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Sample records for progressive metastatic neuroendocrine

  1. Hepatic Arterial Chemoembolization Using Drug-Eluting Beads in Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumor Metastatic to the Liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaur, Shantanu K.; Friese, Jeremy L.; Sadow, Cheryl A.; Ayyagari, Rajasekhara; Binkert, Christoph A.; Schenker, Matthew P.; Kulke, Matthew; Baum, Richard

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate short ( 3 months) follow-up in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumor to the liver who underwent hepatic arterial chemoembolization with drug-eluting beads at a single institution. Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained for this retrospective review. All patients who were treated with 100–300 or 300–500 μm drug-eluting LC Beads (Biocompatibles, UK) preloaded with doxorubicin (range, 50–100 mg) for GI neuroendocrine tumor metastatic to the liver from June 2004 to June 2009 were included. CT and MRI were evaluated for progression using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) or European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria. Short-term ( 3 months) imaging response was determined and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were plotted. Results: Thirty-eight drug-eluting bead chemoembolization procedures were performed on 32 hepatic lobes, comprising 21 treatment cycles in 18 patients. All procedures were technically successful with two major complications (biliary injuries). At short-term follow-up (<3 months), 22 of 38 (58%) procedures and 10 of 21 (48%) treatment cycles produced an objective response (OR) with the remainder having stable disease (SD). At intermediate-term follow-up (mean, 445 days; range, 163–1247), 17 of 26 (65%) procedures and 8 of 14 (57%) treatment cycles produced an OR. Probability of progressing was approximately 52% at 1 year with a median time to progression of 419 days. Conclusions: Drug-eluting bead chemoembolization is a reasonable alternative to hepatic arterial embolization and chemoembolization for the treatment of metastatic neuroendocrine tumor to the liver.

  2. Veliparib, Capecitabine, and Temozolomide in Patients With Advanced, Metastatic, and Recurrent Neuroendocrine Tumor

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-26

    Functional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor; Malignant Somatostatinoma; Merkel Cell Carcinoma; Metastatic Adrenal Gland Pheochromocytoma; Metastatic Carcinoid Tumor; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2A; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2B; Neuroendocrine Neoplasm; Non-Functional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor; Pancreatic Glucagonoma; Pancreatic Insulinoma; Recurrent Adrenal Cortex Carcinoma; Recurrent Adrenal Gland Pheochromocytoma; Recurrent Merkel Cell Carcinoma; Somatostatin-Producing Neuroendocrine Tumor; Stage III Adrenal Cortex Carcinoma; Stage III Thyroid Gland Medullary Carcinoma; Stage IIIA Merkel Cell Carcinoma; Stage IIIB Merkel Cell Carcinoma; Stage IV Adrenal Cortex Carcinoma; Stage IV Merkel Cell Carcinoma; Stage IVA Thyroid Gland Medullary Carcinoma; Stage IVB Thyroid Gland Medullary Carcinoma; Stage IVC Thyroid Gland Medullary Carcinoma; Thymic Carcinoid Tumor; VIP-Producing Neuroendocrine Tumor; Well Differentiated Adrenal Cortex Carcinoma; Zollinger Ellison Syndrome

  3. Metastatic Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Breast Identified by Tc-99m-HYNIC-TOC SPECT/CT: A Rare Case Report.

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    Claimon, Apichaya; Chuthapisith, Suebwong; Samarnthai, Norasate; Pusuwan, Pawana

    2015-08-01

    The authors reported an uncommon presentation of metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma to the breast detected by Tc-99m-HYNIC-TOC SPECT/CT in a 49 years old woman who, previously, had carcinoid tumor of left main bronchus and invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast. Later, the patient developed left breast mass. Core needle biopsy of the mass revealed poorly differentiated invasive ductal carcinoma. The disease remained stable for 12 years without any treatment on that left breast (due to patient's rejection). On the later investigation using Tc-99m-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy examination, rather than invasive ductal carcinoma, metastatic neuroendocrine cancer was suggested. The final diagnosis was confirmed by pathological examination after surgical excision. Multiple metastatic lesions of neuroendocrine carcinoma at lung, liver, ovaries, and bones were also depicted. Due to the good behavior of the disease, patient had been doing well for eight months, without specific treatment. This report confirmed the advantage and the accuracy of Tc-99m-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy in detection of neuroendocrine carcinoma. Furthermore, metastatic neuroendocrine tumor should be in differential diagnosis for patient with breast mass together with history of neuroendocrine tumor

  4. Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Rectum Presenting with Extensive Metastatic Disease

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    Vinay Minocha

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Rectal large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC is a poorly differentiated neoplasm that is very rare and belongs within the poorest prognostic subgroup among primary colorectal neoplasms. Here, we describe a case of LCNEC of the rectum, which highlights the aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis associated with this disease. Case Presentation. We report a case of a 63-year-old male who presented to our hospital with a one-month history of lower abdominal pain, constipation, and weight loss. A computed tomography (CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis revealed a rectal mass as well as metastatic disease of the liver and lung. Flexible sigmoidoscopy revealed a fungating, ulcerated and partially obstructing rectal mass located 6 cm from the anal verge. This mass was biopsied and pathological examination of the resected specimen revealed features consistent with a large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Conclusion. Rectal large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas are rare and have a significantly worse prognosis than adenocarcinomas. At diagnosis, a higher stage and metastatic disease are likely to be found. It is important to differentiate large cell, poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas from adenocarcinomas of the colon and rectum pathologically because patients may benefit from alternative cytotoxic chemotherapeutic regimens.

  5. A Unique Case of Diffuse Metastatic Neuroendocrine Cancer with Subcutaneous Nodules on 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computer Assisted Tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnston, Mickaila J.; Sachedina, Archana; McDonald, James E.

    2015-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) account for 8–10% of cases of carcinomas of unknown primary. Most of these cases are poorly differentiated with metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. However, cutaneous metastatic presentation is rare. We present an interesting case of a 74-year-old woman presenting with cutaneous metastatic involvement from high grade poorly differentiated NET of unknown origin. She was referred to us with a diagnosis of lymphoma. 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computer assisted tomography imaging at our institution offered a differential diagnosis, including neuroendocrine cancer. Repeat skin lesion biopsy demonstrated “non-Merkel cell” carcinoma, favoring metastatic high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma

  6. Transcription Factor NFIB Is a Driver of Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression in Mice and Marks Metastatic Disease in Patients

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    Ekaterina A. Semenova

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Small cell lung cancer (SCLC is an aggressive neuroendocrine tumor, and no effective treatment is available to date. Mouse models of SCLC based on the inactivation of Rb1 and Trp53 show frequent amplifications of the Nfib and Mycl genes. Here, we report that, although overexpression of either transcription factor accelerates tumor growth, NFIB specifically promotes metastatic spread. High NFIB levels are associated with expansive growth of a poorly differentiated and almost exclusively E-cadherin (CDH1-negative invasive tumor cell population. Consistent with the mouse data, we find that NFIB is overexpressed in almost all tested human metastatic high-grade neuroendocrine lung tumors, warranting further assessment of NFIB as a tumor progression marker in a clinical setting.

  7. Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Focus on Liver Metastatic Lesions

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    Limouris, Georgios S., E-mail: nucleard@aretaieio.uoa.gr [Athens University Medical Faculty, Nuclear Medicine Division, Radiology Department, Aretaieion University Hospital, Athens (Greece)

    2012-02-28

    Transhepatic radionuclide infusion has been introduced as a new treatment approach for unresectable liver neuroendocrine metastatic lesions with the prerequisite of a positive In-111 Pentetreotide (Octreoscan). Patients with multiple liver neuroendocrine metastases can be locally treated after selective hepatic artery catheterization and infusion of radiolabeled somatostatin analogs, and in case of extra-hepatic secondary spread, after simple i.v. application. According to the world wide references, the average dose per session to each patient is 6.3 ± 0.3 GBq (∼160–180 mCi) of In-111-DTPA-Phe1-Pentetreotide, 10- to 12-fold in total, administered monthly or of 4.1 ± 0.2 GBq (∼105–116 mCi) of Y-90 DOTA TOC, threefold in total, or of 7.0 ± 0.4 GBq (∼178–200 mCi) of Lu-177 DOTA TATE, fourfold to sixfold in total (the choice of which being based on the tumor size, assessed by CT or MRI). Follow-up at monthly intervals has to be performed by means of ultrasonography (US). Treatment response has to be assessed according to the WHO criteria (RECIST or SWOG).

  8. Therapy of metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs). Recent insights and advances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Tetsuhide; Igarashi, Hisato; Jensen, R.T.

    2012-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) [carcinoids, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs)] are becoming an increasing clinical problem because not only are they increasing in frequency, but they can frequently present with advanced disease that requires diagnostic and treatment approaches different from those used in the neoplasms that most physicians are used to seeing and treating. In the past few years there have been numerous advances in all aspects of NETs including: an understanding of their unique pathogenesis; specific classification systems developed which have prognostic value; novel methods of tumor localization developed; and novel treatment approaches described. In patients with advanced metastatic disease these include the use of newer chemotherapeutic approaches, an increased understanding of the role of surgery and cytoreductive methods, the development of methods for targeted delivery of cytotoxic agents, and the development of targeted medical therapies (everolimus, sunitinib) based on an increased understanding of the disease biology. Although pNETs and gastrointestinal NETs share many features, recent studies show they differ in pathogenesis and in many aspects of diagnosis and treatment, including their responsiveness to different therapies. Because of limited space, this review will be limited to the advances made in the management and treatment of patients with advanced metastatic pNETs over the past 5 years. (author)

  9. Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma versus Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor in von Hippel-Lindau Disease: Treatment with Interleukin-2

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    Christopher Williams

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Differentiating between clear cell neuroendocrine tumor (NET of the pancreas and renal cell carcinoma (RCC metastatic to the pancreas can be challenging in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL. The clear cell features of both NET and RCC in VHL patients may lead to misdiagnosis, inaccurate staging, and alternative treatment. We present a patient in which this occurred. As clear cell NETs closely resembling metastatic RCC are distinctive neoplasms of VHL and metastatic RCC to the pancreas in the VHL population is rare, careful pathologic examination should be performed prior to subjecting patients to definitive surgical or medical therapies.

  10. Resolution of Hepatic Encephalopathy Following Hepatic Artery Embolization in a Patient with Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumor Metastatic to the Liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erinjeri, Joseph P.; Deodhar, Ajita; Thornton, Raymond H.; Allen, Peter J.; Getrajdman, George I.; Brown, Karen T.; Sofocleous, Constantinos T.; Reidy, Diane L.

    2010-01-01

    Hepatic encephalopathy is considered a contraindication to hepatic artery embolization. We describe a patient with a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor metastatic to the liver with refractory hepatic encephalopathy and normal liver function tests. The encephalopathy was refractory to standard medical therapy with lactulose. The patient's mental status returned to baseline after three hepatic artery embolization procedures. Arteriography and ultrasound imaging before and after embolization suggest that the encephalopathy was due to arterioportal shunting causing hepatofugal portal venous flow and portosystemic shunting. In patients with a primary or metastatic well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor whose refractory hepatic encephalopathy is due to portosystemic shunting (rather than global hepatic dysfunction secondary to tumor burden), hepatic artery embolization can be performed safely and effectively.

  11. Budget impact of somatostatin analogs as treatment for metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in US hospitals

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    Ortendahl JD

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Jesse D Ortendahl,1 Sonia J Pulgar,2 Beloo Mirakhur,3 David Cox,3 Tanya GK Bentley,1 Alexandria T Phan4 1Health Economics, Partnership for Health, LLC, Beverly Hills, CA, USA; 2Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Basking Ridge, NJ, USA; 3Medical Affairs, Oncology, Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Basking Ridge, NJ, USA; 4GI Medical Oncology, University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA Objective: With the introduction of new therapies, hospitals have to plan spending limited resources in a cost-effective manner. To assist in identifying the optimal treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, budget impact modeling was used to estimate the financial implications of adoption and diffusion of somatostatin analogs (SSAs. Patients and methods: A hypothetical cohort of 500 gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients was assessed in an economic model, with the proportion with metastatic disease treated with an SSA estimated using published data. Drug acquisition, preparation, and administration costs were based on national pricing databases and published literature. Octreotide dosing was based on published estimates of real-world data, whereas for lanreotide, real-world dosing was unavailable and we therefore used the highest indicated dosing. Alternative scenarios reflecting the proportion of patients receiving lanreotide or octreotide were considered to estimate the incremental budget impact to the hospital. Results: In the base case, 313 of the initial 500 gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients were treated with an SSA. The model-predicted per-patient cost was US$83,473 for lanreotide and US$89,673 for octreotide. With a hypothetical increase in lanreotide utilization from 5% to 30% of this population, the annual model-projected hospital costs decreased by US$488,615. When varying the inputs in one-way sensitivity

  12. Long-term outcomes of {sup 131}Iodine mIBG therapy in metastatic gastrointestinal pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours: single administration predicts non-responders

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    Mulholland, Nicola; Chakravartty, Riddhika; Devlin, Lindsey; Kalogianni, Eleni; Corcoran, Ben; Vivian, Gillian [King' s College Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, London (United Kingdom)

    2015-12-15

    {sup 131}Iodine (I131)-metaiodobenzylguanidine (mIBG) is a radionuclide-based treatment option for metastatic gastrointestinal-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP NET). This study aimed at identifying prognostic indicators of long-term outcome based on initial evaluation following a first mIBG treatment (7400 MBq) in a patient cohort with such tumours, with a secondary aim of evaluating progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) following mIBG therapy. Retrospective review of the hospital records was performed to identify a cohort of 38 adult patients who underwent {sup 131}Iodine-mIBG therapy over a 9-year period for metastatic GEP NETs and neuroendocrine tumours with an unknown primary. Treatment response was evaluated based on radiological criteria (RECIST1.1), biochemical markers [serum Chromogranin A (CgA)/urinary 5HIAA] and symptomatic response at clinical follow-up, all evaluated at 3-6 months from first mIBG treatment. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from the first mIBG treatment were recorded. At 3-6 months following a single mIBG therapy, 75 %, 67 %, and 63 % of patients showed either a partial response (PR) or stable disease (SD) on radiological, biochemical, and symptomatic criteria, respectively. Complete response (CR) was not seen in any patient. OS from the date of diagnosis and from the first therapy was 8 years +/-1.1 (95 % CI 5.7 to 10.2 years) and 4 years+/-0.69 (95 % CI 2.6-5.3 years), respectively. Twenty-nine percent of patients were alive at 10 years. Significant survival advantage was seen in patients with SD/PR as compared to those who had progressive disease (PD) for each of these three criteria. Biochemical, radiological (RECIST 1.1) and symptomatic assessment of disease status at 3 to 6 months after first I131-mIBG therapy stratifies patients with a poor prognosis. This can be used to identify patients who may benefit from alternative strategies of treatment. (orig.)

  13. Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors in Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tonelli, Francesco; Giudici, Francesco; Giusti, Francesca; Brandi, Maria Luisa

    2012-01-01

    We reviewed the literature about entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 syndrome (MEN1) to clarify their demographic features, localization imaging, practice, and appropriate therapeutical strategies, analyzing the current approach to entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in MEN1. Despite the fact that hyperparathyroidism is usually the first manifestation of MEN1, the penetrance of these tumors is similar. They are characterized by multiplicity of lesions, variable expression of the tumors, and propensity for malignant degeneration. Both the histological type and the size of MEN1 neuroendocrine tumors correlate with malignancy. Monitoring of pancreatic peptides and use of imaging exams allow early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment, resulting in prevention of metastatic disease and improvement of long-term survival. Surgery is often the treatment of choice for MEN1-neuroendocrine tumors. The rationale for surgical approach is to curtail malignant progression of the disease, and to cure the associated biochemical syndrome, should it be present

  14. Bevacizumab plus octreotide and metronomic capecitabine in patients with metastatic well-to-moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumors: the xelbevoct study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berruti, Alfredo; D’Avolio, Antonio; Priola, Adriano Massimiliano; Birocco, Nadia; Amoroso, Vito; Biasco, Guido; Papotti, Mauro; Dogliotti, Luigi; Fazio, Nicola; Ferrero, Anna; Brizzi, Maria Pia; Volante, Marco; Nobili, Elisabetta; Tozzi, Lucia; Bodei, Lisa; Torta, Mirella

    2014-01-01

    We assessed the activity and toxicity of the XELBEVOCT regimen in patients with metastatic well-to-moderately differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms (WMD-NEN). Ancillary studies evaluated hypertension, proteinuria, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphisms in predicting progression-free survival (PFS) and the predictive role of serum vitamin D in progression-free survival and proteinuria onset. This prospective phase 2 study included 45 patients with WMD-NEN arising from various primary sites. The treatment regimen was octreotide long-acting release (LAR), 20 mg monthly, metronomic capecitabine, 2000 mg/daily, and intravenous bevacizumab, 5 mg/kg every 2 weeks, without interruption for 9 months. Bevacizumab was continued until disease progression. Partial response was obtained in 8 patients (17.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.4%-28.2%); tumor response was more frequent in pancreatic than in non-pancreatic malignancies. The median PFS was 14.9 months; median overall survival was not attained. Biochemical and symptomatic responses were observed in 52.9% and 82.3% of cases, respectively. The treatment was well tolerated. Grade 3 toxicities included hand and foot syndrome (11.1%), proteinuria (4.4%), and renal toxicity (2.2%). Proteinuria (all grades) was correlated with longer PFS (p = 0.017). There was an inverse relationship between proteinuria and vitamin D levels. VEGF polymorphisms were not associated with patient outcome. The XELBEVOCT regimen is active and well tolerated in patients with metastatic WMD-NEN. Proteinuria correlated with hypovitaminosis D status and was the best predictive factor of treatment efficacy. Trial registration number http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01203306?term

  15. Treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate cancer resulting in Cushing's syndrome.

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    Ramalingam, Sundhar; Eisenberg, Adva; Foo, Wen Chi; Freedman, Jennifer; Armstrong, Andrew J; Moss, Larry G; Harrison, Michael R

    2016-12-01

    Here we present, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of a paraneoplastic Cushing's syndrome (hypercortisolism) resulting from treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate cancer - a highly aggressive and difficult disease to treat. A 51-year-old man was started on androgen deprivation therapy after presenting with metastatic prostate cancer, characterized by diffuse osseous metastasis. Shortly thereafter, he developed progressive disease with biopsy proven neuroendocrine prostate cancer as well as symptoms of increased skin pigmentation, hypokalemia, hypertension, hyperglycemia and profound weakness, consistent with ectopic Cushing's syndrome. Molecular analysis of the patient's tumor through RNA sequencing showed high expression of several genes including CHGA, ASCL1, CALCA, HES6, PCSK1, CALCB and INSM1 confirming his neuroendocrine phenotype; elevated POMC expression was found, supporting the diagnosis of ectopic Cushing's syndrome. © 2016 The Japanese Urological Association.

  16. Liver transplantation for metastatic neuroendocrine tumor: A case report and review of the literature

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Wojciech C Blonski; K Rajender Reddy; Abraham Shaked; Evan Siegelman; David C Metz

    2005-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors are divided into gastrointestinal carcinoids and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. The WHO has updated the classification of these lesions and has abandoned the term "carcinoid". Both types of tumors are divided into functional and non-functional tumors. They are characterized by slow growth and frequent metastasis to the liver and may be limited to the liver for long periods. The therapeutic approach to hepatic metastases should consider the number and distribution of the liver metastases as well as the severity of symptoms related to hormone production and tumor bulk. Surgery is generally considered as the first line therapy. In patients with unresectable liver metastases,alternative treatments are dependent on the type and the growth rate. Initial treatments consist of long acting somatostatin analogs and/or interferon. Streptozocinbased chemotherapy is usually reserved for symptomatic patients with rapidly advancing disease, but generally the therapy is poorly tolerated and its effects are short-lived.Locoregional therapy directed such as hepatic-artery embolization and chemoembolization, radiofrequency thermal ablation and cryosurgery, is often used instead of systemic therapy, if the disease is limited to the liver.However, liver transplantation should be considered in patients with neuroendocrine metastases to the liver that are not accessible to curative or cytoreductive surgery and if medical or locoregional treatment has failed and if there are life threatening hormonal symptoms. We report a case of liver transplantation for metastatic neuroendocrine tumor of unknown primary source and provide a detailed review of the world literature on this controversial topic.

  17. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in the Treatment of Patients with Neuroendocrine Neoplasia.

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    Weber, Matthias M; Fottner, Christian

    2018-01-01

    Well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are usually controlled by antiproliferative, local ablative and/or radionuclide therapies, whereas poorly differentiated NENs generally require cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, treatment options for patients with advanced/metastatic high-grade NENs remain limited. Review of the literature and international congress abstracts on the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy by checkpoint inhibition in advanced/metastatic NENs. Evidence points to an important role of immune phenomena in the pathogenesis and treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) protein and its ligand are mainly expressed in poorly differentiated NENs. Microsatellite instability and high mutational load are more pronounced in high-grade NENs and may predict response to immunotherapy. Clinical experience of immune checkpoint blockade mainly exists for Merkel cell carcinoma, a high-grade cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), which has led to approval of the anti-PD-1 antibody avelumab. In addition, there is anecdotal evidence for the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors in large-cell lung NECs, ovarian NECs and others, including gastroenteropancreatic NENs. Currently, phase II studies investigate PDR001, pembrolizumab, combined durvalumab and tremelimumab, and avelumab treatment in patients with advanced/metastatic NENs. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a promising therapeutic option, especially in progressive NECs or high-grade NETs with high tumor burden, microsatellite instability, and/or mutational load. © 2018 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

  18. A case of insulin and ACTH co-secretion by a neuroendocrine tumour.

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    Solomou, S; Khan, R; Propper, D; Berney, D; Druce, M

    2014-01-01

    A 33-year-old male was diagnosed with a metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma of uncertain primary. He defaulted from follow-up without therapy and some months later developed episodic severe hypoglycaemia, which was found to be associated with inappropriately elevated insulin and C-peptide levels. It was considered likely that the neuroendocrine tumour was the source of the insulin secretion. Diazoxide and somatostatin analogue were used to control hypoglycaemia. Much later in the course of the disease, he developed metabolic derangement, increased skin pigmentation and psychological disturbance, without frankly Cushingoid physical findings. Investigations revealed highly elevated cortisol levels (the levels having previously been normal) with markedly raised ACTH levels, consistent with the co-secretion of ACTH and insulin by the tumour. Treatment with metyrapone improved his psychological state and electrolyte imbalance. Unfortunately, despite several cycles of first-, second- and third-line chemotherapy from the start of the first hormonal presentation onwards, imaging revealed widespread progressive metastatic disease and the patient eventually passed away. This case highlights the importance of keeping in mind the biochemical heterogeneity of endocrine tumours during their treatment. The clinical presentation of insulin-secreting tumours includes symptoms of neuroglycopaenia and sympathetic overstimulation.Tumour-associated hypoglycaemia can be due to pancreatic insulinomas, and although ectopic hormone production occurs in a number of tumours, ectopic secretion of insulin is rare.A possible switch in the type of hormone produced can occur during the growth and progression of neuroendocrine tumours and, when treating neuroendocrine tumours, it is important to keep in mind their biochemical heterogeneity.

  19. Esophageal Large-Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma with Inconsistent Response to Treatment in the Primary and Metastatic Lesions

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    Takashi Tomiyama

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Esophageal large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC is a rare malignant tumor that is characterized by high-grade malignancy and a poor prognosis. However, the rarity of esophageal NEC has prevented the development of an established treatment, and no reports have described a discrepancy in the effectiveness of cisplatin plus irinotecan between primary and metastatic lesions. A 43-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital with refractory epigastralgia. A previous gastrointestinal endoscopy had revealed a 50-mm type 2 tumor in the abdominal esophagus. The pathological findings indicated poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a metastatic liver tumor. One cycle of fluorouracil and cisplatin was not effective, and endoscopy was repeatedly performed. The pathological findings indicated a large-cell malignant tumor with tumor cells that were positive for CD56, synaptophysin, and Ki-67 (> 80%. Based on a diagnosis of esophageal large-cell NEC with a metastatic liver tumor, the patient received cisplatin plus irinotecan biweekly. After 4 months, computed tomography revealed marked shrinkage of the metastatic tumor, but the patient complained of dysphagia. Endoscopy revealed enlargement of the primary tumor, which was then treated using radiotherapy plus fluorouracil and cisplatin. The primary tumor subsequently shrank, and the patient’s symptoms were relieved, but the metastatic tumor grew. Thus, chemoradiotherapy could be an option for managing a primary esophageal large-cell NEC that does not respond to chemotherapy alone. However, the possibility of an inconsistent response to therapy in primary and metastatic lesions should be considered.

