Recently, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) have emerged as new classes of anticancer therapies. Although generally considered less toxic than cytotoxic ...chemotherapy, these new drugs can cause significant unanticipated side effects including thyroid dysfunction. This review provides a literature assessment of thyroid dysfunctions induced by TKI and ICPIs. We intend to define for these two classes the frequency of thyroid involvement, the potential mechanisms that result in this toxicity, the clinical-biological impact and the therapeutic management. Detection of thyroid dysfunction requires monitoring of TSH, in combination with free T4 if needed and, depending on the clinical impact and the kinetics of biological abnormalities, starting symptomatic treatment of hyperthyroidism and/or correcting hypothyroidism.
Abstract
Background
Malignant pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (MPP) are characterized by prognostic heterogeneity. Our objective was to look for prognostic parameters of overall survival (OS) in ...MPP patients.
Patients and Methods
Retrospective multicenter study of MPP characterized by a neck-thoraco-abdomino-pelvic CT or MRI at the time of malignancy diagnosis in European centers between 1998 and 2010.
Results
One hundred sixty-nine patients from 18 European centers were included. Main characteristics of patients with MPP were: primary pheochromocytoma in 53% of patients; tumor- or hormone-related symptoms in 57% or 58% of cases; positive plasma or urine hormones in 81% of patients; identification of a mutation in SDHB in 42% of cases. Metastatic sites included bone (64%), lymph node (40%), lung (29%), and liver (26%); mean time between initial and malignancy diagnosis was 43 months (range, 0 to 614). Median follow-up was 68 months and median survival 6.7 years. Using univariate analysis, better survival was associated with head and neck paraganglioma, age <40 years, metanephrines less than fivefold the upper limits of the normal range, and low proliferative index. In multivariate analysis, hypersecretion hazard ratio 3.02 (1.65 to 5.55); P = 0.0004 was identified as an independent significant prognostic factor of worst OS.
Conclusions
Our results do not confirm SDHB mutations as a major prognostic parameter in MPP and suggest additional key molecular events involved in MPP tumor progression. Aside from SDHB mutation, the biology of aggressive MPP remains to be understood.
Retrospective study that identifies hormonal hypersecretion as an independent significant prognostic factor of worst overall survival, whereas SDHB mutations have no prognostic impact.
This document is a summary of the French Intergroup guidelines regarding the management of digestive neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) published in February 2020 (www.tncd.org).
All French medical ...societies involved in the management of NEN took part in this work. Recommendations were graded into four categories (A, B, C or D), according to the level of evidence found in the literature until May 2019.
The management of NEN is challenging because of their heterogeneity and the increasing complexity of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Pathological analysis is required for their diagnostic and prognostic characterization, which mainly relies on differentiation, grade and stage. The two main emergency situations are functioning syndromes and poorly-differentiated carcinoma. Chromogranin A is the main biochemical marker of NET, although of limited clinical interest. Initial characterization relies on morphological and isotopic imaging. The treatment of localized NET relies on watchful follow-up and local or surgical resection depending on its supposed aggressiveness. Treatment options for metastatic disease include surgery, somatostatin analogues, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, organ-driven locoregional therapies and peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy. As specific predictive factors of treatment efficacy are yet to be identified and head-to-head comparisons have not or only rarely been performed, the therapeutic strategy currently depends on prognostic factors. Cumulative toxicity and the impact of treatment on quality of life must be considered since survival is relatively long in most patients with NET.
These guidelines are proposed to achieve the most beneficial therapeutic strategy in clinical practice as the therapeutic landscape of NEN is becoming ever more complex. These recommendations are permanently being reviewed.
Abstract
Context
Although 24-hour urinary 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (24u5HIAA) is a key biomarker in midgut neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), it may be inaccurate and inconvenient.
Objective
We compared ...the diagnostic performances of 24u5HIAA, overnight urinary 5HIAA (Ou5HIAA), and plasmatic 5HIAA (p5HIAA) in midgut NETs.
