINE for studies published from 1969 up to January 2025. We focused on articles in English that discussed Li-Fraumeni patients, treatment outcomes, and the biology behind their cancer risks. Articles about non-TP53 hereditary syndromes and purely preclinical studies without clinical relevance were excluded. The narrative synthesis method brings together various types of studies (case series, cohort studies, clinical trials, molecular studies) for a clinical context that is not suitable for a systematic review methodology, thus presenting a more comprehensive picture. RESULTS: Clinical evidence reveals an increased risk of secondary malignancy in Li-Fraumeni syndrome patients, especially after radiation therapy. There is less data on the risks of chemotherapy, but both clinical observations and preclinical models indicate an increased likelihood of secondary malignancies. The size of the risk depends on the type, stage, and patient age, as well as the treatment used. Therapeutic agents such as p53 pathway modulators that do not damage DNA, precision, targeted drugs, and immune-based therapies offer both therapeutic efficacy and reduced carcinogenic exposure potential. DISCUSSION: Li-Fraumeni syndrome requires a personalized risk assessment to balance the risk of cure with the likelihood of secondary malignancies. Among all treatments, radiation therapy has shown the strongest and most consistent association with the development of subsequent cancers. On the other hand, the risks from chemotherapy, specific treatments are still not well understood because of the limitations of the methodologies used when studying rare diseases. Aggressive malignancies should be treated first and foremost with treatment efficacy in mind, and non-genotoxic treatments should be considered mainly in cases where they are equally effective as other options, especially in pediatric patients who have a longer lifetime cancer risk. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic management of Li-Fraumeni syndrome should be based on individualized riskbenefit analysis, weighing the potential for cure against the possibility of long-term risks. Treatment with radiation therapy has been more frequently and consistently linked to the development of secondary malignancies, but the treatment efficacy should usually be given priority even over chemotherapy-related theoretical concerns, particularly in cases of aggressive or life-threatening malignancies. Intensified surveillance protocols allow for earlier detection of cancer, and new non-genotoxic drugs thus far represent viable therapeutic options for certain patients and tumor types.