  20. Breast Carcinoma With Unrecognized Neuroendocrine Differentiation Metastasizing to the Pancreas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Lene Svendstrup; Mortensen, Michael Bau; Detlefsen, Sönke

    2016-01-01

    , a second panel revealed positivity for estrogen receptors and GATA3. On review of the lumpectomy specimen, a significant neuroendocrine component was found, leading to the final diagnosis of breast carcinoma with neuroendocrine features metastasizing to the pancreas. Neuroendocrine markers...... are not routinely analyzed in breast tumors. Hence, metastases from breast carcinomas with unrecognized neuroendocrine features may lead to false diagnoses of primary neuroendocrine tumors at different metastatic sites, such as the pancreas....

  1. Association between time to disease progression end points and overall survival in patients with neuroendocrine tumors

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    Singh S

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Simron Singh,1 Xufang Wang,2 Calvin HL Law1 1Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Center, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Novartis Oncology, Florham Park, NJ, USA Abstract: Overall survival can be difficult to determine for slowly progressing malignancies, such as neuroendocrine tumors. We investigated whether time to disease progression is positively associated with overall survival in patients with such tumors. A literature review identified 22 clinical trials in patients with neuroendocrine tumors that reported survival probabilities for both time to disease progression (progression-free survival and time to progression and overall survival. Associations between median time to disease progression and median overall survival and between treatment effects on time to disease progression and treatment effects on overall survival were analyzed using weighted least-squares regression. Median time to disease progression was significantly associated with median overall survival (coefficient 0.595; P=0.022. In the seven randomized studies identified, the risk reduction for time to disease progression was positively associated with the risk reduction for overall survival (coefficient on −ln[HR] 0.151; 95% confidence interval −0.843, 1.145; P=0.713. The significant association between median time to disease progression and median overall survival supports the assertion that time to disease progression is an alternative end point to overall survival in patients with neuroendocrine tumors. An apparent albeit not significant trend correlates treatment effects on time to disease progression and treatment effects on overall survival. Informal surveys of physicians’ perceptions are consistent with these concepts, although additional randomized trials are needed. Keywords: neuroendocrine tumors, progression-free survival, disease progression, mortality

  2. A clinical and radiological objective tumor response with somatostatin analogs (SSA in well-differentiated neuroendocrine metastatic tumor of the ileum: a case report

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    De Divitiis C

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Chiara De Divitiis,1 Claudia von Arx,2 Roberto Carbone,3 Fabiana Tatangelo,4 Elena di Girolamo,5 Giovanni Maria Romano,1 Alessandro Ottaiano,1 Elisabetta de Lutio di Castelguidone,3 Rosario Vincenzo Iaffaioli,1 Salvatore Tafuto1 On behalf of the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS Center of Excellence Multidisciplinary Group for Neuroendocrine Tumors in Naples (Italy 1Department of Abdominal Oncology, National Cancer Institute “Fondazione G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy; 2Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, “Federico II” University, Naples, Italy; 3Department of Radiology, 4Department of Pathology, 5Department of Endoscopy, National Cancer Institute “Fondazione G Pascale”, Naples, Italy Abstract: Somatostatin analogs (SSAs are typically used to treat the symptoms caused by neuroendocrine tumors (NETs, but they are not used as the primary treatment to induce tumor shrinkage. We report a case of a 63-year-old woman with a symptomatic metastatic NET of the ileum. Complete symptomatic response was achieved after 1 month of treatment with SSAs. In addition, there was an objective response in the liver, with the disappearance of secondary lesions noted on computed tomography scan after 3 months of octreotide treatment. Our experience suggests that SSAs could be useful for downstaging and/or downsizing well-differentiated NETs, and they could allow surgery to be performed. Such presurgery therapy could be a promising tool in the management of patients with initially inoperable NETs. Keywords: neuroendocrine tumor, somatostatin analogs, octreotide, metastatic tumor of the ileum, radiological tumor response

  3. Metastatic neuroendocrine tumor with initial presentation of orbital apex syndrome

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    Yen-Yu Huang

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The possible etiologies of orbital apex syndrome range from inflammatory, infectious, neoplastic, iatrogenic/traumatic, to vascular processes. In patients without obvious infection or systemic cancer history, judicious use of corticosteroids is a reasonable strategy. We describe a 64-year-old man who presented with orbital apex syndrome and had progressed to total visual loss in three days after admission. Radiological imaging and pathological studies were consistent with a neuroendocrine tumor with multiple metastases. We recommend that a biopsy-proven specimen is warranted in patient with orbital apex syndrome even without a cancer history.

  4. The axon guidance molecule semaphorin 3F is a negative regulator of tumor progression and proliferation in ileal neuroendocrine tumors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vercherat, Cécile; Blanc, Martine; Lepinasse, Florian; Gadot, Nicolas; Couderc, Christophe; Poncet, Gilles; Walter, Thomas; Joly, Marie-Odile; Hervieu, Valérie; Scoazec, Jean-Yves; Roche, Colette

    2015-01-01

    Gastro-intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (GI-NETs) are rare neoplasms, frequently metastatic, raising difficult clinical and therapeutic challenges due to a poor knowledge of their biology. As neuroendocrine cells express both epithelial and neural cell markers, we studied the possible involvement in GI-NETs of axon guidance molecules, which have been shown to decrease tumor cell proliferation and metastatic dissemination in several tumor types. We focused on the role of Semaphorin 3F (SEMA3F) in ileal NETs, one of the most frequent subtypes of GI-NETs. SEMA3F expression was detected in normal neuroendocrine cells but was lost in most of human primary tumors and all their metastases. SEMA3F loss of expression was associated with promoter gene methylation. After increasing endogenous SEMA3F levels through stable transfection, enteroendocrine cell lines STC-1 and GluTag showed a reduced proliferation rate in vitro. In two different xenograft mouse models, SEMA3F-overexpressing cells exhibited a reduced ability to form tumors and a hampered liver dissemination potential in vivo. This resulted, at least in part, from the inhibition of mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways. This study demonstrates an anti-tumoral role of SEMA3F in ileal NETs. We thus suggest that SEMA3F and/or its cellular signaling pathway could represent a target for ileal NET therapy. PMID:26447612

  5. Phase II study of radiopeptide {sup 177}Lu-octreotate and capecitabine therapy of progressive disseminated neuroendocrine tumours

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Claringbold, Phillip G. [Fremantle Hospital, Department of Oncology, Fremantle, WA (Australia); Brayshaw, Paul A.; Turner, J.H. [University of Western Australia, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fremantle Hospital, Fremantle, WA (Australia); Price, Richard A. [Fremantle Hospital, Department of Radiology, Fremantle, WA (Australia)

    2011-02-15

    In this phase II study we investigated the safety and efficacy of combination capecitabine and {sup 177}Lu-octreotate for the treatment of disseminated, progressive, unresectable neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). Enrolled in the study were 33 patients with biopsy-proven NETs, positive {sup 111}In-octreotide scintigraphy and progressive disease measurable by CT/MRI who were to receive four cycles of 7.8 GBq {sup 177}Lu-octreotate 8-weekly, with 14 days of 1,650 mg/m{sup 2} capecitabine per day. Of the 33 patients, 25 completed four cycles. Minimal transient myelosuppression at 3-4 weeks caused grade 3 thrombocytopenia in one patient but no neutropenia. Nephrotoxicity was absent. Critical organ radiation dosimetry provided median estimates of the dose per cycle to the kidneys of 2.4 Gy and to the liver of 4.8 Gy, and showed cumulative doses all below toxic thresholds. Objective response rates (ORR) were 24% partial response (PR), 70% stable disease (SD) and 6% progressive disease. Median progression-free survival and median overall survival had not been reached at a median follow-up of 16 months (range 5-33 months). Survival at 1 and 2 years was 91% (95% CI 75-98%) and 88% (95% CI 71-96%), respectively. The addition of capecitabine radiosensitizing chemotherapy does not increase the minimal toxicity of {sup 177}Lu-octreotate radiopeptide therapy and led to an ORR of 24% PR and 70% minor response or SD in patients with progressive metastatic NETs. Tumour control and stabilization of disease was obtained in 94% of these patients. (orig.)

  6. Control of Metastatic Progression by microRNA Regulatory Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pencheva, Nora; Tavazoie, Sohail F.

    2015-01-01

    Aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression is a defining feature of human malignancy. Specific miRNAs have been identified as promoters or suppressors of metastatic progression. These miRNAs control metastasis through divergent or convergent regulation of metastatic gene pathways. Some miRNA regulatory networks govern cell-autonomous cancer phenotypes, while others modulate the cell-extrinsic composition of the metastatic microenvironment. The use of small RNAs as probes into the molecular and cellular underpinnings of metastasis holds promise for the identification of candidate genes for potential therapeutic intervention. PMID:23728460

  7. Whole body diffusion for metastatic disease assessment in neuroendocrine carcinomas: comparison with OctreoScan® in two cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cossetti Rachel Jorge D

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Neuroendocrine tumor (NET patients must be adequately staged in order to improve a multidisciplinary approach and optimal management for metastatic disease. Currently available imaging studies include somatostatin receptor scintigraphy, like OctreoScan®, computed tomography (CT, scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, which analyze vascular concentration and intravenous contrast enhancement for anatomic tumor localization. However, these techniques require high degree of expertise for interpretation and are limited by their availability, cost, reproducibility, and follow-up imaging comparisons. NETs significantly reduce water diffusion as compared to normal tissue. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI in MRI has an advantageous contrast difference: the tumor is represented with high signal over a black normal surrounding background. The whole-body diffusion (WBD technique has been suggested to be a useful test for detecting metastasis from various anatomic sites. In this article we report the use of DWI in MRI and WBD in two cases of metastatic pulmonary NET staging in comparison with OctreoScan® in order to illustrate the potential advantage of DWI and WBD in staging NETs.

  8. Chemotherapy for neuroendocrine tumors: the Beatson Oncology Centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatton, M Q; Reed, N S

    1997-01-01

    The role of chemotherapy in malignant neuroendocrine tumours is difficult to assess because of their rarity and variation in biological behaviour. We present a retrospective review of chemotherapy given to 18 patients with metastatic and one with locally advanced neuroendocrine tumours. There were eight poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumours, six thyroid medullary carcinomas, two phaeochromocytomas, two pancreatic islet cell tumours and one undifferentiated neuroblastoma. Four patients were given 3-weekly dacarbazine, vincristine and cyclophosphamide (DOC) chemotherapy. In eight patients, this regimen was modified by substituting the dacarbazine and cisplatin and etoposide (OPEC). A further six patients were treated with dacarbazine reintroduced into the 3-weekly regimen (DOPEC). The remaining patient received cisplatin and etoposide. There were two complete responses (both with OPEC) and eight partial responses (two with DOC, three with OPEC and three with DOPEC). Five patients had stable disease and four progressed. Four received further chemotherapy on relapse, producing one complete and one partial response. The median response duration to initial chemotherapy was 10 months (range 3-34). The median survival was 12 months (range 1-42). The main toxicity was haematological, with grade 3-4 neutropenia in 12 patients; eight suffered episodes of sepsis. One death was treatment related. Other toxicity was mild although three patients discontinued vincristine with grade 2 neurotoxicity. The response rate and side effects of these three regimens appear comparable. We conclude that, although these patient numbers are small, combination chemotherapy produces an encouraging response rate (53%; 95% CI 30-75) in malignant neuroendocrine tumours, with acceptable toxicity.

  9. Transformation of Nonfunctioning Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Cells into Insulin Producing Cells after Treatment with Sunitinib

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jung Hun Ohn

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available We report a rare case of severe hypoglycemia after sunitinib treatment for pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. We describe the initial clinical presentation, laboratory results, pathologic findings, and managment in a patient with a nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma with liver metastases who developed life threatening hypoglycemia after 2 months of sunitinib therapy. A 46-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with loss of consciousness from hypoglycemia. Serum C-peptide and insulin levels at fasting state revealed that the hypoglycemia resulted from endogenous hyperinsulinemia. She had been diagnosed with nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma based on a biopsy of metastatic cervical lymph node and was being treated with sunitinib, a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Immunohistochemical stain of the metastatic liver mass demonstrated that the initially nonfunctioning neuroendocrine carcinoma cells had changed into insulin-producing cells after sunitinib therapy. Transarterial chemoembolization of the liver masses and systemic chemotherapy with streptozotocin/adriamycin relieved the hypoglycemia. A nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma was transformed into an insulin-producing tumor after treatment with sunitinib, causing endogenous hyperinsulinemia and severe hypoglycemia.

  10. Successful neoadjuvant peptide receptor radionuclide therapy for an inoperable pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiago Nunes da Silva

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NETs can present with advanced local or distant (metastatic disease limiting the possibility of surgical cure. Several treatment options have been used in experimental neoadjuvant settings to improve the outcomes in such cases. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PPRT using beta emitting radiolabelled somatostatin analogues has been used in progressive pancreatic NETs. We report a 55-year-old female patient with a 12.8 cm pancreatic NET with significant local stomach and superior mesenteric vein compression and liver metastases. The patient underwent treatment with [177Lutetium-DOTA0,Tyr3]octreotate (177Lu-octreotate for the treatment of local and metastatic symptomatic disease. Six months after 4 cycles of 177lutetium-octreotate, resolution of the abdominal complaints was associated with a significant reduction in tumour size and the tumour was rendered operable. Histology of the tumour showed a 90% necrotic tumour with abundant hyalinized fibrosis and haemorrhage compatible with PPRT-induced radiation effects on tumour cells. This report supports that PPRT has a role in unresectable and metastatic pancreatic NET.

  11. End-Stage Renal Disease From Cast Nephropathy in a Teenager With Neuroendocrine Carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butani, Lavjay; Ducore, Jonathan

    2016-07-01

    Cast nephropathy is the most common manifestation of renal injury in patients with multiple myeloma but is rarely reported in other conditions. We are reporting our experience in caring for a teenager with a metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma who developed rapidly progressive kidney injury that advanced to end-stage renal disease. On renal biopsy extensive tubular necrosis and intratubular eosinophilic casts were noted. This previously unreported finding should prompt oncologists to closely monitor for such a complication in patients with secretory tumors. Whether early plasmapheresis could be of benefit, as has been tried in multiple myeloma, remains to be determined.

  12. Neuroendocrine tumor of the inguinal node: A very rare presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niharika Bisht

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Neuroendocrine tumors are a broad family of tumors arising most commonly in the gastrointestinal tract and the bronchus pulmonary tree. The other common sounds are the parathyroid, pituitary and adrenal gland. Inguinal node as a primary presentation of a neuroendocrine tumor is an extremely rare presentation. We present the case of a 43-year-old-male who presented with the complaints of an inguinal node swelling without any other symptoms and on further evaluation was diagnosed to have a non-metastatic neuroendocrine tumor of the inguinal node. He was treated with a combination of chemotherapy and surgery and is presently awaiting completion chemotherapy.

  13. Co-immunotherapy with interleukin-2 and taurolidine for progressive metastatic melanoma.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Brien, G C

    2012-02-03

    BACKGROUND: Recombinant interleukin-2(rIL-2) therapy in metastatic melanoma is limited by toxicities, particularly vascular leak syndrome(VLS). Taurolidine potentiates the anti-neoplastic effects of IL-2 while reducing its associated endothelial cell dysfunction in experimental settings. We hypothesized that co-administration of rIL-2 with taurolidine could enhance tolerability without weakening effectiveness. METHODS: Eleven patients with progressive metastatic melanoma received high-dose rIL-2 with co-infusion of taurolidine. Patients were monitored for the development of toxicities and evidence of response. RESULTS: Ten patients tolerated twenty-nine courses of high-dose rIL-2 without dose-reduction. Most toxicities were low-grade. No patient developed VLS. Seven patients died from disease progression. Two had complete clinical and radiological responses to treatment. Two patients remain alive despite evidence of disease progression a mean of 17.5 months after diagnosing metastatic disease. CONCLUSION: Co-administration of taurolidine with high-dose rIL-2 in stage IV melanoma patients appears to greatly enhance the tolerability of this regime without diminishing its therapeutic value.

  14. CD133 expression in well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: a potential predictor of progressive clinical courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakai, Yasuhiro; Hong, Seung-Mo; An, Soyeon; Kim, Joo Young; Corbeil, Denis; Karbanová, Jana; Otani, Kyoko; Fujikura, Kohei; Song, Ki-Byung; Kim, Song Cheol; Akita, Masayuki; Nanno, Yoshihide; Toyama, Hirochika; Fukumoto, Takumi; Ku, Yonson; Hirose, Takanori; Itoh, Tomoo; Zen, Yoh

    2017-03-01

    The present study aimed to elucidate whether the stemness molecule, CD133, is expressed in well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs; World Health Organization grades 1 and 2) and establish its clinical relevance using 2 separate cohorts. In the first series (n = 178) in which tissue microarrays were available, immunohistochemistry revealed that CD133 was expressed in 14 cases (8%). CD133+ PanNETs had higher TNM stages (P < .01), more frequent lymphovascular invasion (P = .01), and higher recurrence rates (P = .01). In the second cohort (n = 56), the expression of CD133 and CK19 was examined in whole tissue sections. CD133 and CK19 were positive in 10 (18%) and 36 (64%) cases, respectively. CD133 expression correlated with higher pT scores (P < .01), the presence of microscopic venous infiltration (P = .03), and shorter disease-free periods (P < .01). When cases were divided into grade 1 and 2 neoplasms, patients with CD133+ PanNET continued to have shorter disease-free periods than did those with CD133- tumors in both groups (P < .01 and P = .02, respectively). Although CK19+ cases had shorter disease-free periods than did CK19- cases in the whole cohort (P = .02), this difference was less apparent in subanalyses of grade 1 and 2 cases. CD133 expression also appeared to be an independent predictive factor for tumor recurrence in a multivariate analysis (P = .018). The CD133 phenotype was identical between primary and metastatic foci in 17 of 18 cases from which tissues of metastatic deposits were available. In conclusion, the combination of CD133 phenotyping and World Health Organization grading may assist in stratifying patients in terms of the risk of progressive clinical courses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Radiology of neuroendocrine tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hako, R.; Hakova, H.; Gulova, I.

    2011-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors arise in the bronchopulmonary or gastrointestinal tract, but they can arise in almost any organ. The tumors have varied malignant potential depending on the site of their origin. Metastases may be present at the time of diagnosis, which often occurs at a late stage of the disease. Most NETs have nonspecific imaging characteristics. Imaging plays a pivotal role in the localization and staging of neuroendocrine tumors and in monitoring the treatment response. Imaging should involve multi-phase computed tomography, contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and other one. Hepatic metastatic disease in particular lends itself to a wide range of interventional treatment options. Transcatheter arterial embolization may be used alone or in combination with chemo embolization. Ablative techniques, hepatic cryotherapy and percutaneous ethanol injection may then be undertaken. A multidisciplinary approach to treatment and follow-up is important. (author)

  16. Colonic neuroendocrine carcinoma in a child

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasi, Omai Al; Rifai, Ayman; Hugosson, Claes; Sathiapalan, Rajeev; Kofide, Amani; Tulbah, Asthma Mahmoud Mohamed; Al-Mehaidib, Ali

    2005-01-01

    A 10-year-old boy with congenital immunodeficiency (X-linked agammaglobulinaemia) presented with loss of appetite and weight, right-sided abdominal pain, diarrhoea and low-grade fever. Radiological investigations with barium follow-through, CT, PET and octreotide scans revealed a primary caecal/ascending proximal colonic mass with liver and bony metastases. Urine screen for 5HIAA was positive. Percutaneous liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of neuroendocrine carcinoma. The radiological work-up and the usefulness of various imaging modalities in the diagnosis of this rare paediatric tumour are discussed. The PET scan demonstrated the primary tumour and the metastatic locations more vividly than the octreotide scan, which is currently considered to be the most specific imaging modality for neuroendocrine masses. (orig.)

  17. [Biotherapy of neuroendocrine tumours of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, C.P.; Knigge, U.

    2008-01-01

    Biotherapy of hormonal symptoms and tumour growth is a mainstay in the therapy of metastatic neuroendocrine tumours of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. Symptomatic relief can be achieved by somatostatin analogues and interferon, either alone or in combination. The effect on tumour growth...

  18. Telotristat ethyl: proof of principle and the first oral agent in the management of well-differentiated metastatic neuroendocrine tumor and carcinoid syndrome diarrhea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masab, Muhammad; Saif, Muhammad Wasif

    2017-12-01

    Metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are associated with carcinoid syndrome that is typically characterized by diarrhea, cutaneous flushing and bronchospasm. Treatment with somatostatin analogues (SSA) improves the symptom burden but a significant proportion of patients stop responding to SSA therapy eventually. Novel agents with the potential to effectively control the symptoms are urgently needed. This article reviews an in-depth analysis of the phase I-III clinical trials determining the clinical rationale for the use of tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor, telotristat ethyl in patients with well-differentiated metastatic NETs and uncontrolled carcinoid syndrome. Telotristat ethyl has already been approved for the treatment of inadequately controlled carcinoid syndrome symptoms in metastatic NET patients on SSA therapy. Results from multiple phase I-III clinical studies of telotristat ethyl therapy have reported a significant decrease in the daily bowel movement frequency, increase in quality of life and the subsequent decrease in annual health costs related to carcinoid syndrome symptoms in NET patients. The associated decrease in urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (u5-HIAA) provides evidence that telotristat ethyl effectively decreases serotonin production, and therefore, offers a rationale to investigate this agent to mitigate serotonin-mediated complications in this patient population, especially cardiac valvular disease or mesenteric fibrosis.

  19. Interleukin-6: a bone marrow stromal cell paracrine signal that induces neuroendocrine differentiation and modulates autophagy in bone metastatic PCa cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delk, Nikki A; Farach-Carson, Mary C

    2012-04-01

    Autophagy reallocates nutrients and clears normal cells of damaged proteins and organelles. In the context of metastatic disease, invading cancer cells hijack autophagic processes to survive and adapt in the host microenvironment. We sought to understand how autophagy is regulated in the metastatic niche for prostate cancer (PCa) cells where bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) paracrine signaling induces PCa neuroendocrine differentiation (NED). In PCa, this transdifferentiation of metastatic PCa cells to neuronal-like cells correlates with advanced disease. Because autophagy provides a survival advantage for cancer cells and promotes cell differentiation, we hypothesized that autophagy mediates PCa NED in the bone. Thus, we determined the ability of paracrine factors in conditioned media (CM) from two separate BMSC subtypes, HS5 and HS27a, to induce autophagy in C4-2 and C4-2B bone metastatic PCa cells by characterizing the autophagy marker, LC3. Unlike HS27a CM, HS5 CM induced LC3 accumulation in PCa cells, suggesting autophagy was induced and indicating that HS5 and HS27a secrete a different milieu of paracrine factors that influence PCa autophagy. We identified interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine more highly expressed in HS5 cells than in HS27a cells, as a paracrine factor that regulates PCa autophagy. Pharmacological inhibition of STAT3 activity did not attenuate LC3 accumulation, implying that IL-6 regulates NED and autophagy through different pathways. Finally, chloroquine inhibition of autophagic flux blocked PCa NED; hence autophagic flux maintains NED. Our studies imply that autophagy is cytoprotective for PCa cells in the bone, thus targeting autophagy is a potential therapeutic strategy.

  20. Continuous 5-fluorouracil infusion plus long acting octreotide in advanced well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas. A phase II trial of the Piemonte Oncology Network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brizzi, Maria P; Ferretti, Benedetta; Alabiso, Oscar; Ciuffreda, Libero; Bertetto, Oscar; Papotti, Mauro; Dogliotti, Luigi; Berruti, Alfredo; Ferrero, Anna; Milanesi, Enrica; Volante, Marco; Castiglione, Federico; Birocco, Nadia; Bombaci, Sebastiano; Perroni, Davide

    2009-01-01

    Well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas are highly vascularized and may be sensitive to drugs administered on a metronomic schedule that has shown antiangiogenic properties. A phase II study was designed to test the activity of protracted 5-fluorouracil (5FU) infusion plus long-acting release (LAR) octreotide in patients with neuroendocrine carcinoma. Twenty-nine patients with metastatic or locally advanced well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma were treated with protracted 5FU intravenous infusion (200 mg/m 2 daily) plus LAR octreotide (20 mg monthly). Patients were followed for toxicity, objective response, symptomatic and biochemical response, time to progression and survival. Assessment by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria showed partial response in 7 (24.1%), stable disease in 20 (69.0%), and disease progression in 2 patients. Response did not significantly differ when patients were stratified by primary tumor site and proliferative activity. A biochemical (chromogranin A) response was observed in 12/25 assessable patients (48.0%); symptom relief was obtained in 9/15 symptomatic patients (60.0%). There was non significant decrease in circulating vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF) over time. Median time to progression was 22.6 months (range, 2.7-68.5); median overall survival was not reached yet. Toxicity was mild and manageable. Continuous/metronomic 5FU infusion plus LAR octreotide is well tolerated and shows activity in patients with well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma. The potential synergism between metronomic chemotherapy and antiangiogenic drugs provides a rationale for exploring this association in the future. NCT00953394

  1. Continuous 5-fluorouracil infusion plus long acting octreotide in advanced well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas. A phase II trial of the Piemonte Oncology Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ciuffreda Libero

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas are highly vascularized and may be sensitive to drugs administered on a metronomic schedule that has shown antiangiogenic properties. A phase II study was designed to test the activity of protracted 5-fluorouracil (5FU infusion plus long-acting release (LAR octreotide in patients with neuroendocrine carcinoma. Methods Twenty-nine patients with metastatic or locally advanced well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma were treated with protracted 5FU intravenous infusion (200 mg/m2 daily plus LAR octreotide (20 mg monthly. Patients were followed for toxicity, objective response, symptomatic and biochemical response, time to progression and survival. Results Assessment by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST criteria showed partial response in 7 (24.1%, stable disease in 20 (69.0%, and disease progression in 2 patients. Response did not significantly differ when patients were stratified by primary tumor site and proliferative activity. A biochemical (chromogranin A response was observed in 12/25 assessable patients (48.0%; symptom relief was obtained in 9/15 symptomatic patients (60.0%. There was non significant decrease in circulating vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF over time. Median time to progression was 22.6 months (range, 2.7-68.5; median overall survival was not reached yet. Toxicity was mild and manageable. Conclusion Continuous/metronomic 5FU infusion plus LAR octreotide is well tolerated and shows activity in patients with well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma. The potential synergism between metronomic chemotherapy and antiangiogenic drugs provides a rationale for exploring this association in the future. Trial registration NCT00953394

  2. The retinoblastoma protein regulates hypoxia-inducible genetic programs, tumor cell invasiveness and neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labrecque, Mark P.; Takhar, Mandeep K.; Nason, Rebecca; Santacruz, Stephanie; Tam, Kevin J.; Massah, Shabnam; Haegert, Anne; Bell, Robert H.; Altamirano-Dimas, Manuel; Collins, Colin C.; Lee, Frank J.S.; Prefontaine, Gratien G.; Cox, Michael E.; Beischlag, Timothy V.