Methods
This prospective, multicenter study included 80 patients with metastatic midgut NETs and 17 control patients with irritable bowel syndrome. 24u5HIAA, Ou5HIAA, and p5HIAA were measured in urine and plasma collected on 2 consecutive days following a specific recommended diet. Reproducibility of the biomarkers was evaluated by the Spearman test. Diagnostic performance was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Correlations with the main clinical features and declared observance to the specific diet were assessed using AUROC and logistic regression models.
Results
The reproducibility of 24u5HIAA, Ou5HIAA, and p5HIAA were excellent (ρ = 0.916; 0.897; 0.978, respectively, P < .001) with significant discrimination between patients and controls (AUROC = 0.795, P < .001; 0.757, P = .001; 0.717, P = .005, respectively). All 3 markers were correlated with the presence of carcinoid syndrome (AUROC = 0.702, P = .006; 0.701, P = .006; 0.697, P = .007, respectively), carcinoid heart disease (AUROC = 0.896; 0.887; 0.923, P < .001, respectively, P < .001), and liver metastatic involvement greater than 30% (AUROC = 0.827; 0.807; 0.849, P < .001, respectively, P < .001), independent from other traditional prognostic factors. Biomarker levels were similar between patients with optimal or suboptimal diet observance.
Conclusion
Ou5HIAA and p5HIAA could be used as more convenient alternatives to 24u5HIAA in patients with metastatic midgut NETs. Prospective long-term studies with repeated dosages are needed.
Abstract
Context
Prospective studies have demonstrated the efficacy of osilodrostat in Cushing disease. No study has evaluated osilodrostat in a series of patients with paraneoplastic Cushing ...syndrome/ectopic adrenocorticotropin syndrome (PNCS/EAS).
Objective
This work aimed to evaluate in France the real-world efficacy and safety of osilodrostat in patients with PNCS/EAS.
Methods
A total of 33 patients with PNCS/EAS with intense/severe hypercortisolism were involved in this retrospective, multicenter, real-world study. Patients received osilodrostat between May 2019 and March 2022 at a median initial dose (range) of 4 mg/day (1-60) and maximum dose, 20 mg/day (4-100), first under patient then cohort temporary authorizations and after marketing authorization. Regimens used titration (n = 6), block and replace (n = 16), or titration followed by block and replace (n = 11).
Results
In 11 patients receiving osilodrostat as first-line monotherapy, median 24-hour urinary free cortisol (24h-UFC) decreased dramatically (from 26 × upper limit of normal ULN; 2.9-659 to 0.11 × ULN 0.08-14.9; P < .001). In 9 of them, 24h-UFC normalization was achieved in 2 weeks (median). Thirteen additional patients were previously treated with classic steroidogenesis inhibitors but 10 of these 13 were not controlled. In these patients, osilodrostat monotherapy, used as second line, induced a significantly decreased of 24h-UFC (from 2.6 × ULN 1.1-144 to 0.22 × ULN 0.12-0.66; P < .01). Nine additional patients received osilodrostat in combination with another anticortisolic drug, decreasing 24h-UFC from 11.8 × ULN (0.3-247) to 0.43 × ULN (0.33-2.4) (P < .01). In parallel, major clinical symptoms/comorbidities improved dramatically with improvement in blood pressure, hyperglycemia, and hypokalemia, allowing the discontinuation or dose reduction of patient treatments. Adrenal insufficiency (grade 3-4) was reported in 8 of 33 patients.
Conclusion
Osilodrostat is a rapidly efficient therapy for PNCS/EAS with severe/intense hypercortisolism. Osilodrostat was generally well tolerated; adrenal insufficiency was the main side effect.
Background
Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) has become the standard technique for most indications. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive factors of intra- and postoperative ...complications in order to inform the orientation of patient to a surgeon with more experience in adrenal surgery.
Methods
From January 1994 to December 2013, 520 consecutive patients benefited from LA at Huriez Hospital, Lille, France. Each complication was graded according to the Dindo–Clavien-grade scale. The predictive factors of complications were determined by logistic regression.