    2016-01-01

    Loss of tumor suppressor proteins, such as the retinoblastoma protein (Rb), results in tumor progression and metastasis. Metastasis is facilitated by low oxygen availability within the tumor that is detected by hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs). The HIF1 complex, HIF1α and dimerization partner the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT), is the master regulator of the hypoxic response. Previously, we demonstrated that Rb represses the transcriptional response to hypoxia by virtue of its association with HIF1. In this report, we further characterized the role Rb plays in mediating hypoxia-regulated genetic programs by stably ablating Rb expression with retrovirally-introduced short hairpin RNA in LNCaP and 22Rv1 human prostate cancer cells. DNA microarray analysis revealed that loss of Rb in conjunction with hypoxia leads to aberrant expression of hypoxia-regulated genetic programs that increase cell invasion and promote neuroendocrine differentiation. For the first time, we have established a direct link between hypoxic tumor environments, Rb inactivation and progression to late stage metastatic neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Understanding the molecular pathways responsible for progression of benign prostate tumors to metastasized and lethal forms will aid in the development of more effective prostate cancer therapies. PMID:27015368

  3. Carcinoid Syndrome and Carcinoid Heart Disease as Manifestations of Non-Metastatic Ovarian Neuroendocrine Tumour

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joana Simões-Pereira

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The carcinoid syndrome is rare but it is associated with carcinoid heart disease in more than a half of the cases. Carcinoid heart disease is typically characterised by morphological and functional modifications of right-sided valves. Its aetiology is probable multifactorial but serotonin appears to play a key role in the development of this valvular disease. Unlike gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumours, ovarian neuroendocrine tumours can present with carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid heart disease in the absence of liver metastases; such ovarian neuroendocrine tumours are a unique clinical entity. The additional burden of cardiac impairment in these patients represents a significant reduction in survival. Early recognition and surgical valve replacement before advanced heart failure is established may improve the clinical outcome. We report the case of a woman with an ovarian neuroendocrine tumour and highly symptomatic carcinoid heart disease who was submitted to tumour resection followed by valvuloplasty. She demonstrated an outstanding clinical improvement and has remained free of tumour and symptomatology.

  4. Abiraterone acetate for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer progressing after chemotherapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sternberg, Cora N; Castellano, Daniel; Daugaard, Gedske

    2014-01-01

    , development of sustained side-effects, or abiraterone acetate becoming available in the respective country. The primary outcome was the number of adverse events arising during study treatment and within 30 days of discontinuation. Efficacy measures (time to prostate-specific antigen [PSA] progression and time......BACKGROUND: In the final analysis of the phase 3 COU-AA-301 study, abiraterone acetate plus prednisone significantly prolonged overall survival compared with prednisone alone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer progressing after chemotherapy. Here, we present the final...... analysis of an early-access protocol trial that was initiated after completion of COU-AA-301 to enable worldwide preapproval access to abiraterone acetate in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer progressing after chemotherapy. METHODS: We did a multicentre, open-label, early...

  5. Neuroendocrine Disorders in Pediatric Craniopharyngioma Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daubenbüchel, Anna M. M.; Müller, Hermann L.

    2015-01-01

    Childhood-onset craniopharyngiomas are partly cystic embryonic malformations of the sellar/parasellar region. The therapy of choice in patients with favorable tumor localization is complete resection with a specific focus on maintaining optical and hypothalamic neuroendocrine functions. In patients with unfavorable tumor localization (i.e., hypothalamic involvement), a limited hypothalamus-sparing surgical strategy followed by local irradiation is recommended. Involvement and/or surgical lesions of posterior hypothalamic areas cause major neuroendocrine sequelae. The overall survival rates are high (92%) but neuroendocrine disorders such as obesity and metabolic syndrome due to involvement and/or treatment-related hypothalamic lesions have major negative impact on survival and quality of life. Recurrences and progressions are frequent post-surgical events. Because irradiation is efficient in preventing tumor progression, appropriate timing of post-surgical irradiation is currently under investigation in a randomized multinational trial (KRANIOPHARYNGEOM 2007). Childhood-onset craniopharyngioma should be recognized as a chronic disease requiring treatment and constant monitoring of the clinical and quality of life consequences, frequently impaired due to neuroendocrine disorders, by experienced multidisciplinary teams in order to provide optimal care of surviving patients. PMID:26239246

  6. Neuroendocrine Disorders in Pediatric Craniopharyngioma Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna M. M. Daubenbüchel

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Childhood-onset craniopharyngiomas are partly cystic embryonic malformations of the sellar/parasellar region. The therapy of choice in patients with favorable tumor localization is complete resection with a specific focus on maintaining optical and hypothalamic neuroendocrine functions. In patients with unfavorable tumor localization (i.e., hypothalamic involvement, a limited hypothalamus-sparing surgical strategy followed by local irradiation is recommended. Involvement and/or surgical lesions of posterior hypothalamic areas cause major neuroendocrine sequelae. The overall survival rates are high (92% but neuroendocrine disorders such as obesity and metabolic syndrome due to involvement and/or treatment-related hypothalamic lesions have major negative impact on survival and quality of life. Recurrences and progressions are frequent post-surgical events. Because irradiation is efficient in preventing tumor progression, appropriate timing of post-surgical irradiation is currently under investigation in a randomized multinational trial (KRANIOPHARYNGEOM 2007. Childhood-onset craniopharyngioma should be recognized as a chronic disease requiring treatment and constant monitoring of the clinical and quality of life consequences, frequently impaired due to neuroendocrine disorders, by experienced multidisciplinary teams in order to provide optimal care of surviving patients.

  7. Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater causing ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone-dependent Cushing's syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Akihisa; Hayashi, Kazuki; Naitoh, Itaru; Seno, Kyoji; Okada, Yukiko; Ban, Tesshin; Kondo, Hiromu; Nishi, Yuji; Umemura, Shuichiro; Hori, Yasuki; Natsume, Makoto; Joh, Takashi

    2016-07-01

    Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is rarely secreted by neuroendocrine tumors. Although neuroendocrine tumors may occur at any site in the gastrointestinal system, they very rarely occur in the ampulla of Vater and have a poor prognosis. The present study described the first Cushing's syndrome as a result of ectopic ACTH arising from the ampulla of Vater neuroendocrine carcinoma. A 69-year-old female was admitted with clinical features of Cushing's syndrome, confirmed biochemically by hypokalemia, and elevated levels of ACTH and cortisol. In further investigations, a tumor of the ampulla of Vater and liver metastases were detected. Pathological analysis of the biopsy confirmed a neuroendocrine carcinoma, which was immunohistochemically positive for chromogranin A, synaptophysin, cluster of differentiation 56 and ACTH. Therefore, the present study diagnosed a functional and metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater with ectopic ACTH production causing Cushing's syndrome. The patient succumbed to mortality 4 months later, despite administration of combined chemotherapy with irinotecan and cisplatin.

  8. Neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer – a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Popescu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: This review aims to provide practicing clinicians with the most recent knowledge of the biological nature of prostate cancer especially the information regarding neuroendocrine differentiation. Methods: Review of the literature using PubMed search and scientific journal publications. Results: Much progress has been made towards an understanding of the development and progression of prostate cancer. The prostate is a male accessory sex gland which produces a fraction of seminal fluid. The normal human prostate is composed of a stromal compartment (which contains: nerves, fibroblast, smooth muscle cells, macrophages surrounding glandular acins – epithelial cells. Neuroendocrine cells are one of the epithelial populations in the normal prostate and are believed to provide trophic signals trough the secretion of neuropeptides that diffuse and influence surrounding epithelial cells. Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in men. In prostate cancer, neuroendocrine cells can stimulate growth of surrounding prostate adenocarcinoma cells (proliferation of neighboring cancer cells in a paracrine manner by secretion of neuroendocrine products. Neuroendocrine prostate cancer is an aggressive variant of prostate cancer that commonly arises in later stages of castration resistant prostate cancer. The detection of neuroendocrine prostate cancer has clinical implications. These patients are often treated with platinum chemotherapy rather than with androgen receptor targeted therapies. Conclusion: This review shows the need to improve our knowledge regarding diagnostic and treatment methods of the Prostate Cancer, especially cancer cells with neuroendocrine phenotype.

  9. Long-Term Palliative Effect of Stenting in Gastric Outlet Obstruction Due to Transarterial Chemoembolization with Yttrium-90 in a Patient with Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumor

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    Erkan Caglar

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Internal radioembolization with yttrium-90 is a promising treatment method, predominantly for liver tumors. However, the shifting of yttrium-90-loaded spherules into the arteries and veins that supply the duodenum and stomach, leading to ulceration, hemorrhage, perforation, and outlet obstruction of these organs, is one of the major undesirable consequences of this technique. We report a case of gastric outlet obstruction (GOO due to antropyloric stenosis with ulceration, edema, and inflammation following transarterial yttrium-90 treatment for a metastatic neuroendocrine tumor in a 58-year-old man. Stenting was used for palliation in this case. GOO improved after stenting and recovery of oral intake was permanent after stent removal.

  10. Bevacizumab plus capecitabine in patients with progressive advanced well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of the gastro-intestinal (GI-NETs) tract (BETTER trial)--a phase II non-randomised trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitry, Emmanuel; Walter, Thomas; Baudin, Eric; Kurtz, Jean-Emmanuel; Ruszniewski, Philippe; Dominguez-Tinajero, Sophie; Bengrine-Lefevre, Leïla; Cadiot, Guillaume; Dromain, Clarisse; Farace, Françoise; Rougier, Philippe; Ducreux, Michel

    2014-12-01

    Gastro-intestinal neuroendocrine tumours (GI-NETs) are chemotherapy-resistant tumours. Bevacizumab, an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), has shown promising results in several phase II trials of gastro-entero-pancreatic-NETs. We assessed bevacizumab combined with capecitabine, specifically in GI-NET patients. BEvacizumab in The Treament of neuroEndocrine tumoRs (BETTER) was a multicentre, open-label, non-randomised, two-group phase II trial. Here we present the group of patients with progressive, metastatic, well-differentiated GI-NETs. Patients Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-performance status (ECOG-PS)⩽2, Ki-67 proliferation rate <15% and no prior systemic chemotherapy were treated with bevacizumab (7.5 mg/kg/q3w) and capecitabine (1000 mg/m2 twice daily, orally d1-14, resumed on d22) for 6-24 months. The primary end-point was progression-free survival (PFS); secondary end-points included overall survival (OS), response rate, safety and quality of life. Of the 49 patients included, 53% were men, median age was 60 years (41-82), primary tumour site was ileal in 82% patients and Ki-67 was <15% in 48 patients and not available for one patient. After a maximum of 24 month follow-up per patient, the median PFS by investigator assessment was 23.4 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 13.2; not reached] and the overall disease control rate was 88% (18% partial response, 70% stable disease). The 2-year survival rate was 85%. Median OS was not reached. The most frequent grade 3-4 adverse events were hypertension (31%), diarrhoea (14%) and hand-foot syndrome (10%). The combination of bevacizumab and capecitabine showed clinical activity and a manageable safety profile in the treatment of GI-NETs that warrant confirmation in a randomised phase III trial. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Exploring the rising incidence of neuroendocrine tumors: a population-based analysis of epidemiology, metastatic presentation, and outcomes.

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    Hallet, Julie; Law, Calvin How Lim; Cukier, Moises; Saskin, Refik; Liu, Ning; Singh, Simron

    2015-02-15

    An increased incidence of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) has been reported worldwide, but the reasons underlying this rise have not been identified. By assessing patterns of metastatic presentation, this study sought to examine the epidemiologic characteristics of NETs and the contribution of early-stage detection to the rising incidence. A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted with prospectively maintained databases linked at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. Adult patients with a NET diagnosis from 1994 to 2009 in Ontario, Canada were included. The main outcomes included the overall and site-specific incidence, proportion of metastatic disease, overall survival (OS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Five thousand six hundred nineteen NET cases were identified. The incidence of NETs increased from 2.48 to 5.86 per 100,000 per year. Metastases were found in 20.8% at presentation and in another 38% after the initial diagnosis. The proportion of metastases at presentation decreased from 1994 to 2009 (from 29% to 13%). Therefore, although the incidence of all NETs increased, the overall incidence of metastases did not change (0.63-0.69 per 100,000 per year). The 10-year OS rate was 46.5%, and the RFS rate was 64.6%. In addition to the primary tumor site, independent predictors of worse OS included an advanced age (P incidence of NETs has markedly increased over the course of 15 years. This is the first study to provide evidence suggesting that the increase in the incidence of NETs may be due to increased detection. In addition to tumor characteristics, low income and rural residency portend worse survival for patients with NETs. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

  12. Merkel Cell Carcinoma Metastatic to Pleural Fluid: A Case Report

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    Ye-Young Rhee

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC is a rare aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin that shows locoregional or distant metastasis. Metastasis of MCC to body cavity effusion is extremely rare; only three cases have been reported so far. Metastatic MCC in effusion cytology shows small blue round cells with fine stippled chromatin like other small blue round cell tumors such as small cell lung carcinoma or lymphoma. The diagnosis of metastatic MCC can grant patients good chances at recently advanced therapeutic options. Here, we present a case of metastatic MCC to pleural effusion with characteristic single file-like pattern.

  13. Merkel Cell Carcinoma Metastatic to Pleural Fluid: A Case Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhee, Ye-Young; Kim, Soo Hee; Kim, Eun Kyung; Kim, Se Hoon

    2018-05-01

    Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin that shows locoregional or distant metastasis. Metastasis of MCC to body cavity effusion is extremely rare; only three cases have been reported so far. Metastatic MCC in effusion cytology shows small blue round cells with fine stippled chromatin like other small blue round cell tumors such as small cell lung carcinoma or lymphoma. The diagnosis of metastatic MCC can grant patients good chances at recently advanced therapeutic options. Here, we present a case of metastatic MCC to pleural effusion with characteristic single file-like pattern.

  14. The role of epigenetics and long noncoding RNA MIAT in neuroendocrine prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crea, Francesco; Venalainen, Erik; Ci, Xinpei; Cheng, Hongwei; Pikor, Larissa; Parolia, Abhijit; Xue, Hui; Nur Saidy, Nur Ridzwan; Lin, Dong; Lam, Wan; Collins, Colin; Wang, Yuzhuo

    2016-05-01

    Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is the most lethal prostatic neoplasm. NEPC is thought to originate from the transdifferentiation of AR-positive adenocarcinoma cells. We have previously shown that an epigenetic/noncoding interactome (ENI) orchestrates cancer cells' plasticity, thereby allowing the emergence of metastatic, drug-resistant neoplasms. The primary objective of this manuscript is to discuss evidence indicating that some components of the ENI (Polycomb genes, miRNAs) play a key role in NEPC initiation and progression. Long noncoding RNAs represent vast and largely unexplored component of the ENI. Their role in NEPC has not been investigated. We show preliminary evidence indicating that a lncRNA (MIAT) is selectively upregulated in NEPCs and might interact with Polycomb genes. Our results indicate that long noncoding RNAs can be exploited as new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for NEPC.

  15. Diffuse endocrine system, neuroendocrine tumors and immunity: what's new?

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    Ameri, Pietro; Ferone, Diego

    2012-01-01

    During the last two decades, research into the modulation of immunity by the neuroendocrine system has flourished, unravelling significant effects of several neuropeptides, including somatostatin (SRIH), and especially cortistatin (CST), on immune cells. Scientists have learnt that the diffuse neuroendocrine system can regulate the immune system at all its levels: innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and maintenance of immune tolerance. Compelling studies with animal models have demonstrated that some neuropeptides may be effective in treating inflammatory disorders, such as sepsis, and T helper 1-driven autoimmune diseases, like Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Here, the latest findings concerning the neuroendocrine control of the immune system are discussed, with emphasis on SRIH and CST. The second part of the review deals with the immune response to neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The anti-NET immune response has been described in the last years and it is still being characterized, similarly to what is happening for several other types of cancer. In parallel with investigations addressing the mechanisms by which the immune system contrasts NET growth and spreading, ground-breaking clinical trials of dendritic cell vaccination as immunotherapy for metastatic NETs have shown in principle that the immune reaction to NETs can be exploited for treatment. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  16. Neuroendocrine Tumor, diagnostic difficulties

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    Pedro Oliveira

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH secretion is a rare disease. A 51 years old woman, with a Cushing syndrome secondary to ectopic ACTH secretion, diagnosed in 2009, with mediastinal lymphadenopathy, whose biopsy was compatible with lung small cell carcinoma, staged as IIIB using TNM classification. No other lesions were found in patient study. The patient was submitted to chemotherapy, associated to ketoconazole 200 mg twice daily, with partial remission of both conditions. Three years later was admitted with an aggravation of Cushing syndrome. There was no evidence of progression of pulmonary disease. A cystic lesion in the pancreatic uncinated process was found by abdominal CT scan and with avid uptake by DOTANOC PET discreet in anterior mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Biopsy of pancreatic mass revealed a neuroendocrine tumor. Pulmonary masses were biopsied again and was in favor of neuroendocrine tumor. It was assumed the diagnosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor with mediastinal metastasis. The patient initiated lanreotid (120 mg, monthly, subcutaneous in association with ketoconazole. After 5 months of therapy, patient died with sepsis secondary to pneumonia. Neuroendocrine tumours are rare, difficult to diagnose and with poor prognosis when associated with ectopic ACTH secreting Cushing syndrome.

  17. [Neuroendocrine tumors of digestive system: morphologic spectrum and cell proliferation (Ki67 index)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delektorskaia, V V; Kushliskiĭ, N E

    2013-01-01

    This review deals with the analysis of up-to-date concepts ofdiferent types of human neuroendocrine tumors of the digestive system. It summarizes the information on the specifics of recent histological classifications and criteria of morphological diagnosis accounting histological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical parameters. Current issues of the nomenclature as well as various systems of grading and staging are discussed. In the light of these criteria the results of the own research clinical value of the determination of cell proliferation in primary and metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms on the basis of evaluation of the Ki67 antigen expression are also presented.

  18. The pioneer factor PBX1 is a novel driver of metastatic progression in ERα-positive breast cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnani, Luca; Patten, Darren K.; Nguyen, Van T.M.; Hong, Sung-Pil; Steel, Jennifer H.; Patel, Naina; Lombardo, Ylenia; Faronato, Monica; Gomes, Ana R.; Woodley, Laura; Page, Karen; Guttery, David; Primrose, Lindsay; Garcia, Daniel Fernandez; Shaw, Jacqui; Viola, Patrizia; Green, Andrew; Nolan, Christopher; Ellis, Ian O.; Rakha, Emad A.; Shousha, Sami; Lam, Eric W.-F.; Győrffy, Balázs; Lupien, Mathieu; Coombes, R. Charles

    2015-01-01

    Over 30% of ERα breast cancer patients develop relapses and progress to metastatic disease despite treatment with endocrine therapies. The pioneer factor PBX1 translates epigenetic cues and mediates estrogen induced ERα binding. Here we demonstrate that PBX1 plays a central role in regulating the ERα transcriptional response to epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling. PBX1 regulates a subset of EGF-ERα genes highly expressed in aggressive breast tumours. Retrospective stratification of luminal patients using PBX1 protein levels in primary cancer further demonstrates that elevated PBX1 protein levels correlate with earlier metastatic progression. In agreement, PBX1 protein levels are significantly upregulated during metastatic progression in ERα-positive breast cancer patients. Finally we reveal that PBX1 upregulation in aggressive tumours is partly mediated by genomic amplification of the PBX1 locus. Correspondingly, ERα-positive breast cancer patients carrying PBX1 amplification are characterized by poor survival. Notably, we demonstrate that PBX1 amplification can be identified in tumor derived-circulating free DNA of ERα-positive metastatic patients. Metastatic patients with PBX1 amplification are also characterized by shorter relapse-free survival. Our data identifies PBX1 amplification as a functional hallmark of aggressive ERα-positive breast cancers. Mechanistically, PBX1 amplification impinges on several critical pathways associated with aggressive ERα-positive breast cancer. PMID:26215677

  19. IGF-IEc expression is increased in secondary compared to primary foci in neuroendocrine neoplasms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexandraki, Krystallenia I; Philippou, Anastassios; Boutzios, Georgios; Theohari, Irini; Koutsilieris, Michael; Delladetsima, Ioanna Kassiani; Kaltsas, Gregory A

    2017-10-03

    Different Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) mRNA transcripts are produced by alternative splicing and particularly the IGF-IEc isoform has been implicated in the development and/or progression of various types of cancer. In the present study, we examined the potential role of IGF-IEc expression as a new immunohistochemical marker of aggressiveness in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). We utilized immunohistochemical analysis in tissue specimens of 47 patients with NENs, to evaluate the expression of IGF-IEc (%) and Ki-67 proliferation index (%). Specimens from patients with tumors of different tissue origin, of either primary or metastatic lesions and of different grade were examined. Cytoplasmic IGF-IEc staining was found in 23 specimens of NENs or NECs: 10 pancreatic, 4 small bowel, 3 gastric, 1 lung, 1 uterine and 4 poorly differentiated of unknown primary origin. Ki-67 and IGF-IEc expression was positively correlated in all the samples studied (r=0.31, p=0.03). IGF-1Ec expression was more prevalent in specimens originating from metastatic foci with high Ki-67 compared to primary sites with low Ki-67 expression (p=0.036). These findings suggest a possible role of IGF-IEc in NEN tumorigenesis and progression to metastases that could be used as an additional new marker of a more aggressive behavior and a potential drugable target.

  20. Comparing the Cost of Treatment with Octreotide Long-Acting Release versus Lanreotide in Patients with Metastatic Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayyagari, Rajeev; Neary, Maureen; Li, Shang; Rokito, Ariel; Yang, Hongbo; Xie, Jipan; Benson, Al B

    2017-11-01

    The 2 somatostatin analogs currently recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) include octreotide long-acting release (Sandostatin LAR) for injectable suspension and lanreotide (Somatuline Depot) injection for subcutaneous use. To estimate the costs to payers associated with 30-mg octreotide LAR and 120-mg lanreotide treatment among patients with metastatic GI-NETs. The costs to payers associated with the 2 drugs were estimated by including the costs of each drug, drug administration, and adverse events. The unit drug costs for octreotide LAR and for lanreotide were obtained from ReadyPrice Wholesale Acquisition Cost; the doses were obtained from published studies. The adverse event rates were obtained from 2 phase 3 clinical trials, PROMID and CLARINET. Deterministic one-way sensitivity analyses were used to assess the impact of modifying assumptions and inputs on the results, including the 2017 Average Sales Price (ASP). All costs were estimated in 2016 US dollars, with a constant discount of 3%. The costs to payers associated with the treatment of GI-NETs during 1-, 3-, and 5-year horizons were $74,566, $180,082, and $262,344, respectively, for octreotide LAR and $84,856, $205,562, and $299,667, respectively, for lanreotide. Thus, octreotide LAR was associated with lower costs by $10,290 (1 year), $25,480 (3 years), and $37,323 (5 years) compared with lanreotide. Over a 5-year horizon, the costs of adverse events and administration accounted for 0.72% of the total cost for octreotide LAR and 0.51% of the total cost for lanreotide. Sensitivity analyses confirmed that the main factor affecting the cost difference was the price of the drugs; analyses using the ASP yielded similar results. For the management of metastatic GI-NETs, the cost to payers of treatment with 30-mg octreotide LAR is considerably lower than with 120-mg lanreotide over 1-, 3-, and 5-year horizons. In the

  1. Contemporary nuclear medicine diagnostics of neuroendocrine tumors

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    Todorović-Tirnanić Mila

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The new positron emission tomography (PET/CT methods for neuroendocrine tumors detection are presented and compared with classic, conventional methods. Conventional methods use a gamma scintillation camera for patients with neuroendocrine tumor imaging, after intravenous injection of one of the following radiopharmaceuticals: 1 somatostatin analogues labeled with indium-111 (111In-pentetreotide or technetium-99m (99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC; 2 noradrenaline analogue labeled with iodine-131 or -123 (131I/123I-MIBG; or 3 99mTc(V-DMSA. Contemporary methods use PET/CT equipment for patients with neuroendocrine tumor imaging, after intravenous injection of pharmaceuticals labeled with positron emitters [fluorine-18 (18F, galium-68 (68Ga, or carbon-11 (11C]: 1 glucose analogue (18FDG; 2 somatostatin analogue (68Ga-DOTATOC/68Ga-DOTATATE/68Ga-DOTANOC; 3 aminoacid precursors of bioamines: [a dopamine precursor 18F-DOPA (6-18F-dihydroxyphenylalanine, b serotonin precursor 11C-5HTP (11C-5-hydroxytryptophan]; or 4 dopamine analogue 18F-DA (6-18F-fluorodopamine. Conventional and contemporary (PET/ CT somatostatin receptor detection showed identical high specificity (92%, but conventional had very low sensitivity (52% compared to PET/CT (97%. It means that almost every second neuroendocrine tumor detected by contemporary method cannot be discovered using conventional (classic method. In metastatic pheochromocytoma detection contemporary (PET/ CT methods (18F-DOPA and 18F-DA have higher sensitivity than conventional (131I/123I-MIBG. In medullary thyroid carcinoma diagnostics contemporary method (18F-DOPA is more sensitive than conventional 99mTc(V-DMSA method, and is similar to 18FDG, computed tomography and magnetic resonance. In carcinoid detection contemporary method (18F-DOPA shows similar results with contemporary somatostatin receptor detection, while for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors it is worse. To conclude, contemporary (PET/CT methods for

  2. Gastric neuroendocrine tumours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crosby, David A; Donohoe, Claire L; Fitzgerald, Louise; Muldoon, Cian; Hayes, Brian; O'Toole, Dermot; Reynolds, John V

    2012-01-01

    Gastric neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are increasingly recognised, and management decisions may be difficult due to an incomplete understanding of aetiology, natural history and optimum therapy. This article presents a current understanding based on recent advances in epidemiology, classification, molecular profiling, and treatment. Relevant medical literature was identified from searches of PubMed and references cited in appropriate articles identified. Selection of articles was based on peer review, journal and relevance. Gastric NETs may be divided into three clinical prognostic groups: type I is associated with autoimmune atrophic gastritis and hypergastrinaemia, type II is associated with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and type III lesions are gastrin-independent, have the greatest metastatic potential and poorest prognosis. There has been an increased frequency of gastric NETs reported. Management approaches have evolved in parallel with advances in endoscopic staging and surgery, as well as improved understanding of the biology and natural history of NETs. Gastric NETs present a spectrum of activity from indolent tumours to metastatic malignancy. Treatment decisions for patients must be individualised and are best managed by a multidisciplinary team approach. The current evidence base is limited to small series and efforts to treat patients within clinical networks of expertise are warranted. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  3. A Rare Case of Diffuse Idiopathic Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Cell Hyperplasia

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    Godwin Ofikwu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH is a rare clinical condition with only about 100 cases reported in the literature. It is characterized by primary hyperplasia of pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs which are specialized epithelial cells located throughout the entire respiratory tract, from the trachea to the terminal airways. DIPNECH appears in various forms that include diffuse proliferation of scattered neuroendocrine cells, small nodules, or a linear proliferation. It is usually seen in middle-aged, nonsmoking women with symptoms of cough, dyspnea, and wheezing. We present a 45-year-old, nonsmoking woman who presented with symptoms of DIPNECH associated with bilateral pulmonary nodules and left hilar adenopathy. Of interest, DIPNECH in our patient was associated with metastatic pulmonary carcinoids, papillary carcinoma of the left breast, oncocytoma and angiomyolipoma of her left kidney, and cortical nodules suggestive of tuberous sclerosis. She had video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS, modified radical mastectomy with reconstruction, and radical nephrectomy. She is currently symptom-free most of the time with over two years of follow-up.

  4. Regorafenib in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-04-18

    Gastrinoma; Glucagonoma; Insulinoma; Metastatic Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor; Pancreatic Polypeptide Tumor; Pulmonary Carcinoid Tumor; Recurrent Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor; Recurrent Islet Cell Carcinoma; Somatostatinoma

  5. Repeated Radionuclide therapy in metastatic paraganglioma leading to the highest reported cumulative activity of 131I-MIBG

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ezziddin, Samer; Sabet, Amir; Ko, Yon-Dschun; Xun, Sunny; Matthies, Alexander; Biersack, Hans-Jürgen

    2012-01-01

    131 I-MIBG therapy for neuroendocrine tumours may be dose limited. The common range of applied cumulative activities is 10-40 GBq. We report the uneventful cumulative administration of 111 GBq (= 3 Ci) 131 I-MIBG in a patient with metastatic paraganglioma. Ten courses of 131 I-MIBG therapy were given within six years, accomplishing symptomatic, hormonal and tumour responses with no serious adverse effects. Chemotherapy with cisplatin/vinblastine/dacarbazine was the final treatment modality with temporary control of disease, but eventually the patient died of progression. The observed cumulative activity of 131 I-MIBG represents the highest value reported to our knowledge, and even though 12.6 GBq of 90 Y-DOTATOC were added intermediately, no associated relevant bone marrow, hepatic or other toxicity were observed. In an individual attempt to palliate metastatic disease high cumulative activity alone should not preclude the patient from repeat treatment

  6. Metastatic primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast (NECB

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    Tsung-Hsien Tsai

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast (NECB is a subtype of breast cancer. The diagnostic criteria of primary NECB were established in 2003 and updated in 2012. It is a rare entity, and few studies have reported the histogenesis, immunohistochemistry for a pathological diagnosis, clinical behavior, therapeutic strategies, and the prognostic factors. Because of the rarity of this disease, consistent diagnostic criteria will remind physicians of this disease when making a differential diagnosis to enable a timely diagnosis and prompt treatment. Herein, we report a case of primary NECB who presented with a history of right hip pain arising from an osteolytic lesion in the right acetabulum and ischium. The course of investigation started with metastasis in the right hip and concluded with a diagnosis of NECB. In addition to the case report, we also conducted a literature review.

  7. Intraindividual comparison of 68Ga-DOTA-TATE and 18F-DOPA PET in patients with well-differentiated metastatic neuroendocrine tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haug, Alexander; Auernhammer, Christoph J.; Goeke, Burkhard; Waengler, Bjoern; Tiling, Reinhold; Bartenstein, Peter; Poepperl, Gabriele; Schmidt, Gerwin

    2009-01-01

    To compare the diagnostic impact of 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE and 18 F-DOPA PET in the diagnosis of well-differentiated metastatic neuroendocrine tumours (NET). PET/CT using both 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE and 18 F-DOPA was performed in 25 patients with histologically proven metastatic NET (nine gut, five pancreas, six lung, one paranasal sinus, four with unknown primary). Analyses of PET examinations were patient-based (pathological uptake: yes/no), and based on tumour regions (primary tumour if present and metastases of liver, lung, bones and lymph nodes). The results were compared with the results of contrast enhanced CT, and with plasma serotonin levels, which were available in 24 of the 25 patients. Patient-based sensitivities were 96% for 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE PET and 56% for 18 F-DOPA PET. 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE PET delineated metastases in 54 of 55 positive metastatic tumour regions in contrast to 29 of 55 delineated by 18 F-DOPA PET. Overall, 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE was superior to 18 F-DOPA in 13 patients (two patients showed fewer positive tumour regions with 18 F-DOPA PET). The results were comparable in 12 patients. In 13 of 24 patients, plasma serotonin levels were elevated, and 11 of these 13 patients showed pathological uptake of 18 F-DOPA. Of the 11 patients with normal levels of serotonin, 3 also showed positive 18 F-DOPA uptake. In patients positive for 18 F-DOPA uptake the maximum tumour SUVs were correlated with the levels of serotonin (r=0.66, p=0.01). In this study 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE PET proved clearly superior to 18 F-DOPA PET for detection and staging of NET. 18 F-DOPA uptake tended to be increased in those patients with elevated plasma serotonin. We conclude that 18 F-DOPA PET should be employed in patients with NET with negative 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE PET and elevated plasma serotonin. (orig.)

  8. Assessment of intracranial metastases from neuroendocrine tumors/carcinoma

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    Ahmed M Ragab Shalaby

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The most common sites of origin for neuroendocrine carcinoma are gastrointestinal tract and its accessory glands, and lungs. Materials and Methods: One-hundred fifty cases diagnosed with metastatic brain lesions were retrieved from hospital records within 5 years. For these cases, the primary neoplasm, histopathological classification, metastasis, treatment, and fate all were studied. Results: Intracranial deposits were detected in 10%. The primary lesion was in the lungs in 87% of patients, and 1 patient in the breast and 1 in esophagus. Pathological classification of the primary lesion was Grade 2 (MIB-1: 3–20% in 1 patient and neuroendocrine carcinoma (MIB-1: ≥21% in 14 patients. The median period from onset of the primary lesion up to diagnosis of brain metastasis was 12.8 months. About 33% of patients had a single metastasis whereas 67% patients had multiple metastases. Brain metastasis was extirpated in 33% of patients. Stereotactic radiotherapy alone was administered in 20% of patients, and brain metastasis was favorably controlled in most of the patients with coadministration of cranial irradiation as appropriate. The median survival period from diagnosis of brain metastasis was 8.1 months. Conclusion: Most of patients with brain metastasis from neuroendocrine carcinoma showed the primary lesion in the lungs, and they had multiple metastases to the liver, lymph nodes, bones, and so forth at the time of diagnosis of brain metastasis. The guidelines for accurate diagnosis and treatment of neuroendocrine carcinoma should be immediately established based on further analyses of those patients with brain metastasis.

  9. Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumor with Extensive Bone Marrow Involvement at Diagnosis: Evaluation of Response and Hematological Toxicity Profile of PRRT with 177Lu-DOTATATE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basu, Sandip; Ranade, Rohit; Thapa, Pradeep

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the response and hematological toxicity in peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with lutetium ( 177 Lu)-DOTA-octreotate (DOTATATE) in metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET) with extensive bone marrow metastasis at the initial diagnosis. A retrospective evaluation was undertaken for this purpose: Patients with NET with extensive diffuse bone marrow involvement at diagnosis who had received at least three cycles of PRRT with 177 Lu-DOTATATE were considered for the analysis. The selected patients were analyzed for the following: (i) Patient and lesional characteristics, (ii) associated metastatic burden, (iii) hematological parameters at diagnosis and during the course of therapy, (iv) response to PRRT (using a 3-parameter assessment: Symptomatic including Karnofsky/Lansky performance score, biochemical finding, and scan finding), (v) dual tracer imaging features [with somatostatin receptor imaging (SRI) and fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT)]. Based on the visual grading, tracer uptake in somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-positive bone marrow lesions were graded by a 4-point scale into four categories (0-III) in comparison with the hepatic uptake on the scan: 0 - no uptake; I - clear focus but less than liver uptake; II - equal to liver uptake; and III - higher than liver uptake]. Hematological toxicity was evaluated using National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0 score. A total of five patients (age range: 26-62 years; three males and two females) with diffuse bone marrow involvement at the diagnosis was encountered following analysis of the entire patient population of 250 patients. Based on the site of the primary, three had thoracic NET (two patients bronchial carcinoid and one pulmonary NET) and two gastroenteropancreatic NET (one in the duodenum and one patient of unknown primary with liver metastasis). Associated sites

  10. Clinical results of intravenous and intra-arterial peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) using Y-90 and Lu-177 DOTA-TYR3-OCTREOTATE (Y-90 DOTA-TATE) in 151 patents with metastatic progressive neuroendocrine tumors (NET)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baum, R.P.; Soeldner, J.; Strauss, H.-J.

    2005-01-01

    We investigated the anti-tumor efficacy and adverse effects of the somatostatin analog octreotate labelled with Y-90 or Lu-177 in patients with progressive neuroendocrine tumors and severe tumour burden. 151 patients (69 f and 82 m, age range=19-81 yrs), 307 administrations, Mean activity per cycle 3.35 GBq (max. 7000 MBq) and time between cycles 3 to 6 months. 7 pts received intra-arterial injections (8 cycles). All patients were selected based on high SST-R expression as proven by immunohistochemistry and Ga-68 DOTA-NOC receptor PET/CT or somatostatin scintigraphy. Re-staging was done using Ga-68 DOTA-NOC PET/CT, MRI, FDG-PET/CT, SST-R scintigraphy, F-18-Fluoride-PET/CT, renal scintigraphy (MAG 3), GFR measurements (DTPA) and monthly laboratory tests (haematology, liver enzymes, renal parameters, tumour markers). Results revealed 2 patients with complete remission (de novo therapy), Partial remission (PR) in 37 %, Stable disease (SD) in 52 % and disease progression (DP) in 11%. Objective tumour response (including improvement of symptoms) was seen in 85 % of the patients. A few adverse effects were also noted: Nausea and vomiting occurred in 35 % of female, and in 15 % of male patients. Anemia, leucocytopenia and thrombocytopenia (G2-3) observed in less than <15 %. None of the pts developed myelodysplastic syndrome. No hair loss was observed. We conclude that PRRT with Y-90/Lu-177 DOTA-TATE results in a high response rate with significant improvement of clinical symptoms; the treatment is tolerated with low toxicity and few adverse effects and shows promising results also in pts with progressive neuroendocrine tumours after biological treatment(interferon/sandostatin) or after chemotherapy. Renal toxicity can be reduced by prolonging the intervals between therapy cycles and reducing the maximum activity per cycle ('Bad Berka concept')

  11. CT differentiation of poorly-differentiated gastric neuroendocrine tumours from well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours and gastric adenocarcinomas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Seong Ho; Kim, Se Hyung; Shin, Cheong-il; Han, Joon Koo; Choi, Byung Ihn [Seoul National University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Seoul National University Hospital, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Min-A [Seoul National University Hospital, Department of Pathology, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-07-15

    To evaluate the differential CT features of gastric poorly-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours (PD-NETs) from well-differentiated NETs (WD-NETs) and gastric adenocarcinomas (ADCs) and to suggest differential features of hepatic metastases from gastric NETs and ADCs. Our study population was comprised of 36 patients with gastric NETs (18 WD-NETs, 18 PD-NETs) and 38 patients with gastric ADCs who served as our control group. Multiple CT features were assessed to identify significant differential CT findings of PD-NETs from WD-NETs and ADCs. In addition, CT features of hepatic metastases including the metastasis-to-liver ratio were analyzed to differentiate metastatic NETs from ADCs. The presence of metastatic lymph nodes was the sole differentiator of PD-NETs from WD-NETs (P =.001, odds ratio = 56.67), while the presence of intact overlying mucosa with mucosal tenting was the sole significant CT feature differentiating PD-NETs from ADCs (P =.047, odds ratio = 15.3) For hepatic metastases, metastases from NETs were more hyper-attenuated than those from ADCs. The presence of metastatic LNs and intact overlying mucosa with mucosal tenting are useful CT discriminators of PD-NETs from WD-NETs and ADCs, respectively. In addition, a higher metastasis-to-liver ratio may help differentiate hepatic metastases of gastric NETs from those of gastric ADCs with high accuracy. (orig.)

  12. Results after surgical treatment of liver metastases in patients with high-grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galleberg, R B; Knigge, U; Tiensuu Janson, E

    2017-01-01

    Background: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (GEP-NEC) are generally characterized by synchronous metastases, high aggressiveness and a dismal prognosis. Current international guidelines do not recommend surgical treatment of liver metastases, however the existing data are scarce......., particularly for the group with a Ki-67 in the relatively lower G3 range. Our findings indicate a possible role for surgical treatment of liver metastases in the management of this patient population.......Background: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (GEP-NEC) are generally characterized by synchronous metastases, high aggressiveness and a dismal prognosis. Current international guidelines do not recommend surgical treatment of liver metastases, however the existing data are scarce....... The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of curatively intended resection/radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver metastases in patients with metastatic GEP-NEC. Methods: 32 patients with a diagnosis of high-grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (Ki-67 > 20%) and with intended...

  13. Advances in the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pamela L Kunz

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Pamela L Kunz, George A FisherStanford University Medical Center, CA, USAAbstract: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs are a rare and heterogeneous class of neoplasms. While surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment, non-surgical therapies play a role in the setting of unresectable and metastatic disease. The goals of medical therapy are directed both at alleviating symptoms of peptide release and shrinking tumor mass. Biotherapies such as somatostatin analogs and interferon can decrease the secretion of peptides and inhibit their end-organ effects. A second objective for treatment of unresectable GEP-NETs is limiting tumor growth. Options for limiting tumor growth include somatostatin analogs, systemic chemotherapy, locoregional therapies, ionizing radiation, external beam radiation, and newer targeted agents. In particular, angiogenesis inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and mTOR inhibitors have shown early promising results. The rarity of these tumors, their resistance to standard chemotherapy, and the excellent performance status of most of these patients, make a strong argument for consideration of novel therapeutic trials.Keywords: neuroendocrine, gastroenteropancreatic, carcinoid, somatostatin

  14. Spontaneous regression of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Hassan, S J

    2010-01-01

    Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin predominantly affecting elderly Caucasians. It has a high rate of local recurrence and regional lymph node metastases. It is associated with a poor prognosis. Complete spontaneous regression of Merkel cell carcinoma has been reported but is a poorly understood phenomenon. Here we present a case of complete spontaneous regression of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma demonstrating a markedly different pattern of events from those previously published.

  15. Breast metastasis and lung large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma: first clinical observation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papa, Anselmo; Rossi, Luigi; Verrico, Monica; Di Cristofano, Claudio; Moretti, Valentina; Strudel, Martina; Zoratto, Federica; Minozzi, Marina; Tomao, Silverio

    2017-09-01

    The lung large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a very rare aggressive neuroendocrine tumor with a high propensity to metastasize and very poor prognosis. We report an atypical presentation of lung LCNEC was diagnosed from a metastatic nodule on the breast. Our patient is a 59-years-old woman that presented in March 2014 nonproductive cough. A CT scan showed multiple brain, lung, adrenal gland and liver secondary lesions; moreover, it revealed a breast right nodule near the chest measuring 1.8 cm. The breast nodule and lung lesions were biopsied and their histology and molecular diagnosis were LCNEC of the lung. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of breast metastasis from LCNEC of the lung. Furthermore, breast metastasis from extramammary malignancy is uncommon and its diagnosis is difficult but important for proper management and prediction of prognosis. Therefore, a careful clinical history with a thorough clinical examination is needed to make the correct diagnosis. Moreover, metastasis to the breast should be considered in any patient with a known primary malignant tumor history who presents with a breast lump. Anyhow, pathological examination should be performed to differentiate the primary breast cancer from metastatic tumor. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of breast metastases may not only avoid unnecessary breast resection, more importantly it is crucial to determine an appropriate and systemic treatment. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Impact of Therapy Sequence with Alkylating Agents and MGMT Status in Patients with Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krug, Sebastian; Boch, Michael; Rexin, Peter; Gress, Thomas M; Michl, Patrick; Rinke, Anja

    2017-05-01

    Alkylating chemotherapeutics with either a streptozotocin-(STZ) or temozolomide-(TEM) backbone are routinely used in patients with progressive and unresectable pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET). In addition, dacarbazine (DTIC) was described as an alternative alkylating therapy option for PNETs. The optimal treatment sequence with alkylating compounds and a potential use of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) level as predictive biomarker have not yet been sufficiently elucidated. The aim of our study was the evaluation of therapy sequence with either STZ-based treatment followed by DTIC (group A) or the inverse schedule with upfront DTIC (group B) and to correlate MGMT status with clinicopathological characteristics and response to therapy. We retrospectively analyzed 28 patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NET) who were treated with STZ-based therapy and DTIC. Additionally, in a second group MGMT immunohistochemistry was performed from primary and metastatic tumor sites. For statistical evaluation Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox regression methods and Fisher's exact test were used. There was no difference of objective response and disease control between either STZ-based therapy followed by DTIC treatment (group A) after progression or the reverse sequence (group B). Median time to progression (TTP) was estimated to be 21 months in both arms. First-line STZ-based chemotherapy was not superior to first-line DTIC treatment (16 vs. 13 months; p=0.8). MGMT status did not correlate with clinicopathological characteristics or response to therapy with these alkylating agents. Upfront chemotherapy with either STZ-based treatment or DTIC monotherapy showed similar efficacy and median TTP rates. In this study, MGMT protein expression assessed by immunohistochemistry did not play an important role as a predictive marker for alkylating agents. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  17. Safety, Pharmacokinetics and Dosimetry of a Long-Acting Radiolabeled Somatostatin Analogue 177Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE in Patients with Advanced Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jingjing; Wang, Hao; Jacobson Weiss, Orit; Cheng, Yuejuan; Niu, Gang; Li, Fang; Bai, Chunmei; Zhu, Zhaohui; Chen, Xiaoyuan

    2018-04-13

    Radiolabeled somatostatin analogue therapy has become an established treatment method for patients with well to moderately differentiated unresectable or metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The most frequently used somatostatin analogues in clinical practice are octreotide and octreotate. However, both peptides showed suboptimal retention within tumors. The aim of this first-in-human study is to explore the safety and dosimetry of a long-acting radiolabeled somatostatin analogue, lutetium-177-1, 4, 7, 10-tetra-azacyclododecane-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraacetic acid-Evans blue-octreotate ( 177 Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE). Methods: Eight patients (6 males and 2 females; age range, 27-61 y) with advanced metastatic neuroendocrine tumors were recruited. Five patients received a single dose 0.35-0.70 GBq (9.5-18.9 mCi) of 177 Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE and underwent serial whole body planar and single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT) scans at 2, 24, 72, 120 and 168 h after injection. The other 3 patients received intravenous injection of 0.28-0.41 GBq (7.5-11.1 mCi) of 177 Lu-DOTATATE for the same imaging acquisition procedures at 1, 3, 4, 24 and 72 h after injection. The dosimetry was calculated using the OLINDA/EXM 1.1 software. Results: Administration of 177 Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE was well tolerated, with no adverse symptoms being noticed or reported in any of the patients. Compared with 177 Lu-DOTATATE, 177 Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE showed extended circulation in the blood and achieved 7.9-fold increase of tumor dose delivery. The total body effective doses were 0.205 ± 0.161 mSv/MBq for 177 Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE and 0.174 ± 0.072 mSv/MBq for 177 Lu-DOTATATE. Significant dose delivery increases to the kidneys and bone marrow were also observed in patients receiving 177 Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE than those receiving 177 Lu-DOTATATE (3.2 and 18.2-fold, respectively). Conclusion: By introducing an albumin binding moiety, 177 Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE showed remarkably higher uptake and retention in NET

  18. Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy with 177Lu-DOTATATE for Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Occurring in Association with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 and Cushing's Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naik, Chinna; Basu, Sandip

    2017-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumor (NET) occurring in association with other endocrine syndromes forms a distinct entity. The aim was to assess the therapy response profile of the routine peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) in this relatively uncommon but clinically challenging subgroup of patients. A retrospective analysis was undertaken from the case records from those who were treated with 177 Lu-DOTATATE for metastatic NET. In addition to assessing the therapeutic efficacy, emphasis was also given to study lesional sites and scan pattern. A total of 5 cases were found: In this series of five cases, four belonged to multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) syndrome; in these four MEN1 syndrome patients, the primary site of NET was thymic region ( n = 1), duodenum ( n = 1), and pancreas ( n = 2). The fifth case was of Cushing's syndrome with the primary site of NET in the thymus. A good symptomatic response was observed in all MEN1 syndrome cases (100%) and progression of symptoms in the patient with Cushing's syndrome. The biochemical response (assessed by measurement of tumor marker serum chromogranin A) demonstrated very good partial response (defined by more than 75% reduction of tumor marker) in 2 MEN1 cases and Cushing's syndrome, good partial response (25-75% reduction of tumor marker) in the remaining 2 MEN1 cases. Scan wise (assessed by technetium [ 99m Tc]-hydrazinonicotinamide [HYNIC]-tektrotyd [TOC]/ 68 Ga-DOTA-NOC/TATE positron emission tomography-computed tomography [PET-CT] and fluorodeoxyglucose [FDG] PET-CT) partial response was observed in 3 MEN1 cases, stable disease was noted in one MEN1 case and disease progression was noted in the patient with Cushing's syndrome. The change in FDG uptake was found to be an important sensitive scan parameter in the treatment evaluation of NETs compared to somatostatin receptor-based imaging in the cases with low MiB1 index. In our series, good palliative response to 177 Lu-DOTA-octreotate (DOTATATE) PRRT was

  19. Evaluation of F8-TNF-α in Models of Early and Progressive Metastatic Osteosarcoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernhard Robl

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The targeted delivery of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α with antibodies specific to splice isoforms of fibronectin [e.g., F8-TNF, specific to the extra-domain A (EDA domain of fibronectin] has already shown efficacy against experimental sarcomas but has not yet been investigated in orthotopic sarcomas. Here, we investigated F8-TNF in a syngeneic K7 M2–derived orthotopic model of osteosarcoma as a treatment against pulmonary metastases, the most frequent cause of osteosarcoma-related death. Immunofluorescence on human osteosarcoma tissue confirmed the presence of EDA in primary tumors (PTs as well as metastases. In mice, the efficacy of F8-TNF against PTs and early pulmonary metastases was evaluated. Intratibial PT growth was not affected by F8-TNF, yet early micrometastases were reduced possibly due to an F8-TNF–dependent attraction of pulmonary CD4+, CD8+, and natural killer cells. Furthermore, immunofluorescence revealed stronger expression of EDA in early pulmonary metastases compared with PT tissue. To study progressing pulmonary metastases, a hind limb amputation model was established, and the efficacy of F8-TNF, alone or combined with doxorubicin, was investigated. Despite the presence of EDA in metastases, no inhibition of progressive metastatic growth was detected. No significant differences in numbers of CD4+ or CD8+ cells or F4/80+ and Ly6G+ myeloid-derived cells were observed, although a strong association between metastatic growth and presence of pulmonary Ly6G+ myeloid-derived cells was detected. In summary, these findings demonstrate the potential of F8-TNF in activating the immune system and reducing early metastatic growth yet suggest a lack of efficacy of F8-TNF alone or combined with doxorubicin against progressing osteosarcoma metastases.