Results
Fifty-two surgeons under the supervision of 5 senior surgeons (individual experience >30 LA) participated. Postoperative complications with a grade of ≥2 occurred in 52 (10 %) patients (29 (5.6 %) medical, 19 (3.6 %) surgical, and 4 (0.8 %) mixed complications) leading to 12 (2.3 %) reoperations. There was no postoperative death. Intraoperative complication happened in 81 (15.6 %) patients responsible for conversion to open adrenalectomy (OA) odds ratio (OR) 13.9, CI 95 % 4.74–40.77,
p
< 0.001. History of upper mesocolic or retroperitoneal surgery was predictive of intraoperative complication (OR 2.02, 1.05–3.91,
p
= 0.036). Lesion diameter ≥45 mm was predictive of intraoperative complication (OR 1.94, 1.19–3.15,
p
= 0.008), conversion to OA (OR 7.46, 2.18–25.47,
p
= 0.001), and adrenal capsular breach (OR 4.416, 1.628–11.983,
p
= 0.004). Conversion to OA was the main predictive factor of postoperative complications (OR 5.42, 1.83–16.01,
p
= 0.002). Under adequate supervision, the surgeon’s individual experience and initial adrenal disease were not considered predictive of complications.
Conclusion
Lesion diameter over 45 mm is the determinant parameter for guidance of patients to surgeons with more extensive experience.
: Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are aggressive malignant diseases. Platinum-etoposide (PE) combination is the standard first-line treatment, whatever the primary location. The NEC score and also ...retinoblastoma protein (Rb) status have been suggested to be predictive/prognostic factors in NEC.
The primary objective of our multicentric retrospective study was to evaluate the prognostic relevance of the NEC score and Rb status, assessed by immunohistochemistry in PE-treated patients with metastatic NEC.
Seven centres participated. The inclusion criteria were NEC, whatever the primary site, metastatic stage, first-line treatment with PE and tissue samples available. Rb status was determined centrally.
We report multicentric data from 185 metastatic patients (37% women, median age 63). There were 108 small-cell NECs (SCNECs, 58.4%), 50 large-cell NECs (LCNECs, 27%) and 27 not otherwise specified NECs (nosNECs, 14.6%). The primary sites were the thorax (37%), gastroenteropancreatic sites (38%), unknown (15%) and other (9%). The mean Ki-67 index was 76% (range 20–100). Rb status was interpretable in 122 cases. Rb expression was lost in 74% of the cases: 84% of SCNEC vs. 60% and 63% of LCNEC and nosNEC, respectively (p = 0.016). Objective response was seen in 70% of SCNEC, 45% of LCNEC and 48% of nosNEC (p < 0.001) and in 62% of Rb-negative tumours vs. 46% of Rb-positive tumours (p = 0.3). There was no difference in median progression-free survival or overall survival (OS) as per Rb status. Age, NEC score and response to chemotherapy were the main factors associated with OS in our cohort.
In our series, Rb status had no prognostic impact in PE-treated metastatic patients with NEC, whereas age, NEC score and response to chemotherapy were the main factors associated with OS
•Neuroendocrine carcinomas are aggressive malignant diseases with a bad prognosis.•Rb loss of expression might be a key prognostic/predictive parameter.•Multicenter data confirm the NEC score as the only prognostic factor on OS.•Rb status had no prognostic effect on OS or progression-free survival.