  20. Evaluation of F8-TNF-α in Models of Early and Progressive Metastatic Osteosarcoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robl, Bernhard; Botter, Sander Martijn; Boro, Aleksandar; Meier, Daniela; Neri, Dario; Fuchs, Bruno

    2017-06-01

    The targeted delivery of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) with antibodies specific to splice isoforms of fibronectin [e.g., F8-TNF, specific to the extra-domain A (EDA) domain of fibronectin] has already shown efficacy against experimental sarcomas but has not yet been investigated in orthotopic sarcomas. Here, we investigated F8-TNF in a syngeneic K7 M2-derived orthotopic model of osteosarcoma as a treatment against pulmonary metastases, the most frequent cause of osteosarcoma-related death. Immunofluorescence on human osteosarcoma tissue confirmed the presence of EDA in primary tumors (PTs) as well as metastases. In mice, the efficacy of F8-TNF against PTs and early pulmonary metastases was evaluated. Intratibial PT growth was not affected by F8-TNF, yet early micrometastases were reduced possibly due to an F8-TNF-dependent attraction of pulmonary CD4 + , CD8 + , and natural killer cells. Furthermore, immunofluorescence revealed stronger expression of EDA in early pulmonary metastases compared with PT tissue. To study progressing pulmonary metastases, a hind limb amputation model was established, and the efficacy of F8-TNF, alone or combined with doxorubicin, was investigated. Despite the presence of EDA in metastases, no inhibition of progressive metastatic growth was detected. No significant differences in numbers of CD4 + or CD8 + cells or F4/80 + and Ly6G + myeloid-derived cells were observed, although a strong association between metastatic growth and presence of pulmonary Ly6G + myeloid-derived cells was detected. In summary, these findings demonstrate the potential of F8-TNF in activating the immune system and reducing early metastatic growth yet suggest a lack of efficacy of F8-TNF alone or combined with doxorubicin against progressing osteosarcoma metastases. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Enzalutamide treatment in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer progressing after chemotherapy and abiraterone acetate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Frederik Birkebaek; Røder, Martin Andreas; Rathenborg, Per

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to record prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response and overall survival (OS) for a group of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with enzalutamide following progression after abiraterone treatment in the post-chemotherapy se......OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to record prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response and overall survival (OS) for a group of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with enzalutamide following progression after abiraterone treatment in the post......-chemotherapy setting. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-four mCRPC patients with progression after abiraterone treatment following primary docetaxel therapy received enzalutamide 160 mg/day. The percentage PSA response was recorded following first line docetaxel, abiraterone and enzalutamide treatment. Fischer's exact test......, Mann-Whitney U test and linear regression model were used to test for differences in PSA response. RESULTS: All patients had a follow-up of at least 3 months. The median PSA response following 1 month of enzalutamide was -12% (range -56% to 76%), while the median best PSA response was -22% (-76% to 76...

  2. Circulating Tumor Cell Count Correlates with Colorectal Neoplasm Progression and Is a Prognostic Marker for Distant Metastasis in Non-Metastatic Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Wen-Sy; Chen, Jinn-Shiun; Shao, Hung-Jen; Wu, Jen-Chia; Lai-Ming, Jr.; Lu, Si-Hong; Hung, Tsung-Fu; Chiu, Yen-Chi; You, Jeng-Fu; Hsieh, Pao-Shiu; Yeh, Chien-Yuh; Hung, Hsin-Yuan; Chiang, Sum-Fu; Lin, Geng-Ping; Tang, Reiping; Chang, Ying-Chih

    2016-04-01

    Enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been proven as a prognostic marker for metastatic colorectal cancer (m-CRC) patients. However, the currently available techniques for capturing and enumerating CTCs lack of required sensitivity to be applicable as a prognostic marker for non-metastatic patients as CTCs are even more rare. We have developed a microfluidic device utilizing antibody-conjugated non-fouling coating to eliminate nonspecific binding and to promote the multivalent binding of target cells. We then established the correlation of CTC counts and neoplasm progression through applying this platform to capture and enumerate CTCs in 2 mL of peripheral blood from healthy (n = 27), benign (n = 21), non-metastatic (n = 95), and m-CRC (n = 15) patients. The results showed that the CTC counts progressed from 0, 1, 5, to 36. Importantly, after 2-year follow-up on the non-metastatic CRC patients, we found that those who had ≥5 CTCs were 8 times more likely to develop distant metastasis within one year after curable surgery than those who had marker for the non-metastatic CRC patients who are at high risk of early recurrence.

  3. Tumor progression: analysis of the instability of the metastatic phenotype, sensitivity to radiation and chemotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Welch, D.R.

    1984-01-01

    The major complications for tumor therapy are 1) tumor spread (metastasis); 2) the mixed nature of tumors (heterogeneity); and 3) the capacity of tumors to evolve (progress). To study these tumor characteristics, the rat 13762NF mammary adenocarcinoma was cloned and studied for metastatic properties and sensitivities to therapy (chemotherapy, radiation and hyperthermia). The cell clones were heterogeneous and no correlation between metastatic potential and therapeutic sensitivities was observed. Further, these phenotypes were unstable during pasage in vitro; yet, the changes were clone dependent and reproducible using different cryoprotected cell stocks. To understand the phenotypic instability, subclones were isolated from low and high passage cell clones. The results demonstrated that 1) tumor cells are heterogeneous for multiple phenotypes; 2) tumor cells are unstable for multiple phenotypes; 3) the magnitude, direction and time of occurrence of phenotypic drift is clone dependent; 4) the sensitivity of cell clones to ionizing radiation (γ or heat) and chemotherapy agents is independent of their metastatic potential; 5) shifts in metastatic potential and sensitivity to therapy may occur simultaneously but are not linked; and 6) tumor cells independently diverge to form several subpopulations with unique phenotypic profiles

  4. Preventive medicine for von Hippel-Lindau disease-associated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krauss, Tobias; Ferrara, Alfonso Massimiliano; Links, Thera P; Wellner, Ulrich; Bancos, Irina; Kvachenyuk, Andrey; Villar Gómez de Las Heras, Karina; Yukina, Marina; Petrov, Roman; Bullivant, Garrett; von Duecker, Laura; Jadhav, Swati S; Ploeckinger, Ursula; Welin, Staffan; Schalin-Jantti, Camilla; Gimm, Oliver; Pfeifer, Marija; Ngeow, Joanne; Hasse-Lazar, Kornelia; Sanso, Gabriela; Qi, Xiao-Ping; Ugurlu, Umit; Diaz, Rene Eduardo; Wohllk, Nelson; Peczkowska, Mariola; Aberle, Jens; Lourenço, Delmar Muniz; Pereira, Maria Adelaide; Fragoso, Maria Candida Barisson Villares; Hoff, Ana O; Almeida, Madson Queiroz; Violante, Alice H D; Quidute, Ana R P; Zhang, Zheiwei; Recasens, Monica; Robles Diaz, Luis; Kunavisarut, Tada; Wannachalee, Taweesak; Sirinvaravong, Sirinart; Jonasch, Eric; Grozinsky-Glasberg, Simona; Fraenkel, Merav; Beltsevich, Dmitry; Egorov, Viacheslav I; Bausch, Dirk; Schott, Matthias; Tiling, Nikolaus; Pennelli, Gianmaria; Zschiedrich, Stefan; Därr, Roland; Ruf, Juri; Denecke, Timm; Link, Karl-Heinrich; Zovato, Stefania; von Dobschuetz, Ernst; Yaremchuk, Svetlana; Amthauer, Holger; Makay, Ozer; Patocs, Attila; Walz, Martin K; Huber, Tobias B; Seufert, Jochen; Hellman, Per; Kim, Raymond H; Kuchinskaya, Ekaterina; Schiavi, Francesca; Malinoc, Angelica; Reisch, Nicole; Jarzab, Barbara; Barontini, Marta; Januszewicz, Andrzej; Shah, Nalini; Young, William; Opocher, Giuseppe; Eng, Charis; Neumann, Hartmut P H; Bausch, Birke

    2018-05-10

    Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are rare in von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) but cause serious morbidity and mortality. Management guidelines for VHL-PanNETs continue to be based on limited evidence, and survival data to guide surgical management are lacking. We established the European-American-Asian-VHL-PanNET-Registry to assess data for risks for metastases, survival and long-term outcomes to provide best management recommendations. Of 2,330 VHL patients, 273 had a total of 484 PanNETs. Median age at diagnosis of PanNET was 35 years (range 10-75). Fifty-five (20%) patients had metastatic PanNETs. Metastatic PanNETs were significantly larger (median size 5 vs 2 cm; P1.5 cm in diameter were operated. Ten-year survival was significantly longer in operated vs non-operated patients, in particular for PanNETs <2.8cm vs ≥2.8 cm (94% vs 85% by 10 years; P=0.020; 80% vs 50% at 10 years; P=0.030). This study demonstrates that patients with PanNET approaching the cut-off diameter of 2.8 cm should be operated. Mutations in exon 3, especially of codons 161/167 are at enhanced risk for metastatic PanNETs. Survival is significantly longer in operated non-metastatic VHL-PanNETs.

  5. Neuroendocrine Tumours : From Radiomolecular Imaging to Radionuclide Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    GEORGIOS eLIMOURIS

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Transhepatic radionuclide infusion (THRI has been introduced as a new treatment approach for unresectable liver neuroendocrine metastatic lesions with the prerequisite of a positive In-111 Pentetreotide (Octreoscan. Patients with multiple liver neuroendocrine metastases can be locally treated after selective hepatic artery catheterization and infusion of radiolabelled somatostatin analogues, and in case of extra-hepatic secondary spread, after simple i.v. application. According to the world wide references, the average dose per session to each patient is 6.3±0.3 GBq (~ 160-180 mCi of In-111-DTPA-Phe1- Pentetreotide, 10-12 fold in total, administered monthly or of 4.1± 0.2 GBq (~105-116 mCi of Y-90 DOTA TOC, 3 fold in total or of 7.0 ± 0.4 GBq (~178-200 mCi of Lu-177 DOTA TATE, 4-6 fold in total (the choice of which being based on the tumor size, assessed by CT or MRI . Follow-up at monthly intervals has to be performed by means of ultrasonography (US. Treat- ment response has to be assessed according to the WHO criteria (RECIST or SWOG.

  6. Incidental intraoperative discovery of a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor associated with chronic pancreatitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Surlin Valeriu

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are a rare entity with an incidence between 2 per million to 5 per 100 000. Association with pancreatitis (acute or chronic is rare and is considered to be determined by the tumoral obstruction of pancreatic ducts, but sometimes occurs without any apparent relationship between them. Non-functional neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors are usually diagnosed when either very large or metastatic. Small ones are occasionally diagnosed when imagery is performed for other diagnostic reasons. Intraoperative discovery is even rarer and poses problems of differential diagnosis with other pancreatic tumors. Association with chronic pancreatitis is rare and usually due to pancreatic duct obstruction by the tumor. We describe the case of a patient with a small non-functioning neuroendocrine tumor in the pancreatic tail accidentally discovered during surgery for delayed traumatic splenic rupture associated with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis. The tumor of 1.5cm size was well differentiated and confined to the pancreas, and was resected by a distal splenopancreatectomy. Conclusions Surgeons should be well aware of the rare possibility of a non-functional neuroendocrine tumor in the pancreas, associated with chronic pancreatitis, surgical resection being the optimal treatment for cure. Histopathology is of utmost importance to establish the correct diagnosis, grade of differentiation, malignancy and prognosis. Virtual slides The virtual slide(s for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/2114470176676003.

  7. Specific targeting for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors; Ciblage specifique pour le traitement des tumeurs neuro-endocrines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoefnagel, C.A. [Netherlands Cancer Institute 1066 CX Amsterdam, Dept. of Nuclear Medicine (Netherlands)

    2003-09-01

    For the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors three ways of specific targeting of radionuclides prevail: by {sup 131}I-meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine (MIBG), which is taken up by an active uptake-1 mechanism and stored in neurosecretory granules of neural crest tumor cells, by radiolabeled peptides, in particular the somatostatin analogs octreotide and lanreotide, targeting the peptide receptors, and by radiolabeled antibodies, which target tumor cell surface antigens. The choice depends on the indication, the results of diagnostic imaging using tracer amounts of these agents, the availability and feasibility of radionuclide therapy and of other treatment modalities. The applications, clinical results and developments for the major indications are reviewed. {sup 131}I-MIBG therapy has a cumulative response rate of 50%, associated with little toxicity, in metastatic pheochromocytoma, paraganglioma and neuroblastoma, whereas its role is primarily palliative in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma and carcinoid tumors. Treatment using {sup 90}Y- or {sup 177}Lu-labeled octreotide/lanreotide is mostly used in neuroendocrine gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) tumors and paraganglioma, attaining stabilization of disease anti-palliation in the majority of patients. As this treatment is specific for the receptor rather than for the tumor type, it may also be applicable to other, non-neuroendocrine tumors. Radioimmunotherapy is applied in medullary thyroid carcinoma, in which a phase I/II study using bi-specific anti-DTPA/anti-CEA immuno-conjugates followed by {sup 131}I-hapten has proven some degree of success, and may be used in neuroblastoma more effectively than before, once chimeric and humanized monoclonal antibodies become available for therapy. Integration of these specific and noninvasive therapies at an optimal moment into the treatment protocols of these diseases may enhance their effectiveness and acceptance. (author)

  8. Emerging Therapies in Metastatic Prostate Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonnenburg, Daniel W; Morgans, Alicia K

    2018-04-11

    In the last decade, there have been multiple landmark therapeutic advances for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, both in the castration-resistant and hormone-sensitive setting. In this review, we highlight recent progress and ongoing trials for metastatic prostate cancer, including advances in chemotherapy, androgen receptor-directed therapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy. Several landmark studies for men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer demonstrated improvement in overall survival with the addition of docetaxel chemotherapy or abiraterone acetate to standard androgen deprivation therapy. A single-arm phase 2 study of the PARP inhibitor olaparib demonstrated high response rates and more favorable progression-free and overall survival for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and DNA repair defects treated with olaparib compared with men without DNA repair defects. Multiple ongoing clinical trials are investigating novel hormonal therapies and combinations of chemotherapy, targeted small molecules, immunotherapy, and radiopharmaceuticals. Progress continues to be made in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, and ongoing clinical trials continue to investigate novel agents and approaches to treatment.

  9. 68Ga/177Lu-labeled DOTA-TATE shows similar imaging and biodistribution in neuroendocrine tumor model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Fei; Zhu, Hua; Yu, Jiangyuan; Han, Xuedi; Xie, Qinghua; Liu, Teli; Xia, Chuanqin; Li, Nan; Yang, Zhi

    2017-06-01

    Somatostatin receptors are overexpressed in neuroendocrine tumors, whose endogenous ligands are somatostatin. DOTA-TATE is an analogue of somatostatin, which shows high binding affinity to somatostatin receptors. We aim to evaluate the 68 Ga/ 177 Lu-labeling DOTA-TATE kit in neuroendocrine tumor model for molecular imaging and to try human-positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging of 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE in neuroendocrine tumor patients. DOTA-TATE kits were formulated and radiolabeled with 68 Ga/ 177 Lu for 68 Ga/ 177 Lu-DOTA-TATE (M-DOTA-TATE). In vitro and in vivo stability of 177 Lu-DOTA-TATE were performed. Nude mice bearing human tumors were injected with 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE or 177 Lu-DOTA-TATE for micro-positron emission tomography and micro-single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography imaging separately, and clinical positron emission tomography/computed tomography images of 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE were obtained at 1 h post-intravenous injection from patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Micro-positron emission tomography and micro-single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography imaging of 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE and 177 Lu-DOTA-TATE both showed clear tumor uptake which could be blocked by excess DOTA-TATE. In addition, 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE-positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging in neuroendocrine tumor patients could show primary and metastatic lesions. 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE and 177 Lu-DOTA-TATE could accumulate in tumors in animal models, paving the way for better clinical peptide receptor radionuclide therapy for neuroendocrine tumor patients in Asian population.

  10. Concurrent AURKA and MYCN Gene Amplifications Are Harbingers of Lethal TreatmentRelated Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Miguel Mosquera

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC, also referred to as anaplastic prostate cancer, is a lethal tumor that most commonly arises in late stages of prostate adenocarcinoma (PCA with predilection to metastasize to visceral organs. In the current study, we explore for evidence that Aurora kinase A (AURKA and N-myc (MYCN gene abnormalities are harbingers of treatment-related NEPC (t-NEPC. We studied primary prostate tissue from 15 hormone naïve PCAs, 51 castration-resistant prostate cancers, and 15 metastatic tumors from 72 patients at different stages of disease progression to t-NEPC, some with multiple specimens. Histologic evaluation, immunohistochemistry, and fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed and correlated with clinical variables. AURKA amplification was identified in overall 65% of PCAs (hormone naïve and treated from patients that developed t-NEPC and in 86% of metastases. Concurrent amplification of MYCN was present in 70% of primary PCAs, 69% of treated PCAs, and 83% of metastases. In contrast, in an unselected PCA cohort, AURKA and MYCN amplifications were identified in only 5% of 169 cases. When metastatic t-NEPC was compared to primary PCA from the same patients, there was 100% concordance of ERG rearrangement, 100% concordance of AURKA amplification, and 60% concordance of MYCN amplification. In tumors with mixed features, there was also 100% concordance of ERG rearrangement and 94% concordance of AURKA and MYCN co-amplification between areas of NEPC and adenocarcinoma. AURKA and MYCN amplifications may be prognostic and predictive biomarkers, as they are harbingers of tumors at risk of progressing to t-NEPC after hormonal therapy.

  11. Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium, a rare aggressive tumor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajab, Khalil E.; Sandhu, Amarjit K.; Rajeswari, Mangla S.; Malik, A.

    2005-01-01

    This is a report of a young infertile woman with a history of 8 years amenorrhea, who presented with history of vaginal bleeding of 2 months duration. Investigations revealed a small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium, which penetrated half of the thickness of uterine wall. We have described the clinical progress and management of this rare and highly malignant cancer. A review of the pathological types and behavior of clear cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is presented. (author)

  12. Comparison of diagnostic accuracy of {sup 111}In-pentetreotide SPECT and {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT: A lesion-by-lesion analysis in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumours

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Binnebeek, S. van; Vanbilloen, B.; Baete, K.; Terwinghe, C.; Koole, M.; Mortelmans, L. [KU Leuven, Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven and Department of Imaging and Pathology, Leuven (Belgium); Mottaghy, F.M. [Maastricht University Medical Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht (Netherlands); University Hospital Aachen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aachen (Germany); Clement, P.M. [KU Leuven, Medical Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven and Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Leuven (Belgium); Bogaerts, K. [KU Leuven and UHasselt, Department of Public Health and Primary Care (I-BioStat), Leuven (Belgium); Haustermans, K. [KU Leuven, Radiation Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven and Department of Oncology, Leuven (Belgium); Nackaerts, K. [University Hospitals Leuven, Pulmonology, Leuven (Belgium); Cutsem, E. van; Verslype, C. [KU Leuven, Division of Digestive Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven and Department of Oncology, Leuven (Belgium); Verbruggen, A. [KU Leuven, Laboratory for Radiopharmacy, Leuven (Belgium); Deroose, C.M. [KU Leuven, Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven and Department of Imaging and Pathology, Leuven (Belgium); University Hospitals Leuven, Nuclear Medicine, Leuven (Belgium)

    2016-03-15

    To compare the diagnostic accuracy of {sup 111}In-pentetreotide-scintigraphy with {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in patients with metastatic-neuroendocrine tumour (NET) scheduled for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). Incremental lesions (ILs) were defined as lesions observed on only one modality. Fifty-three metastatic-NET-patients underwent {sup 111}In-pentetreotide-scintigraphy (24 h post-injection; planar+single-photon emission CT (SPECT) abdomen) and whole-body {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC-PET/CT. SPECT and PET were compared in a lesion-by-lesion and organ-by-organ analysis, determining the total lesions and ILs for both modalities. Significantly more lesions were detected on {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC-PET/CT versus {sup 111}In-pentetreotide-scintigraphy. More specifically, we observed 1,098 lesions on PET/CT (range: 1-105; median: 15) versus 660 on SPECT (range: 0-73, median: 9) (p<0.0001), with 439 PET-ILs (42/53 patients) and one SPECT-IL (1/53 patients). The sensitivity for PET/CT was 99.9 % (95 % CI, 99.3-100.0), for SPECT 60.0 % (95 % CI, 48.5-70.2). The organ-by-organ analysis showed that the PET-ILs were most frequently visualized in liver and skeleton. Ga-DOTATOC-PET/CT is superior for the detection of NET-metastases compared to {sup 111}In-pentetreotide SPECT. (orig.)

  13. Genetic alterations in fatty acid transport and metabolism genes are associated with metastatic progression and poor prognosis of human cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nath, Aritro; Chan, Christina

    2016-01-04

    Reprogramming of cellular metabolism is a hallmark feature of cancer cells. While a distinct set of processes drive metastasis when compared to tumorigenesis, it is yet unclear if genetic alterations in metabolic pathways are associated with metastatic progression of human cancers. Here, we analyzed the mutation, copy number variation and gene expression patterns of a literature-derived model of metabolic genes associated with glycolysis (Warburg effect), fatty acid metabolism (lipogenesis, oxidation, lipolysis, esterification) and fatty acid uptake in >9000 primary or metastatic tumor samples from the multi-cancer TCGA datasets. Our association analysis revealed a uniform pattern of Warburg effect mutations influencing prognosis across all tumor types, while copy number alterations in the electron transport chain gene SCO2, fatty acid uptake (CAV1, CD36) and lipogenesis (PPARA, PPARD, MLXIPL) genes were enriched in metastatic tumors. Using gene expression profiles, we established a gene-signature (CAV1, CD36, MLXIPL, CPT1C, CYP2E1) that strongly associated with epithelial-mesenchymal program across multiple cancers. Moreover, stratification of samples based on the copy number or expression profiles of the genes identified in our analysis revealed a significant effect on patient survival rates, thus confirming prominent roles of fatty acid uptake and metabolism in metastatic progression and poor prognosis of human cancers.

  14. Topotecan Monotherapy in Heavily Pretreated Patients with Progressive Advanced Stage Neuroendocrine Carcinomas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Ingrid Marie Holst; Knigge, Ulrich; Federspiel, Birgitte

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine carcinomas (WHO grade 3) are highly aggressive tumors with an immense tendency to metastasize and with a poor prognosis. In advanced disease, there is no standard treatment beyond first-line platin/etoposide-based chemotherapy. Topotecan is widely used as second...... neuroendocrine carcinomas (Ki67>20%, G3) successively treated with oral topotecan 2.3 mg/m(2) d1-5 every 3 weeks. All patients had previously received treatment with carboplatin/etoposide. Demographic, clinical and pathological features were recorded. CT-evaluations according to RECIST 1.1 were performed after...... every three courses. Hematological toxicity was assessed by CTC-criteria. RESULTS: Twenty-two eligible patients received a median of 2 courses [range1-6]. Median age: 65 years [35-77]. Male/female: 11/11. Median Ki-67 index: 95% [25-100%]. Median number previous chemotherapy regimens: 2 [1-3]. All...

  15. Effects of clusterin over-expression on metastatic progression and therapy in breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flanagan, Louise; Whyte, Lorna; Chatterjee, Namita; Tenniswood, Martin

    2010-01-01

    Clusterin is a secreted glycoprotein that is upregulated in a variety of cell lines in response to stress, and enhances cell survival. A second nuclear isoform of clusterin that is associated with cell death has also been identified. The aim of this study was to determine the role(s) of the secretory isoform in breast tumor progression and metastasis. To investigate the role of secretory clusterin in the biology of breast cancer tumor growth and resistance to therapy we have engineered an MCF-7 cell line (MCF-7CLU) that over-expresses clusterin. We have measured the in vitro effects of clusterin over-expression on cell cycle, cell death, and sensitivity to TNFalpha and tamoxifen. Using an orthotopic model of breast cancer, we have also determined the effects of over-expression of clusterin on tumor growth and metastatic progression. In vitro, over-expression of secretory clusterin alters the cell cycle kinetics and decreases the rate of cell death, resulting in the enhancement of cell growth. Over-expression of secretory clusterin also blocks the TNFalpha-mediated induction of p21 and abrogates the cleavage of Bax to t-Bax, rendering the MCF-7CLU cells significantly more resistant to the cytokine than the parental cells. Orthotopic primary tumors derived from MCF-7CLU cells grow significantly more rapidly than tumors derived from parental MCF-7 cells and, unlike the parental cells, metastasize frequently to the lungs. These data suggest that secretory clusterin, which is frequently up-regulated in breast cancers by common therapies, including anti-estrogens, may play a significant role in tumor growth, metastatic progression and subsequent drug resistance in surviving cells

  16. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flavio L. Heldwein

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: To assess the current treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, focusing on medical treatment options. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The most important recent publications have been selected after a literature search employing PubMed using the search terms: advanced and metastatic renal cell carcinoma, anti-angiogenesis drugs and systemic therapy; also significant meeting abstracts were consulted. RESULTS: Progress in understanding the molecular basis of renal cell carcinoma, especially related to genetics and angiogenesis, has been achieved mainly through of the study of von Hippel-Lindau disease. A great variety of active agents have been developed and tested in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC patients. New specific molecular therapies in metastatic disease are discussed. Sunitinib, Sorafenib and Bevacizumab increase the progression-free survival when compared to therapy with cytokines. Temsirolimus increases overall survival in high-risk patients. Growth factors and regulatory enzymes, such as carbonic anhydrase IX may be targets for future therapies. CONCLUSIONS: A broader knowledge of clear cell carcinoma molecular biology has permitted the beginning of a new era in mRCC therapy. Benefits of these novel agents in terms of progression-free and overall survival have been observed in patients with mRCC, and, in many cases, have become the standard of care. Sunitinib is now considered the new reference first-line treatment for mRCC. Despite all the progress in recent years, complete responses are still very rare. Currently, many important issues regarding the use of these agents in the management of metastatic renal cancer still need to be properly addressed.

  17. Large-Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Esophagus: A Case from Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hadi Kuriry

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Neuroendocrine carcinomas of the esophagus are very rare, and the majority are high grade (poorly differentiated. They occur most frequently in males in their sixth and seventh decades of life. There have been no concrete data published on clinical features or on prognosis. We report a case of large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the esophagus in a 66-year-old Saudi female with progressive dysphagia and weight loss. Upper endoscopy revealed an esophageal ulcerated mass.

  18. Targeted radionuclide therapy for neuroendocrine tumours: principles and application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Druce, Maralyn R; Lewington, Val; Grossman, Ashley B

    2010-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumours comprise a group of neoplasms with variable clinical behaviour. Their growth and spread is often very slow and initially asymptomatic, and thus they are often metastatic at the time of diagnosis and incurable by surgery. An exciting therapeutic strategy for cytoreduction, both for stabilisation of tumour growth and inhibition of hormone production, is the use of targeted radionuclide therapy. Evidence from large-scale, randomised, placebo-controlled trials is very difficult to obtain in these rare diseases, but current data appear promising. It is timely to review the principles underlying the use of these therapies, together with the clinical outcomes to date and potential directions for future research. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  19. Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Lung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fisseler-Eckhoff, Annette, E-mail: Annette.Fisseler-Eckhoff@hsk-wiesbaden.de; Demes, Melanie [Department of Pathology und Cytology, Dr. Horst-Schmidt-Kliniken (HSK), Wiesbaden 65199 (Germany)

    2012-07-31

    Neuroendocrine tumors may develop throughout the human body with the majority being found in the gastrointestinal tract and bronchopulmonary system. Neuroendocrine tumors are classified according to the grade of biological aggressiveness (G1–G3) and the extent of differentiation (well-differentiated/poorly-differentiated). The well-differentiated neoplasms comprise typical (G1) and atypical (G2) carcinoids. Large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas as well as small cell carcinomas (G3) are poorly-differentiated. The identification and differentiation of atypical from typical carcinoids or large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and small cell carcinomas is essential for treatment options and prognosis. Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors are characterized according to the proportion of necrosis, the mitotic activity, palisading, rosette-like structure, trabecular pattern and organoid nesting. The given information about the histopathological assessment, classification, prognosis, genetic aberration as well as treatment options of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors are based on own experiences and reviewing the current literature available. Most disagreements among the classification of neuroendocrine tumor entities exist in the identification of typical versus atypical carcinoids, atypical versus large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas versus small cell carcinomas. Additionally, the classification is restricted in terms of limited specificity of immunohistochemical markers and possible artifacts in small biopsies which can be compressed in cytological specimens. Until now, pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors have been increasing in incidence. As compared to NSCLCs, only little research has been done with respect to new molecular targets as well as improving the classification and differential diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors of the lung.

  20. Neuroendocrine Tumor: Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Tumor > Neuroendocrine Tumor: Statistics Request Permissions Neuroendocrine Tumor: Statistics Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board , 01/ ... the body. It is important to remember that statistics on the survival rates for people with a ...

  1. Effects of clusterin over-expression on metastatic progression and therapy in breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chatterjee Namita

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Clusterin is a secreted glycoprotein that is upregulated in a variety of cell lines in response to stress, and enhances cell survival. A second nuclear isoform of clusterin that is associated with cell death has also been identified. The aim of this study was to determine the role(s of the secretory isoform in breast tumor progression and metastasis. Methods To investigate the role of secretory clusterin in the biology of breast cancer tumor growth and resistance to therapy we have engineered an MCF-7 cell line (MCF-7CLU that over-expresses clusterin. We have measured the in vitro effects of clusterin over-expression on cell cycle, cell death, and sensitivity to TNFalpha and tamoxifen. Using an orthotopic model of breast cancer, we have also determined the effects of over-expression of clusterin on tumor growth and metastatic progression. Results In vitro, over-expression of secretory clusterin alters the cell cycle kinetics and decreases the rate of cell death, resulting in the enhancement of cell growth. Over-expression of secretory clusterin also blocks the TNFalpha-mediated induction of p21 and abrogates the cleavage of Bax to t-Bax, rendering the MCF-7CLU cells significantly more resistant to the cytokine than the parental cells. Orthotopic primary tumors derived from MCF-7CLU cells grow significantly more rapidly than tumors derived from parental MCF-7 cells and, unlike the parental cells, metastasize frequently to the lungs. Conclusions These data suggest that secretory clusterin, which is frequently up-regulated in breast cancers by common therapies, including anti-estrogens, may play a significant role in tumor growth, metastatic progression and subsequent drug resistance in surviving cells.

  2. {sup 177}Lu-DOTATATE therapy in patients with neuroendocrine tumours: 5 years' experience from a tertiary cancer care centre in India

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Danthala, Madhav; Raghavendra Rao, M. [HCG Oncology Hospitals, Bangalore, Karnataka (India); Kallur, K.G.; Prashant, G.R.; Rajkumar, K. [HCG Oncology Hospitals, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Bangalore, Karnataka (India)

    2014-07-15

    The choice of an appropriate treatment option in patients with inoperable or metastatic neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) is limited, and approximately 50 % of patients have advanced NET at diagnosis, and 65 % die within 5 years. Treatment with {sup 177}Lu-DOTATATE ({sup 177}Lu-[DOTA{sup 0},Tyr{sup 3}] octreotate) is a promising new option in the treatment of metastatic NETs. Patients with metastatic NET who underwent {sup 177}Lu-DOTATATE during the period 2009 to 2013 were included in this retrospective study. Follow-up imaging studies including a {sup 68}Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT scan and a posttherapy {sup 177}Lu-DOTATATE scan were compared with baseline imaging to determine response to treatment. Progression-free survival (PFS) was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis was also done. Ten patients (25 %) had a minimal response, 13 (32.5 %) had a partial response and 9 (22.5 %) had stable disease. Progressive disease was seen in 8 patients (20 %), including 6 patients who died during or after the treatment period. The estimated mean PFS in those who received one or two cycles of {sup 177}Lu-DOTATATE was 8.3 months (95 % CI 6.2 to 10.3 months) compared to an estimated mean PFS of 45.6 months (95 % CI 40.9 to 50.2 months) in those who received more than two cycles of {sup 177}Lu-DOTATATE (log-rank Mantel-Cox Χ {sup 2} = 8.01, p = 0.005). Our study showed that treatment with {sup 177}Lu-DOTATATE should be considered in the management of NETs, considering the limited success of alternative treatment modalities. Treatment response and PFS is determined primarily by the dose delivered and best results are obtained when more than two cycles of {sup 177}Lu-DOTATATE are given, with careful monitoring for possible side effects. (orig.)

  3. Enzalutamide in metastatic prostate cancer before chemotherapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beer, Tomasz M; Armstrong, Andrew J; Rathkopf, Dana E

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Enzalutamide is an oral androgen-receptor inhibitor that prolongs survival in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in whom the disease has progressed after chemotherapy. New treatment options are needed for patients with metastatic prostate cancer who have...... the most common clinically relevant adverse events associated with enzalutamide treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Enzalutamide significantly decreased the risk of radiographic progression and death and delayed the initiation of chemotherapy in men with metastatic prostate cancer. (Funded by Medivation and Astellas...... skeletal-related event (hazard ratio, 0.72), a complete or partial soft-tissue response (59% vs. 5%), the time until prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression (hazard ratio, 0.17), and a rate of decline of at least 50% in PSA (78% vs. 3%) (P

  4. Specific targeting for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoefnagel, C.A.

    2003-01-01

    For the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors three ways of specific targeting of radionuclides prevail: by 131 I-meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine (MIBG), which is taken up by an active uptake-1 mechanism and stored in neurosecretory granules of neural crest tumor cells, by radiolabeled peptides, in particular the somatostatin analogs octreotide and lanreotide, targeting the peptide receptors, and by radiolabeled antibodies, which target tumor cell surface antigens. The choice depends on the indication, the results of diagnostic imaging using tracer amounts of these agents, the availability and feasibility of radionuclide therapy and of other treatment modalities. The applications, clinical results and developments for the major indications are reviewed. 131 I-MIBG therapy has a cumulative response rate of 50%, associated with little toxicity, in metastatic pheochromocytoma, paraganglioma and neuroblastoma, whereas its role is primarily palliative in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma and carcinoid tumors. Treatment using 90 Y- or 177 Lu-labeled octreotide/lanreotide is mostly used in neuroendocrine gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) tumors and paraganglioma, attaining stabilization of disease anti-palliation in the majority of patients. As this treatment is specific for the receptor rather than for the tumor type, it may also be applicable to other, non-neuroendocrine tumors. Radioimmunotherapy is applied in medullary thyroid carcinoma, in which a phase I/II study using bi-specific anti-DTPA/anti-CEA immuno-conjugates followed by 131 I-hapten has proven some degree of success, and may be used in neuroblastoma more effectively than before, once chimeric and humanized monoclonal antibodies become available for therapy. Integration of these specific and noninvasive therapies at an optimal moment into the treatment protocols of these diseases may enhance their effectiveness and acceptance. (author)

  5. Combination of capecitabine and oxaliplatin is an effective treatment option for advanced neuroendocrine tumors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Ferrarotto

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The role of chemotherapy in well differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NET has been questioned. It was recently demonstrated that everolimus and sunitinib have activity in low and intermediate grade pancreatic NET. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CapOx combination in treating NET in an unselected population. In this regard, we retrospectively evaluated 24 patients diagnosed with metastatic NET treated with CapOx at two Brazilian institutes that are reference centers in cancer care. Tumor response was measured by RECIST criteria. Median age at diagnosis was 56 years, 71% had ECOG 0 or 1, the majority of tumors were primary from pancreas (67% followed by lung (17%, and 29% were functional. According to WHO classification criteria, 25% were grade 1, 37.5% grade 2 and 37.5% grade 3. Most patients received CapOx as second-line therapy, with a median of 6 cycles. Twenty-nine percent of patients had partial response by RECIST criteria. No association was observed between response rate and tumor grade, primary site or line of CapOx. The median time to progression was 9.8 months and median time to treatment failure was 12.1 months. Seventy-five percent of patients are alive at the time of this analysis; therefore, median overall survival was not reached. The CapOx combination was shown to be active in an unselected population with metastatic NET and may be a good platform for the incorporation of the newer molecular targeted agents being investigated for the treatment of this entity.

  6. Avelumab for the treatment of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordes, L M; Gulley, J L

    2017-07-01

    Avelumab is a promising new therapeutic agent for patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive type of neuroendocrine tumor of the skin. Until the recent approval of avelumab (Bavencio), no therapies were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma. In a recent trial, avelumab, an anti-programmed death ligand-1 antibody, demonstrated an objective response in 28 of 88 patients (31.8% [95.9% CI, 21.9-43.1]) with advanced, chemotherapy-refractory Merkel cell carcinoma. Overall, avelumab was well tolerated at a dose of 10 mg/kg administered intravenously every 2 weeks. Serious treatment-related adverse events were reported in 5 patients (6%), but no grade 4 adverse events or treatment-related deaths were reported. Preliminary data evaluating avelumab in chemotherapy-naive patients is also encouraging. Copyright 2017 Clarivate Analytics.

  7. Radiolabelled somatostatin analogue treatment in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours: factors associated with response and suggestions for therapeutic sequence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Campana, Davide; Nori, Francesca; Cacciari, Giulia; Tomassetti, Paola [University of Bologna, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Bologna (Italy); Capurso, Gabriele; Panzuto, Francesco; Delle Fave, Gianfranco [University of Rome, Digestive and Liver Disease Unit, Rome (Italy); Partelli, Stefano [Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Department of Surgery, Negrar (Italy); University of Verona, Department of Surgery, Verona (Italy); Universita Politecnica delle Marche, Pancreas Surgical Unit, Ancona (Italy); Tamburrino, Domenico; Falconi, Massimo [University of Verona, Department of Surgery, Verona (Italy); Universita Politecnica delle Marche, Pancreas Surgical Unit, Ancona (Italy)

    2013-08-15

    Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is a relatively new treatment modality for patients with unresectable or metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP NETs). The aim of this study was to determine the time to progression of patients treated with PRRT and to identify the prognostic factors related to treatment response. Patients with sporadic GEP NETs prospectively treated with PRRT were retrospectively analysed. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). A total of 69 patients (37 men and 32 women; 45 with pancreatic and 24 with gastrointestinal lesion; 22 NET G1 and 41 NET G2) were treated with {sup 90}Y or {sup 177}Lu. The objective response rate was 27.5 % (partial response, PR), while 50.7 % had stable disease and 23.2 % had progressive disease. Significant differences in PFS were observed in relationship to the stage of the disease (44 months for stage III, 23 months for stage IV), the evidence of a PR 6 months after the end of the PRRT (39 months in patients with a PR, 22 months in patients without a PR) and previous transarterial chemoembolization (TACE, yes 13 months vs no 31 months). Stage IV, NET G2 and previous TACE were found to be significant factors for tumour progression at multivariate analysis. Low tumour burden and a low proliferation index represent independent prognostic factors for long PFS, while previous chemoembolization techniques represent independent prognostic factors for early tumour progression and shorter PFS. Our data suggest that chemoembolization techniques to reduce the hepatic tumour burden should be avoided. (orig.)

  8. Neuroendocrine tumors of the gallbladder: a case report and review of the literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mezi Silvia

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Primary gallbladder neuroendocrine tumors are extremely rare, representing 0.2% of all neuroendocrine tumors. The diagnosis is incidental in most cases. Case presentation We describe the case of a 57-year-old Caucasian man who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the evaluation of a gallbladder polyp that had been incidentally detected by ultasonography. Histologically, his lesion was composed of monomorphic cells that contained small round nuclei and that were organized in small nodular, trabecular, and acinar structures. His cells were positive for chromogranin A and synaptophysin, and a diagnosis of "typical" carcinoid of the gallbladder was made. His post-operative computerized axial tomography, 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy, and hormone-specific marker results were negative. He is disease-free 45 months after surgical treatment. Conclusions Characteristic pathological findings of the gallbladder neuroendocrine tumors predict the prognosis. Whereas classical carcinoids of the gallbladder only rarely have a metastatic or invasive phenotype, the "atypical" variants are more aggressive and are associated with a poorer prognosis. Given the difficulty in distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions in the pre-surgical setting, we tend to consider each polypoid-like lesion of the gallbladder to be a high-risk lesion if it is larger than 1 cm and, as a result, to emphasize the need for cholecystectomy in all cases, relying on the pathological and immunohistochemistry analyses for the final diagnosis.

  9. Regorafenib with a fluoropyrimidine for metastatic colorectal cancer after progression on multiple 5-FU-containing combination therapies and regorafenib monotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marks, Eric I; Tan, Carlyn; Zhang, Jun; Zhou, Lanlan; Yang, Zhaohai; Scicchitano, Angelique; El-Deiry, Wafik S

    2015-01-01

    We present 2 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who had progressed despite treatment with first-line FOLFOX and second-line FOLFIRI combination chemotherapy regimens. After failing these fluoropyrimidine-based regimens, both patients received additional cytotoxic and targeted therapies with eventual disease progression. These therapies included capecitabine plus dabrafenib and trametinib, regorafenib monotherapy, and regorafenib with panitumumab. After exhausting available options, both patients were offered regorafenib with either 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or capecitabine. These therapies are individually approved for the treatment of colorectal cancer but have not yet been studied in combination. This regimen produced stable disease in both patients with acceptable toxicity. One patient continued therapy for 17 months. Although these patients previously progressed during treatment with regorafenib, capecitabine or 5-FU, the combination had some activity in both cases of refractory metastatic colorectal cancer and may be considered in the palliative setting. In bedside-to-bench cell culture experiments performed after the clinical observations, we observed sensitivity of human colorectal cancer cell lines (N = 4) to single agent regorafenib or 5-FU and evidence of synergy with the combination therapy. Synergistic effects were noted in colorectal cancer cells with KRAS mutation, BRAF mutation, and p53 mutation, as well as mismatch repair deficient cells. Regorafenib suppressed Mcl-1 and Bcl-XL in treated cancer cells that may have contributed to the anticancer efficacy including in combination with 5-FU. The safety and efficacy of regorafenib with 5-FU or capecitabine in combination should be further investigated as a therapy for patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer, including individuals who had progressed on regorafenib monotherapy.

  10. Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms

    OpenAIRE

    Tan, Huangying

    2016-01-01

    Gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms (g-NENs) are a group of heterogeneous tumors arising from the endocrine cells of stomach. Most g-NENs progresses slowly and have a long disease course; however, some other g-NENs grow rapidly, similar to the progression of gastric adenocarcinoma. g-NENs have complex and diverse clinical manifestations and their prognosis and treatment strategies depend highly on clinical subtype, pathological grade, tumour stage, and other factors. Due to their low prevalence,...

  11. Focal adhesion kinase, a downstream mediator of Raf-1 signaling, suppresses cellular adhesion, migration, and neuroendocrine markers in BON carcinoid cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ning, Li; Chen, Herbert; Kunnimalaiyaan, Muthusamy

    2010-05-01

    We have recently reported that activation of the Raf-1/mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2)/ERK1/2 signaling cascade in gastrointestinal carcinoid cell line (BON) alters cellular morphology and neuroendocrine phenotype. The mechanisms by which Raf-1 mediates these changes in carcinoid cells are unclear. Here, we report that activation of the Raf-1 signaling cascade in BON cells induced the expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) protein, suppressed the production of neuroendocrine markers, and resulted in significant decreases in cellular adhesion and migration. Importantly, inactivation of MEK1/2 by 1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis[2-aminophenylthio]butadiene or abolition of FAK induction in Raf-1-activated BON cells by targeted siRNA led to reversal of the Raf-1-mediated reduction in neuroendocrine markers and cellular adhesion and migration. Phosphorylation site-specific antibodies detected the phosphorylated FAK(Tyr407), but not FAK(Tyr397), in these Raf-1-activated cells, indicating that FAK(Tyr407) may be associated with changes in the neuroendocrine phenotype. Overexpression of constitutively active FAK plasmids (wild-type FAK or FAK(Tyr397) mutant) into BON cells reduced neuroendocrine markers, whereas the FAK(Tyr407) mutant plasmid did not show any decrease in the levels of neuroendocrine markers, indicating that phosphorylation of FAK at the Tyr(407) residue may be important for these effects. Our results showed for the first time that FAK is an essential downstream effector of the Raf-1/MEK1/2/ERK1/2 signaling cascade and negatively regulated the neuroendocrine and metastatic phenotype in BON cells. (c)2010 AACR.

  12. Effectiveness and side-effects of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy for neuroendocrine neoplasms in Germany: A multi-institutional registry study with prospective follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hörsch, Dieter; Ezziddin, Samer; Haug, Alexander; Gratz, Klaus Friedrich; Dunkelmann, Simone; Miederer, Matthias; Schreckenberger, Mathias; Krause, Bernd Joachim; Bengel, Frank M; Bartenstein, Peter; Biersack, Hans-Jürgen; Pöpperl, Gabriele; Baum, R P

    2016-05-01

    Monocentric and retrospective studies indicate effectiveness of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy targeting somatostatin receptors of neuroendocrine neoplasms. We assessed overall and progression-free survival and adverse events of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy by a multi-institutional, board certified registry with prospective follow-up in five centres in Germany. A total of 450 patients were included and followed for a mean of 24.4 months. Most patients had progressive low- or intermediate grade neuroendocrine neoplasms and 73% were pretreated with at least one therapy. Primary neuroendocrine neoplasms were mainly derived of pancreas (38%), small bowel (30%), unknown primary (19%) or bronchial system (4%). Patients were treated with Lutetium-177 in 54%, with Yttrium-90 in 17% and with both radionuclides in 29%. Overall and progression-free survival was determined with Kaplan-Meier curves and uni-variate log rank test Cox models. Median overall survival of all patients was 59 (95% confidence interval [CI] 49-68.9) months. Overall survival was significantly inferior in the patients treated with Yttrium-90 solely (hazard ratio, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.83-5.64) compared to any peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with Lutetium-177. Grade II (hazard ratio, 2.06; 95% CI, 0.79-5.32) and grade III (hazard ratio, 4.22; 95% CI, 1.41-12.06) neuroendocrine neoplasms had significantly worse overall survival than grade I neuroendocrine neoplasms. Patients with small neuroendocrine neoplasms of small bowel had significantly increased survival (hazard ratio, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18-0.87) compared to neuroendocrine neoplasms of other locations. Median progression-free survival was 41 (35.9-46.1) months and significantly inferior in patients treated with Yttrium solely (hazard ratio, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.71-4.55). Complete remission was observed in 5.6% of patients, 22.4% had a partial remission, 47.3% were stable and 4% were progressive as best response. Adverse events of bone marrow

  13. An elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level in hepatic metastases of grade 1 and 2 gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors is unusual and of prognostic value.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andriantsoa, Maeva; Hoibian, Solene; Autret, Aurelie; Gilabert, Marine; Sarran, Anthony; Niccoli, Patricia; Raoul, Jean-Luc

    2017-01-01

    In our clinical practice we have observed that despite a high hepatic metastatic tumor burden, serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) levels are frequently normal in cases of metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET). We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with grade 1 and 2 NETs with liver metastases but without bone metastases seen at our institution in 2013. In total, 49 patients were included (22 female), with a median age of 60 years (range: 28 to 84 years). The primary tumors were located in the duodenum/pancreas (n = 29), small bowel (n = 17) or colon/rectum (n = 3); 10 cases were grade 1 and 39 grade 2. Hepatic involvement was bulky, with more than 10 lesions in 23 patients and a tumor burden above 10% of the liver volume in 26 patients. Serum AP levels were elevated (≥ upper limit of normal (ULN)) in 16 patients. In multiparametric analysis, elevated serum AP levels were not associated with the primary site, grade, or number or volume of metastases. In multiparametric analysis, progression-free survival was only correlated with grade (p = 0.010) and AP level (p = 0.017). Serum AP levels are frequently normal in liver metastases from NET, even in the event of a major tumor burden, and the serum AP level can be of prognostic value.