Abstract Purpose Patients with advanced radioactive iodine resistant differentiated (MDTC) or medullary (MMTC) thyroid cancer had an unmet need. Early data showed promising efficacy of vascular ...endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors. We investigated sunitinib in this setting. Patients and methods This phase 2 trial enrolled MDTC, anaplastic (MATC) and MMTC patients in 1st line anti-angiogenic therapy with sunitinib at 50 mg/d, 4/6w. Objective response rate was the primary end-point. Secondary end-points were progression-free survival, overall survival and safety. Results Seventy-one patients were enrolled from August 2007 to October 2009, 41 MDTC/4 MATC patients and 26 MMTC patients. Patients received a median of 8 and 9 cycles, respectively. In the MDTC/MATC group, 13% of patients and 43% of cycles and in the MMTC group, 23% of the patients and 48.8% of cycles remained at 50 mg/d, respectively. The primary end-point was reached with an objective response rate of 22% (95% CI: 10.6–37.6) in MDTC patients and in 38.5% (95% CI: 22.6–56.4) in MMTC patients. No objective response was seen in MATC patients. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 13.1 and 26.4 months in MDTC patients, 16.5 and 29.4 months in MMTC patients. The most frequent side effects were asthenia/fatigue (27.8% ≥ grade 3), mucosal (9.9% ≥ grade 3), cutaneous toxicities, hand-foot syndrome (18.3% ≥ grade 3). Of all, 14.1% had a cardiac event. Nine unexpected side effects were reported, out of which, five induced deaths. Conclusion Sunitinib is active in MDTC and MMTC patients. Side effects were more severe than with previous reports. If using sunitinib, alternative schedule/dosage should be considered.
Background
Adult‐ and adolescent‐onset neuroblastomas are rare, with no established therapy. In addition, rare pheochromocytomas may harbor neuroblastic components. This study was designed to collect ...epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic data in order to better define the characteristics of malignant peripheral neuroblastic tumors (MPNT) and composite pheochromocytomas (CP) with MPNT.
Procedure
Fifty‐nine adults and adolescents (aged over 15 years) diagnosed with a peripheral or composite neuroblastic tumor, who were treated in one of 17 institutions between 2000 and 2020, were retrospectively studied.
Results
Eighteen patients with neuroblastoma (NB) or ganglioneuroblastoma (GNB) had locoregional disease, and 28 patients had metastatic stage 4 NB. Among the 13 patients with CP, 12 had locoregional disease. Fifty‐eight percent of the population were adolescents and young adults under 24 years of age. The probability of 5‐year event‐free survival (EFS) was 40% (confidence interval: 27%–53%).
Conclusions
Outcomes were better for patients with localized tumor than for patients with metastases. For patients with localized tumor, in terms of survival, surgical treatment was the best therapeutic option. Multimodal treatment with chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy‐based maintenance allowed long‐term survival for some patients. Adolescent‐ and adult‐onset neuroblastoma appeared to have specific characteristics associated with poorer outcomes compared to pediatric neuroblastoma. Nevertheless, complete disease control improved survival. The presence of a neuroblastic component in pheochromocytoma should be considered when making therapeutic management decisions. The development of specific tools/resources (Tumor Referral Board, Registry, biology, and trials with new agents or strategies) may help to improve outcomes for patients.
Purpose
Bone metastases (BM) from differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) impact negatively the quality of life and the life expectancy of patients. The aim of the study was (a) to evaluate the ...overall survival (OS) and prognostic factors of OS and (b) to assess predictive factors of complete BM response (C-BM-R) using radioiodine treatment (RAI) either alone or in association with focal treatment modalities.
Methods
A total of 178 consecutive DTC patients harbouring BM, treated between 1989 and 2015, were enrolled in this retrospective study conducted in two tertiary referral centers. OS analysis was performed for the whole cohort, and only the 145 considered non-RAI refractory patients at BM diagnosis were evaluated for C-BM-R following RAI.
Results
The median OS from BM diagnosis was 57 months (IQR: 24–93). In multivariate analysis, OS was significantly reduced in the case of T4 stage,
18
FDG uptake by the BM and RAI refractory status. Among the 145 DTC considered non-RAI refractory patients at BM diagnosis, 46 patients (31.7%) achieved a C-BM-R following RAI treatment, either alone in 32 (18%) patients or in association with focal BM treatment modalities in 14. The absence of extra-skeletal distant metastasis and of
18
FDG uptake in BM were predictive for C-BM-R.
Conclusions
In nearly one-third of DTC patients with RAI avid BM, RAI alone or in combination with BM focal treatment can induce C-BM-R. The presence of
18
FDG uptake in BM is associated with an absence of C-BM-R and with a poor OS.
18
FDG PET-CT should be performed when BM is suspected.