  14. Combined Primary Neuroendocrine Carcinoma and Hepatocellular Carcinoma of the Liver

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chii-Shuenn Yang

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available We report a unique case of combined primary neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC of the liver in a 65-year-old male patient. The patient underwent segmental resection of the liver and regional lymph node dissection for a tumor mass that measured 7.5 cm in diameter in the right lobe, with regional lymphadenopathy. Histologically, the hepatic tumor was composed of predominantly small-cell NEC, but admixed with a small island of moderately differentiated HCC. We speculate that the NEC originated from a poorly differentiated tumor clone of an HCC that underwent neuroendocrine differentiation, and that this tumor was now at the end stage of the transitional period from HCC to NEC, based on the small amount of disappearing HCC. Ki-67 and p53 expression were higher in the NEC than in the HCC, and the lymph nodes showed only metastatic NEC. Therefore, this kind of tumor had a more aggressive clinical course in accordance with being an NEC rather than a conventional HCC. Three months after operation, the patient had multiple recurrent tumor nodules within the liver, spreading the metastasis to the adrenal glands and para-aortic lymph nodes. The patient died 1 year after operation.

  15. First-in-Human PET/CT Imaging of Metastatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms with Cyclotron-Produced 44Sc-DOTATOC: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Aviral; van der Meulen, Nicholas P; Müller, Cristina; Klette, Ingo; Kulkarni, Harshad R; Türler, Andreas; Schibli, Roger; Baum, Richard P

    2017-05-01

    44 Sc is a promising positron emission tomography (PET) radionuclide (T 1/2  = 4.04 hours, E β+average  = 632 keV) and can be made available, using a cyclotron production route, in substantial quantities as a highly pure product. Herein, the authors report on a first-in-human PET/CT study using 44 Sc-DOTATOC prepared with cyclotron-produced 44 Sc. The production of 44 Sc was carried out through the 44 Ca(p,n) 44 Sc nuclear reaction at Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland. After separation, 44 Sc was shipped to Zentralklinik Bad Berka, Germany, where radiolabeling was performed, yielding radiochemically pure 44 Sc-DOTATOC. Two patients, currently followed up after peptide receptor radionuclide therapy of metastatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, participated in this proof-of-concept study. Blood sampling was performed before and after application of 44 Sc-DOTATOC. PET/CT acquisitions, performed at different time points after injection of 44 Sc-DOTATOC, allowed detection of even very small lesions on delayed scans. No clinical adverse effects were observed and the laboratory hematological, renal, and hepatic profiles remained unchanged. In this study, cyclotron-produced 44 Sc was used in the clinic for the first time. It is attractive for theranostic application with 177 Lu, 90 Y, or 47 Sc as therapeutic counterparts. 44 Sc-based radiopharmaceuticals will be of particular value for PET facilities without radiopharmacy, to which they can be shipped from a centralized production site.

  16. Radiographic progression with nonrising PSA in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bryce, A H; Alumkal, J J; Armstrong, A

    2017-01-01

    monitoring alone to determine disease status on therapy. This approach has not been adequately tested. METHODS: Chemotherapy-naive asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic men (n=872) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who were treated with the androgen receptor inhibitor enzalutamide......BACKGROUND: Advanced prostate cancer is a phenotypically diverse disease that evolves through multiple clinical courses. PSA level is the most widely used parameter for disease monitoring, but it has well-recognized limitations. Unlike in clinical trials, in practice, clinicians may rely on PSA...... treated with enzalutamide. As restaging in advanced prostate cancer patients is often guided by increases in PSA levels, our results demonstrate that disease progression on enzalutamide can occur without rising PSA levels. Therefore, a disease monitoring strategy that includes imaging not entirely reliant...

  17. PD-L1 inhibition with avelumab for metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaiser, Maria Rita; Bongiorno, Michelle; Brownell, Isaac

    2018-04-01

    Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer that lacks durable responses to traditional chemotherapy. Areas covered: After MCC was shown to be an immunogenic tumor, small trials revealed high objective response rates to PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors. The JAVELIN Merkel 200 (NCT02155647) trial tested the use of avelumab, a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody against PD-L1, in metastatic MCC. Avelumab recently became the first approved drug for metastatic MCC. Expert commentary: By conducting broad phase I studies assessing the safety of avelumab and a small phase II study demonstrating efficacy in this rare orphan tumor type, avelumab gained accelerated approval for the treatment of metastatic MCC. Additional studies are needed to determine how the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) competent Fc region of avelumab contributes to disease control. Remaining questions: Longer follow-up will determine the durability of checkpoint blockade in controlling metastatic MCC. Additional studies will assess the utility and safety of adjuvant checkpoint blockade in patients with excised MCC. How to increase response rates by combining PD-1/PD-L1 blockade with other treatment approaches needs to be explored. In addition, treatment options for MCC patients who fail or do not respond to avelumab need to be identified.

  18. Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase III Trial of Sunitinib Plus Prednisone Versus Prednisone Alone in Progressive, Metastatic, Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Michaelson, M Dror; Oudard, Stephane; Ou, Yen-Chuan

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE: We evaluated angiogenesis-targeted sunitinib therapy in a randomized, double-blind trial of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Men with progressive mCRPC after docetaxel-based chemotherapy were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive sunitinib 37.5 mg...

  19. Integrative Genome Comparison of Primary and Metastatic Melanomas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Bin; Nazarian, Rosalynn M.; Bosenberg, Marcus; Wu, Min; Scott, Kenneth L.; Kwong, Lawrence N.; Xiao, Yonghong; Cordon-Cardo, Carlos; Granter, Scott R.; Ramaswamy, Sridhar; Golub, Todd; Duncan, Lyn M.; Wagner, Stephan N.; Brennan, Cameron; Chin, Lynda

    2010-01-01

    A cardinal feature of malignant melanoma is its metastatic propensity. An incomplete view of the genetic events driving metastatic progression has been a major barrier to rational development of effective therapeutics and prognostic diagnostics for melanoma patients. In this study, we conducted global genomic characterization of primary and metastatic melanomas to examine the genomic landscape associated with metastatic progression. In addition to uncovering three genomic subclasses of metastastic melanomas, we delineated 39 focal and recurrent regions of amplification and deletions, many of which encompassed resident genes that have not been implicated in cancer or metastasis. To identify progression-associated metastasis gene candidates, we applied a statistical approach, Integrative Genome Comparison (IGC), to define 32 genomic regions of interest that were significantly altered in metastatic relative to primary melanomas, encompassing 30 resident genes with statistically significant expression deregulation. Functional assays on a subset of these candidates, including MET, ASPM, AKAP9, IMP3, PRKCA, RPA3, and SCAP2, validated their pro-invasion activities in human melanoma cells. Validity of the IGC approach was further reinforced by tissue microarray analysis of Survivin showing significant increased protein expression in thick versus thin primary cutaneous melanomas, and a progression correlation with lymph node metastases. Together, these functional validation results and correlative analysis of human tissues support the thesis that integrated genomic and pathological analyses of staged melanomas provide a productive entry point for discovery of melanoma metastases genes. PMID:20520718

  20. Neuroendocrine Immunoregulation in Multiple Sclerosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nathalie Deckx

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Currently, it is generally accepted that multiple sclerosis (MS is a complex multifactorial disease involving genetic and environmental factors affecting the autoreactive immune responses that lead to damage of myelin. In this respect, intrinsic or extrinsic factors such as emotional, psychological, traumatic, or inflammatory stress as well as a variety of other lifestyle interventions can influence the neuroendocrine system. On its turn, it has been demonstrated that the neuroendocrine system has immunomodulatory potential. Moreover, the neuroendocrine and immune systems communicate bidirectionally via shared receptors and shared messenger molecules, variously called hormones, neurotransmitters, or cytokines. Discrepancies at any level can therefore lead to changes in susceptibility and to severity of several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Here we provide an overview of the complex system of crosstalk between the neuroendocrine and immune system as well as reported dysfunctions involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity, including MS. Finally, possible strategies to intervene with the neuroendocrine-immune system for MS patient management will be discussed. Ultimately, a better understanding of the interactions between the neuroendocrine system and the immune system can open up new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of MS as well as other autoimmune diseases.

  1. The Gαh-PLCδ1 signaling axis drives metastatic progression in triple-negative breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shang-Pen; Liu, Pei-Yao; Kuo, Chih-Jung; Chen, Chi-Long; Lee, Wei-Jiunn; Tsai, Yu-Hui; Lin, Yuan-Feng

    2017-06-02

    Distant metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to other organs, e.g., the lungs, has been correlated with poor survival rates among breast cancer patients. Therefore, the identification of useful therapeutic targets to prevent metastasis or even inhibit tumor growth of TNBC is urgently needed. Gαh is a novel GTP-binding protein and known as an inactive form of calcium-dependent tissue transglutaminase. However, the functional consequences of transamidating and G-protein activities of tissue transglutaminase in promoting cancer metastasis are still controversial. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to estimate the prognostic values of Gαh and PLCδ1 by utilizing public databases and performing immunohistochemical staining experiments. Cell-based invasion assays and in vivo lung colony-forming and orthotropic lung metastasis models were established to evaluate the effectiveness of interrupting the protein-protein interaction (PPI) between Gαh and PLCδ1 in inhibiting the invasive ability and metastatic potential of TNBC cells. Here, we showed that the increased level of cytosolic, not extracellular, Gαh is a poor prognostic marker in breast cancer patients and correlates with the metastatic evolution of TNBC cells. Moreover, clinicopathological analyses revealed that the combined signature of high Gαh/PLCδ1 levels indicates worse prognosis in patients with breast cancer and correlates with lymph node metastasis of ER-negative breast cancer. Blocking the PPI of the Gαh/PLCδ1 complex by synthetically myristoylated PLCδ1 peptide corresponding to the Gαh-binding interface appeared to significantly suppress cellular invasiveness in vitro and inhibit lung metastatic colonies of TNBC cells in vivo. This study establishes Gαh/PLCδ1 as a poor prognostic factor for patients with estrogen receptor-negative breast cancers, including TNBCs, and provides therapeutic value by targeting the PPI of the Gαh/PLCδ1 complex to combat the metastatic progression

  2. Retrospective study of the effect of disease progression on patient reported outcomes in HER-2 negative metastatic breast cancer patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Elaine

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This retrospective study evaluated the impact of disease progression and of specific sites of metastasis on patient reported outcomes (PROs that assess symptom burden and health related quality of life (HRQoL in women with metastatic breast cancer (mBC. Methods HER-2 negative mBC patients (n = 102 were enrolled from 7 U.S. community oncology practices. Demographic, disease and treatment characteristics were abstracted from electronic medical records and linked to archived Patient Care Monitor (PCM assessments. The PCM is a self-report measure of symptom burden and HRQoL administered as part of routine care in participating practices. Linear mixed models were used to examine change in PCM scores over time. Results Mean age was 57 years, with 72% of patients Caucasian, and 25% African American. Median time from mBC diagnosis to first disease progression was 8.8 months. Metastasis to bone (60%, lung (28% and liver (26% predominated at initial metastatic diagnosis. Results showed that PCM items assessing fatigue, physical pain and trouble sleeping were sensitive to either general effects of disease progression or to effects associated with specific sites of metastasis. Progression of disease was also associated with modest but significant worsening of General Physical Symptoms, Treatment Side Effects, Acute Distress and Impaired Performance index scores. In addition, there were marked detrimental effects of liver metastasis on Treatment Side Effects, and of brain metastasis on Acute Distress. Conclusions Disease progression has a detrimental impact on cancer-related symptoms. Delaying disease progression may have a positive impact on patients' HRQoL.

  3. Patterns of metastatic progression after definitive radiation therapy for early-stage and locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Garrett L; Tang, Chad; Hess, Kenneth R; Liao, Zhongxing; Gomez, Daniel R

    2017-06-01

    Current preclinical models of metastatic disease (particularly oligometastases) suggest that metastases appear in a hierarchical order. We attempted to identify systematic patterns of metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after radiation therapy (XRT). We analyzed 1074 patients treated from 12/21/1998 through 8/20/2012 with ≥60 Gy definitive radiation for initially non-metastatic NSCLC. Location and time of metastases were recorded. Regional nodal failure was noted, as was subsequent distal failure. For further analysis, we considered only the five most common sites of metastasis (bone, brain, liver, adrenal, and lung). Metastatic progression over time was defined and patterns elucidated with Chi square tests. Histologic findings were analyzed with Wilcoxon rank sum tests. A significant multistep linear progression was not apparent. Having a first metastasis in lung or bone was associated with respective 16% (median 2.4 months) and 15% likelihoods (median 7.9 months) of secondary brain metastasis. Initial metastasis in the brain led to metastasis in another organ 29.3% of the time, most often in the lung, bone, and liver (medians 3.6, 7.9, and 3.1 months). Adenocarcinoma was more likely than squamous to metastasize to the brain (18 vs. 9%) and any of the five major sites (41 vs. 27%). We did not appreciate dominant patterns suggesting a multi-step hierarchical order of metastasis. Rather, our findings suggest that certain subgroups may develop different patterns of spread depending on a variety of factors.

  4. Radiotherapy for Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Review of the Literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, L.; Barnes, E. A.

    2012-01-01

    Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare form of non-melanoma skin cancer of neuroendocrine origin. Optimal management of patients is controversial and the role of radiotherapy is unclear. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to review the efficacy of RT in the treatment of both local and distant metastatic disease from MCC. Methods. A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE (1946-January Week 1 2012) and Embase (1980-2012 Week 2). Articles of interest analyze the efficacy of radiotherapy for treatment of metastatic MCC and did not exclude case reports. Results. All articles except one focusing on the role of radiotherapy were of retrospective origin or case series. Significant limitations applied in all studies due to limited sample sizes and the retrospective nature of these studies. Radiotherapy improves locoregional control in the adjuvant setting, and many series suggest an improvement in overall survival. In cases where surgery is not possible, definitive radiotherapy may be an as-efficacious alternative. The radiosensitive nature of MCC coupled with existing reports suggests that treatment via current protocols for other primary tumors is adequate. Conclusion. Further studies should be conducted prospectively to clarify the true role of radiotherapy in metastatic MCC.

  5. Treatment with tandem [90Y]DOTA-TATE and [177Lu]DOTA-TATE of neuroendocrine tumours refractory to conventional therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seregni, E; Maccauro, M; Chiesa, C; Mariani, L; Pascali, C; Mazzaferro, V; De Braud, F; Buzzoni, R; Milione, M; Lorenzoni, A; Bogni, A; Coliva, A; Lo Vullo, S; Bombardieri, E

    2014-02-01

    Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with radiolabelled somatostatin analogues has been demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic option in patients with disseminated neuroendocrine tumours (NET). Treatment with tandem [(90)Y]DOTA-TATE and [(177)Lu]DOTA-TATE may improve the efficacy of PRRT without increasing the toxicity. In a phase II study we evaluated the feasibility of combined PPRT with a high-energy beta emitter ((90)Y) and a medium-energy beta/gamma emitter ([(177)Lu) in patients with metastatic NET refractory to conventional therapy. A group of 26 patients with metastatic NET were treated with four therapeutic cycles of alternating [[(177)Lu]DOTA-TATE (5.55 GBq) and [(90)Y]DOTA-TATE (2.6 GBq). A dosimetric evaluation was carried out after administration of [[(177)Lu]DOTA-TATE to calculate the absorbed doses in healthy organs. The acute and long-term toxicities of repeated treatment were analysed. PRRT efficacy was evaluated according to RECIST. Administration of tandem [(90)Y]DOTA-TATE and [[(177)Lu]DOTA-TATE induced objective responses in 42.3 % of patients with metastatic NET with a median progression-free survival longer than 24 months. Of patients with pretreatment carcinoid syndrome, 90 % showed a symptomatic response or a reduction in tumour-associated pain. The cumulative biologically effective doses (BED) were below the toxicity limit in the majority of patients, in the absence of renal function impairment. The results of our study indicates that combined [(90)Y]DOTA-TATE and [(177)Lu]DOTA-TATE therapy is a feasible and effective therapeutic option in NET refractory to conventional therapy. Furthermore, the absence of kidney damage and the evaluated cumulative BEDs suggest that increasing the number of tandem administrations is an interesting approach.

  6. Everolimus in advanced, progressive, well-differentiated, non-functional neuroendocrine tumors: RADIANT-4 lung subgroup analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazio, Nicola; Buzzoni, Roberto; Delle Fave, Gianfranco; Tesselaar, Margot E; Wolin, Edward; Van Cutsem, Eric; Tomassetti, Paola; Strosberg, Jonathan; Voi, Maurizio; Bubuteishvili-Pacaud, Lida; Ridolfi, Antonia; Herbst, Fabian; Tomasek, Jiri; Singh, Simron; Pavel, Marianne; Kulke, Matthew H; Valle, Juan W; Yao, James C

    2018-01-01

    In the phase III RADIANT-4 study, everolimus improved median progression-free survival (PFS) by 7.1 months in patients with advanced, progressive, well-differentiated (grade 1 or grade 2), non-functional lung or gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) vs placebo (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35-0.67; P < .00001). This exploratory analysis reports the outcomes of the subgroup of patients with lung NETs. In RADIANT-4, patients were randomized (2:1) to everolimus 10 mg/d or placebo, both with best supportive care. This is a post hoc analysis of the lung subgroup with PFS, by central radiology review, as the primary endpoint; secondary endpoints included objective response rate and safety measures. Ninety of the 302 patients enrolled in the study had primary lung NET (everolimus, n = 63; placebo, n = 27). Median PFS (95% CI) by central review was 9.2 (6.8-10.9) months in the everolimus arm vs 3.6 (1.9-5.1) months in the placebo arm (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.28-0.88). More patients who received everolimus (58%) experienced tumor shrinkage compared with placebo (13%). Most frequently reported (≥5% incidence) grade 3-4 drug-related adverse events (everolimus vs. placebo) included stomatitis (11% vs. 0%), hyperglycemia (10% vs. 0%), and any infections (8% vs. 0%). In patients with advanced, progressive, well-differentiated, non-functional lung NET, treatment with everolimus was associated with a median PFS improvement of 5.6 months, with a safety profile similar to that of the overall RADIANT-4 cohort. These results support the use of everolimus in patients with advanced, non-functional lung NET. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (no. NCT01524783). © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

  7. An elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level in hepatic metastases of grade 1 and 2 gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors is unusual and of prognostic value.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maeva Andriantsoa

    Full Text Available In our clinical practice we have observed that despite a high hepatic metastatic tumor burden, serum alkaline phosphatase (AP levels are frequently normal in cases of metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET.We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with grade 1 and 2 NETs with liver metastases but without bone metastases seen at our institution in 2013. In total, 49 patients were included (22 female, with a median age of 60 years (range: 28 to 84 years. The primary tumors were located in the duodenum/pancreas (n = 29, small bowel (n = 17 or colon/rectum (n = 3; 10 cases were grade 1 and 39 grade 2. Hepatic involvement was bulky, with more than 10 lesions in 23 patients and a tumor burden above 10% of the liver volume in 26 patients.Serum AP levels were elevated (≥ upper limit of normal (ULN in 16 patients. In multiparametric analysis, elevated serum AP levels were not associated with the primary site, grade, or number or volume of metastases. In multiparametric analysis, progression-free survival was only correlated with grade (p = 0.010 and AP level (p = 0.017.Serum AP levels are frequently normal in liver metastases from NET, even in the event of a major tumor burden, and the serum AP level can be of prognostic value.

  8. Multiple urinary bladder masses from metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard Choo

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available We present an unusual case of metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma that manifested with multiple exophytic intravesical masses, mimicking a multifocal primary bladder tumor. Biopsy with immunohistochemical analysis confirmed metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma. The patient was treated palliatively with external beam radiotherapy to prevent possible symptoms from local tumor progression. This case illustrates that when a patient with known prostate cancer presents with multifocal bladder tumors, the possibility of metastatic prostate cancer should be considered.

  9. A Case of High-Grade Neuroendocrine Carcinoma That Improved with Bevacizumab plus Modified FOLFOX6 as the Fourth-Line Chemotherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satoshi Takeuchi

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available High-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma differs from usual neuroendocrine carcinoma, and its prognosis is dismal. In this case report, a case of high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma that improved with bevacizumab plus modified FOLFOX6 as the fourth-line chemotherapy is presented. A 29-year-old male with a huge liver tumor was diagnosed with high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma originating from the liver. Multiple liver and bone metastases were found one month after surgery. He was treated with three chemotherapy regimens used for the management of small-cell lung cancer with extensive disease. However, none of them could be maintained because of tumor progression. He was then treated with bevacizumab plus modified FOLFOX6 as the fourth-line regimen. Dramatic tumor shrinkage was obtained, and a partial response was achieved. This case suggests that high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma can be treated with bevacizumab in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy.

  10. Immune-Neuroendocrine Interactions and Autoimmune Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis J. Jara

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available The relationship between immune-neuroendocrine system is firmly established. The messengers of this connection are hormones, neuropeptides, neurotransmitters and cytokines. The immune-neuroendocrine system have the capacity to synthesize and release these molecules, which, in turn, can stimulate or suppress the activity of immune or neuroendocrine cells by binding to receptors. In fact, hormones, neuropeptides and neurotransmitters participate in innate and adaptive immune response.

  11. Expression of p53 protein in high-grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ali, Abir Salwa; Grönberg, Malin; Federspiel, Birgitte

    2017-01-01

    of immunoreactive p53 protein in GEP-NEC. Materials and methods Tumor tissues from 124 GEP-NEC patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease treated with platinum-based chemotherapy were collected from Nordic centers and clinical data were obtained from the Nordic NEC register. Tumor proliferation rate...... In this cohort of GEP-NEC patients, p53 expression could not be correlated with clinical outcome. However, in patients with colorectal NECs, p53 expression was correlated with shorter PFS and OS. Further studies are needed to establish the role of immunoreactive p53 as a prognostic marker for GEP-NEC patients.......Background Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (GEP-NECs) are aggressive, rapidly proliferating tumors. Therapeutic response to current chemotherapy regimens is usually short lasting. The aim of this study was to examine the expression and potential clinical importance...

  12. Validation of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in the localization of neuroendocrine tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamberts, S.W.J.; Reubi, J.C.; Krenning, E.P.

    1993-01-01

    Somatostatin analogs are used in the control of hormonal hypersecretion and tumor growth of patients with acromegaly, islet cell carcinomas and carcinoids. Recently we showed that somatostatin receptor positive tumors can be visualized in vivo after the administration of radionuclide-labeled somatostatin analogs. Receptor imaging was positive in 18/21 islet cell tumors, 32/37 carcinoids, 26/28 paragangliomas, 9/14 medullary thyroid carcinomas, and 5/7 small cell lung cancers. Somatostatin receptor imaging is an easy, harmless and painless diagnostic method. It localizes multiple and/or metastatic tumors, predicts the successful control of hormonal hypersecretion by octreotide and seems to be of prognostic value in certain types of cancer. This scintigraphic method might help in patient selection for clinical trials with somatostatin analogs in the treatment of neuroendocrine cancers. (orig.)

  13. Validation of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in the localization of neuroendocrine tumors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lamberts, S.W.J. (Depts. of Medicine and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus Univ., Rotterdam (Netherlands) Div. of Cell Biology and Experimental Cancer Research, Institution of Pathology, Bern Univ. (Switzerland)); Reubi, J.C. (Depts. of Medicine and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus Univ., Rotterdam (Netherlands) Div. of Cell Biology and Experimental Cancer Research, Institution of Pathology, Bern Univ. (Switzerland)); Krenning, E.P. (Depts. of Medicine and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus Univ., Rotterdam (Netherlands) Div. of Cell Biology and Experimental Cancer Research, Institution of Pathology, Bern Univ. (Switzerland))

    1993-01-01

    Somatostatin analogs are used in the control of hormonal hypersecretion and tumor growth of patients with acromegaly, islet cell carcinomas and carcinoids. Recently we showed that somatostatin receptor positive tumors can be visualized in vivo after the administration of radionuclide-labeled somatostatin analogs. Receptor imaging was positive in 18/21 islet cell tumors, 32/37 carcinoids, 26/28 paragangliomas, 9/14 medullary thyroid carcinomas, and 5/7 small cell lung cancers. Somatostatin receptor imaging is an easy, harmless and painless diagnostic method. It localizes multiple and/or metastatic tumors, predicts the successful control of hormonal hypersecretion by octreotide and seems to be of prognostic value in certain types of cancer. This scintigraphic method might help in patient selection for clinical trials with somatostatin analogs in the treatment of neuroendocrine cancers. (orig.).

  14. Primary Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Breast: Imaging Features

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Eun Deok; Kim, Min Kyun; Kim, Jeong Soo; Whang, In Yong

    2013-01-01

    Focal neuroendocrine differentiation can be found in diverse histological types of breast tumors. However, the term, neuroendocrine breast tumor, indicates the diffuse expression of neuroendocrine markers in more than 50% of the tumor cell population. The imaging features of neuroendocrine breast tumor have not been accurately described due to extreme rarity of this tumor type. We present a case of a pathologically confirmed, primary neuroendocrine breast tumor in a 42-year-old woman, with imaging findings difficult to be differentiated from that of invasive ductal carcinoma

  15. Progression-free survival as a potential surrogate for overall survival in metastatic breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beauchemin C

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Catherine Beauchemin,1 Dan Cooper,2 Marie-Ève Lapierre,1 Louise Yelle,3 Jean Lachaine11Université de Montréal, Faculté de pharmacie, Montreal, 2Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS, 3Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal – Hôpital Notre-Dame, Département de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, CanadaBackground: Progression-free survival (PFS and time to progression (TTP are frequently used to establish the clinical efficacy of anti-cancer drugs. However, the surrogacy of PFS/TTP for overall survival (OS remains a matter of uncertainty in metastatic breast cancer (mBC. This study assessed the relationship between PFS/TTP and OS in mBC using a trial-based approach.Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review according to the PICO method: 'Population' consisted of women with mBC; 'Interventions' and 'Comparators' were standard treatments for mBC or best supportive care; 'Outcomes' of interest were median PFS/TTP and OS. We first performed a correlation analysis between median PFS/TTP and OS, and then conducted subgroup analyses to explore possible reasons for heterogeneity. Then, we assessed the relationship between the treatment effect on PFS/TTP and OS. The treatment effect on PFS/TTP and OS was quantified by the absolute difference of median values. We also conducted linear regression analysis to predict the effects of a new anti-cancer drug on OS on the basis of its effects on PFS/TTP.Results: A total of 5,041 studies were identified, and 144 fulfilled the eligibility criteria. There was a statistically significant relationship between median PFS/TTP and OS across included trials (r=0.428; P<0.01. Correlation coefficient for the treatment effect on PFS/TTP and OS was estimated at 0.427 (P<0.01. The obtained linear regression equation was ΔOS =−0.088 (95% confidence interval [CI] −1.347–1.172 + 1.753 (95% CI 1.307–2.198 × ΔPFS (R2=0.86.Conclusion: Results of

  16. Atezolizumab in platinum-treated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma: post-progression outcomes from the phase II IMvigor210 study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Necchi, A; Joseph, R W; Loriot, Y; Hoffman-Censits, J; Perez-Gracia, J L; Petrylak, D P; Derleth, C L; Tayama, D; Zhu, Q; Ding, B; Kaiser, C; Rosenberg, J E

    2017-12-01

    Conventional criteria for tumor progression may not fully reflect the clinical benefit of immunotherapy or appropriately guide treatment decisions. The phase II IMvigor210 study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab, a programmed death-ligand 1-directed antibody, in patients with platinum-treated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Patients could continue atezolizumab beyond Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 progression at the investigator's discretion: this analysis assessed post-progression outcomes in these patients. Patients were treated with atezolizumab 1200 mg i.v. every 3 weeks until loss of clinical benefit. Efficacy and safety outcomes in patients who experienced RECIST v1.1 progression and did, or did not, continue atezolizumab were analyzed descriptively. In total, 220 patients who experienced progression from the overall cohort (n = 310) were analyzed: 137 continued atezolizumab for ≥ 1 dose after progression, 19 received other systemic therapy, and 64 received no further systemic therapy. Compared with those who discontinued, patients continuing atezolizumab beyond progression were more likely to have had a baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 (43.1% versus 31.3%), less likely to have had baseline liver metastases (27.0% versus 41.0%), and more likely to have had an initial response to atezolizumab (responses in 11.7% versus 1.2%). Five patients (3.6%) continuing atezolizumab after progression had subsequent responses compared with baseline measurements. Median post-progression overall survival was 8.6 months in patients continuing atezolizumab, 6.8 months in those receiving another treatment, and 1.2 months in those receiving no further treatment. Atezolizumab exposure-adjusted adverse event frequencies were generally similar before and following progression. In this single-arm study, patients who continued atezolizumab beyond RECIST v1

  17. Treatment with tandem [{sup 90}Y]DOTA-TATE and [{sup 177}Lu]DOTA-TATE of neuroendocrine tumours refractory to conventional therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seregni, E.; Maccauro, M.; Chiesa, C.; Pascali, C.; Lorenzoni, A.; Bogni, A.; Coliva, A.; Bombardieri, E. [Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Nuclear Medicine, Milan (Italy); Mariani, L.; Vullo, S.Lo [Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Statistics and Biometry Unit, Milan (Italy); Mazzaferro, V. [Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Milan (Italy); De Braud, F.; Buzzoni, R. [Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Medical Oncology, Milan (Italy); Milione, M. [Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Pathology Department, Milan (Italy)

    2014-02-15

    Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with radiolabelled somatostatin analogues has been demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic option in patients with disseminated neuroendocrine tumours (NET). Treatment with tandem [{sup 90}Y]DOTA-TATE and [{sup 177}Lu]DOTA-TATE may improve the efficacy of PRRT without increasing the toxicity. In a phase II study we evaluated the feasibility of combined PPRT with a high-energy beta emitter ({sup 90}Y) and a medium-energy beta/gamma emitter ({sup 177}Lu) in patients with metastatic NET refractory to conventional therapy. A group of 26 patients with metastatic NET were treated with four therapeutic cycles of alternating [{sup 177}Lu]DOTA-TATE (5.55 GBq) and [{sup 90}Y]DOTA-TATE (2.6 GBq). A dosimetric evaluation was carried out after administration of [{sup 177}Lu]DOTA-TATE to calculate the absorbed doses in healthy organs. The acute and long-term toxicities of repeated treatment were analysed. PRRT efficacy was evaluated according to RECIST. Administration of tandem [{sup 90}Y]DOTA-TATE and [{sup 177}Lu]DOTA-TATE induced objective responses in 42.3 % of patients with metastatic NET with a median progression-free survival longer than 24 months. Of patients with pretreatment carcinoid syndrome, 90 % showed a symptomatic response or a reduction in tumour-associated pain. The cumulative biologically effective doses (BED) were below the toxicity limit in the majority of patients, in the absence of renal function impairment The results of our study indicates that combined [{sup 90}Y]DOTA-TATE and [{sup 177}Lu]DOTA-TATE therapy is a feasible and effective therapeutic option in NET refractory to conventional therapy. Furthermore, the absence of kidney damage and the evaluated cumulative BEDs suggest that increasing the number of tandem administrations is an interesting approach. (orig.)

  18. Radiotherapy for Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Review of the Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luluel Khan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare form of non-melanoma skin cancer of neuroendocrine origin. Optimal management of patients is controversial and the role of radiotherapy is unclear. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to review the efficacy of RT in the treatment of both local and distant metastatic disease from MCC. Methods. A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE (1946—January Week 1 2012 and Embase (1980–2012 Week 2. Articles of interest analyze the efficacy of radiotherapy for treatment of metastatic MCC and did not exclude case reports. Results. All articles except one focusing on the role of radiotherapy were of retrospective origin or case series. Significant limitations applied in all studies due to limited sample sizes and the retrospective nature of these studies. Radiotherapy improves locoregional control in the adjuvant setting, and many series suggest an improvement in overall survival. In cases where surgery is not possible, definitive radiotherapy may be an as-efficacious alternative. The radiosensitive nature of MCC coupled with existing reports suggests that treatment via current protocols for other primary tumors is adequate. Conclusion. Further studies should be conducted prospectively to clarify the true role of radiotherapy in metastatic MCC.

  19. S-1 monotherapy for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck after progression on platinum-based chemotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokota, Tomoya; Onozawa, Yusuke; Boku, Narikazu

    2011-01-01

    Platinum compounds play pivotal roles in treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of S-1 monotherapy in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy. We retrospectively analyzed 39 consecutive patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who received S-1 monotherapy after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy at the Shizuoka Cancer Center between August 2003 and October 2010. S-1 was given orally twice daily (80 mg/m 2 /day) for 28 days followed by a 14-day rest. The median follow-up period in survivors was 31.5 months. Among 38 patients with measurable lesions, 9 (24%) showed partial response and 15 (39%) showed stable disease. The median progression-free survival was 4.9 months and the median overall survival was 13.2 months. The median progression-free survival for oropharyngeal cancer (n=7) was significantly longer than for other cancers (n=32) (14.9 vs. 4.7 months, P=0.035). The response rate in patients with a recurrence-free interval since the last platinum administration >6.0 months was significantly better than with a recurrence-free interval 6.0 months also showed a significantly better progression-free survival (6.0 vs. 2.6 months, P=0.045). The frequency of Grade 3/4 toxicities was less than 10%. S-1 monotherapy shows promising signs of efficacy and tolerability in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy in this retrospective cohort and warrants further investigation in this population. (author)

  20. The efficacy of {sup 177}Lu-labelled peptide receptor radionuclide therapy in patients with neuroendocrine tumours: a meta-analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Seong-Jang; Pak, Kyoungjune [Pusan National University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Koo, Phillip J.; Kwak, Jennifer J.; Chang, Samuel [University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Aurora, CO (United States)

    2015-12-15

    This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of {sup 177}Lu-labelled peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) in patients with inoperable or metastatic neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). Systematic searches of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were performed using the keywords of ''neuroendocrine'', ''{sup 177}Lu'' and ''prognosis''. All published studies of neuroendocrine tumours treated with {sup 177}Lu-labelled radiopharmaceuticals and evaluated with either Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) 1.0 or Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) criteria or both were included. If there was more than one published study from the same institution, only one report with the information most relevant to this study was included. Each response criteria group was analysed for disease response rates and disease control rates, defined as the percentages of patients with complete response (CR) + partial response (PR), and CR + PR + stable disease (SD), respectively, to a therapeutic intervention in clinical trials of anticancer agents. The pooled proportions are presented with both a fixed-effects model and random-effects model. Six studies with 473 patients (4 in RECIST criteria group with 356 patients, 3 in SWOG criteria group with 375 patients and 1 in both groups) were included. The RECIST criteria group demonstrated disease response rates ranging between 17.6 and 43.8 % with a pooled effect of 29 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 24-34 %]. Disease control rates ranged from 71.8 to 100 %. The random-effects model showed an average disease control rate of 81 % (95 % CI 71-91 %). The SWOG criteria group demonstrated disease response rates ranging between 7.0 and 36.5 % with a pooled effect of 23 % (95 % CI 11-38 %). Disease control rates ranged from 73.9 to 89.1 %. The random-effects model showed an average disease control rate of 82 % (95 % CI 71-91 %). {sup 177}Lu-labelled PRRT is an effective treatment

  1. Progression criteria for cancer antigen 15.3 and carcinoembryonic antigen in metastatic breast cancer compared by computer simulation of marker data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sölétormos, G; Hyltoft Petersen, P; Dombernowsky, P

    2000-01-01

    .3 and carcinoembryonic antigen concentrations were combined with representative values for background variations in a computer simulation model. Fifteen criteria for assessment of longitudinal tumor marker data were obtained from the literature and computerized. Altogether, 7200 different patients, each based on 50......BACKGROUND: We investigated the utility of computer simulation models for performance comparisons of different tumor marker assessment criteria to define progression or nonprogression of metastatic breast cancer. METHODS: Clinically relevant values for progressive cancer antigen 15...... of progression. CONCLUSIONS: The computer simulation model is a fast, effective, and inexpensive approach for comparing the diagnostic potential of assessment criteria during clinically relevant conditions of steady-state and progressive disease. The model systems can be used to generate tumor marker assessment...

  2. Volumetric FDG-PET predicts overall and progression- free survival after 14 days of targeted therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farnebo, Jacob; Grybäck, Per; Harmenberg, Ulrika; Laurell, Anna; Wersäll, Peter; Blomqvist, Lennart K; Ullén, Anders; Sandström, Per

    2014-01-01

    To determine whether changes in the metabolism of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) assessed by F18-FDG-PET after 14 and 28 days of treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors can predict overall and progression- free patient survival. Thirty-nine consecutive patients with mRCC were included prospectively and underwent PET examinations prior to and after 14 and 28 days of standard treatment with sunitinib (n = 18), sorafenib (n = 19) or pazopanib (n = 2). The PET response was analyzed in terms of SUVmax, SULpeak, and total lesion glycolysis and a positive response (defined as a 30% reduction) compared to overall and progression- free survival. Thirty-five patients with at least one metabolically active metastatic lesion prior to treatment underwent additional FDG-PET examinations after 14 (n = 32) and/or 28 days (n = 30) of treatment. Changes in either SULpeak or total lesion glycolysis were correlated to both progression-free and overall survival (for TLG2.5 responders, HR = 0.38 (95% CI: 0.18-0.83) and 0.22 (95% CI: 0.09-0.53), and for TLG50 responders, HR = 0.25 (0.10-0.62) and 0.25 (95% CI: 0.11-0.57) and for SULpeak responders, HR = 0.39 (95% CI: 0.17-0.91) and 0.38 (95% CI: 0.15-0.93), respectively). In contrast SUVmax response did not predict progression- free or overall survival (HR = 0.43 (95% CI: 0.18-1.01) and 0.50 (95% CI: 0.21-1.19), respectively). Assessment of early changes in SULpeak and total lesion glycolysis undergoing treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors by FDG-PET can possibly predict progression- free and overall survival in patients with mRCC

  3. An in vitro correlation of mechanical forces and metastatic capacity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Indra, Indrajyoti; Undyala, Vishnu; Kandow, Casey; Thirumurthi, Umadevi; Beningo, Karen A; Dembo, Micah

    2011-01-01

    Mechanical forces have a major influence on cell migration and are predicted to significantly impact cancer metastasis, yet this idea is currently poorly defined. In this study we have asked if changes in traction stress and migratory properties correlate with the metastatic progression of tumor cells. For this purpose, four murine breast cancer cell lines derived from the same primary tumor, but possessing increasing metastatic capacity, were tested for adhesion strength, traction stress, focal adhesion organization and for differential migration rates in two-dimensional and three-dimensional environments. Using traction force microscopy (TFM), we were surprised to find an inverse relationship between traction stress and metastatic capacity, such that force production decreased as the metastatic capacity increased. Consistent with this observation, adhesion strength exhibited an identical profile to the traction data. A count of adhesions indicated a general reduction in the number as metastatic capacity increased but no difference in the maturation as determined by the ratio of nascent to mature adhesions. These changes correlated well with a reduction in active beta-1 integrin with increasing metastatic ability. Finally, in two dimensions, wound healing, migration and persistence were relatively low in the entire panel, maintaining a downward trend with increasing metastatic capacity. Why metastatic cells would migrate so poorly prompted us to ask if the loss of adhesive parameters in the most metastatic cells indicated a switch to a less adhesive mode of migration that would only be detected in a three-dimensional environment. Indeed, in three-dimensional migration assays, the most metastatic cells now showed the greatest linear speed. We conclude that traction stress, adhesion strength and rate of migration do indeed change as tumor cells progress in metastatic capacity and do so in a dimension-sensitive manner

  4. Immunochemotherapy with interleukin-2, interferon- α and 5-fluorouracil for progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a multicenter phase II study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herpen, C M L van; Jansen, R L H; Kruit, W H J; Hoekman, K; Groenewegen, G; Osanto, S; Mulder, P H M De

    2000-01-01

    In patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma response rates of 7–26% have been achieved with immunotherapy. A high response rate of 48% in 35 patients has been reported for treatment with the combination of interferon-α (IFN-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (Atzpodien et al (1993 a) Eur J Cancer29A: S6–8). We conducted a multicentre phase II study to confirm these results. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients were treated as outpatients with an 8-week treatment cycle. Recombinant human IL-2 20 MU m−2was administered subcutaneously (s.c.) three times a week (t.i.w) in weeks 1 and 4 and 5 MU m−2t.i.w. in weeks 2 and 3. Recombinant human IFN-α 2a 6 MU m−2was administered s.c. once in weeks 1 and 4 and t.i.w. in weeks 2 and 3, and 9 MU m−2t.i.w. in weeks 5–8. 5-FU (750 mg m−2) was given as a bolus injection intravenous once a week in weeks 5–8. The treatment cycle was repeated once in case of response or minor response. Fifty-two patients entered the study. All had undergone a nephrectomy and had progressive metastatic disease. The median WHO-performance status was 1, the median number of metastatic sites was 2 (range 1–5) and the median time between the diagnosis of the primary tumour and the start of treatment was 12.9 months (range 1–153). Among the 51 patients, including four patients with early progressive disease, who were evaluable for response, the response rate was 11.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.9–20.7%), with no complete responses. Median duration of response was 8.3 (range 3.8–22.4+) months. Median survival was 16.5 (range 1.8–30.5+) months. Grade 3/4 toxicity (WHO) occurred in 29/52 (55.8%) of the patients in cycle 1 and in 6/16 (37.5%) of the patients in cycle 2. It consisted mainly of anorexia, fatigue, nausea, fever and leucocytopenia. We cannot confirm the high response rate in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with the combination of IFN-α, IL-2 and 5-FU, as described

  5. Sustained systemic response paralleled with ovarian metastasis progression by sunitinib in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: Is this an anti-angiogenic potentiation of cancer?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uttam K Mete

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Metastatic renal cell cancer is associated with poor prognosis and survival and is resistant to conventional chemotherapy. Therapeutic targeting of molecular pathways for tumor angiogenesis and other specific activation mechanisms offers improved tumor response and prolonged survival. A 48-year-old, female patient presented with large right renal mass with features suggesting of renal cell cancer without metastasis on contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT. Right radical nephrectomy was done. After 9 months of surgery, she got metastasis in lung, liver and ovary. The patient received sunitinib via an expanded access program. After eight 6-week cycles of sunitinib, a reassessment CT scan confirmed an excellent partial response with the almost complete disappearance (90% of liver and lung metastasis but the adnexal mass had increased in size (>10 times and the possibility was thought of second malignancy. Excision of the mass performed. Histopathology of the mass depicted metastatic renal cell cancer. There is possibility of a ′site-specific anti-angiogenic potentiation mechanism′ of malignancy in relation to sunitinib based upon the preclinical studies, in reference to the index case. Regression of one site with concurrent progression is possible. The exact mechanism of site-specific response, especially organ specific progression by vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors in metastatic renal cell cancer warrants further study.

  6. Perspectives of patients and physicians about neuroendocrine tumors. A qualitative study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manolios, Emilie; Rebours, Vinciane; Revah-Levy, Anne; Ruszniewski, Philippe

    2018-01-01

    Purpose Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare, complex to manage, and often have a chronic course. Qualitative methods are a tool of choice for focusing on patients' and physicians’ points of view especially when dealing with a complex and rare disease. Nonetheless, they remain undeveloped in research related to NETs. This study aimed to explore the experience of NETs among both patients and their physicians and to cross their perspectives for the purpose of finding pathways to improving care. Results Our analysis found two themes: (1) the questions raised by this disease, and (2) the complex experience of this singular disease. Our findings underlined the experience of confusion found among patients regarding the patient's unusual somatic experience and around the question of vocabulary, i.e. the naming of the disease and the semantic field of severity in the medical discourse. Conclusion Means for reducing the confusion that patients experience in this disease are needed. The explanations that the physician offers to the patient must clarify the issues related to NETs. We therefore propose a statement that all physicians can use to support patients diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumors to clear up potential confusion. Methods We conducted a qualitative study, based on 40 semi-structured interviews, in a specialized department of gastro-pancreatology. Participants, purposively selected until data saturation, came from two different sub-samples: (i) patients with a metastatic NETs (N = 20) and (ii) their referring physicians (N = 10). The data were examined by thematic analysis. PMID:29581833

  7. Ocoxin oral solution? as a complement to irinotecan chemotherapy in the metastatic progression of colorectal cancer to the liver

    OpenAIRE

    Hernandez-Unzueta, Iera; Benedicto, Aitor; Olaso, Elvira; Sanz, Eduardo; Viera, Cristina; Arteta, Beatriz; M?rquez, Joana

    2017-01-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an aggressive disease in which patients usually die due to its metastatic progression to the liver. Up to date, irinotecan is one of the most used chemotherapeutic agents to treat CRC metastasis with demonstrated efficacy. However, the severity of the side effects constitute the main limitation to its use in the treatment. Consequently, new complementary therapies are being developed to avoid these adverse effects while maintaining the efficacy of the antitumoral dr...

  8. Salvage treatment after r-interferon α-2a in advanced neuroendocrine tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zilembo, N.; Buzzoni, R.; Bajetta, E.; Di Bartolomeo, M.; De Braud, F.; Castellani, R.; Maffioli, L.; Celio, L.; Villa, E.; Lorusso, V.; Fosser, V.; Buzzi, F.

    1993-01-01

    The use of interferon (IFN) in neuroendocrine advanced tumors has achieved control of hormonal symptoms but low objective tumor response rate. In patients resistant to, or failing on, IFN a second line treatment may be required. Seventeen patients having received recombinant IFN α-2a as last treatment entered the study. There were 12 carcinoids, 3 medullary thyroid carcinomas, one Merkel cell carcinoma, and one neuroendocrine pancreatic tumor. Two different treatments were used: one radiometabolic therapy with metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in 3 patients with high MIBG uptake and one polychemotherapy regimen, including streptozotocin 500 mg/m 2 intravenously days 1, 2, 3 and epirubicin 75 mg/m 2 intravenously day 1, in the remaining 14 patients. Stable disease with relief of symptoms and tumor marker reduction was obtained in two patients receiving MIGB therapy, whereas the third patient had progressive disease. In the chemotherapy group only one partial response was obtained and neither tumor marker reduction nor subjective improvement were seen. Our second-line treatment was not especially effective but may be considered for rapidly progressive and/or symptomatic disease. The radiometabolic therapy appears promising in symptomatic patients with small tumor burden whereas our chemotherapy regimen appears ineffective. (orig.)

  9. Neuroendocrine Carcinomas of the Gastroenteropancreatic System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ilett, Emma Elizabeth; Langer, Seppo W; Olsen, Ingrid Holst

    2015-01-01

    To date, empirical literature has generally been considered lacking in relation to neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs), the highly malignant subgroup of neuroendocrine neoplasms. NECs are often found in the lungs or the gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) system and can be of small or large cell type. Conc...

  10. Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Sporadic CRC and Hereditary Nonpolyosis Colorectal Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. H. Sun

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Extent neuroendocrine differentiation can be encountered in many human neoplasm derived from different organs and systems using immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural techniques. The tumor cells' behaviors resemble those of neurons and neuroendocrine cells. The presence of neuroendocrine differentiation reputedly appears to be associated with a poorer prognosis than the adenocarcinoma counterparts in sporadic human neoplasm. In this review the neuroendocrine carcinoma and the adenocarcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation of colon and rectum both in sporadic colorectal carcinoma and the hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, the relationship of neuroendocrine differentiation and some possible molecular pathways in tumorogenesis of colorectal cancer will be discussed. Possible treatment strategy will also be addressed.

  11. A case report of metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma of the right adrenal gland successfully treated with chemotherapy and surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ochiai, Toshiya; Komiyama, Sosuke; Ikoma, Hisashi; Kubota, Takeshi; Nakanishi, Masayoshi; Ichikawa, Daisuke; Kikuchi, Shojiro; Fujiwara, Hitoshi; Sakakura, Chohei; Kokuba, Yukihito; Sonoyama, Teruhisa; Otsuji, Eigo

    2010-08-01

    Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma has a poor prognosis, especially when associated with distant metastasis. A 60-year-old man was admitted to a private hospital because of dyspnea at work in 2007. Computed tomography revealed lung infarction and a right adrenal tumor sized 12 cm in diameter that was tightly compressed against the inferior vena cava (IVC). Moreover, multiple lymph node metastases around the celiac axis and a solitary liver metastasis at the lateral segment were observed. Thus, we planned chemotherapy without surgery. We selected a combination therapy of irinotecan (CPT-11) and cisplatin (CDDP) (i.e., IP therapy): administration of CDDP [60 mg/m(2) body surface area (BSA)] on day 1 plus CPT-11 (80 mg/m(2)) BSA on days 1 and 8. Thereafter, this protocol was repeated at 3-week intervals. After 15 months of this chemotherapy strategy, the whole lesions showed a partial response by RECIST. The primary tumor had shrunk to 4.2 cm in diameter. In November 2008, we planned surgery to perform resection of the whole lesions. Histological diagnosis of the specimen was a poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma based on the immunostaining features, i.e., synaptophysin- and chromogranin positive. There were no viable tumor cells at the dissected lymph nodes or at the liver tumor. After surgery, CPT-11 administration was continued. The patient has remained well for 9 months without recurrence.

  12. Pleiotropic function of ezrin in human metastatic melanomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Federici, Cristina; Brambilla, Daria; Lozupone, Francesco; Matarrese, Paola; de Milito, Angelo; Lugini, Luana; Iessi, Elisabetta; Cecchetti, Serena; Marino, Marialucia; Perdicchio, Maurizio; Logozzi, Mariantonia; Spada, Massimo; Malorni, Walter; Fais, Stefano

    2009-06-15

    The membrane cytoskeleton cross-linker, ezrin, has recently been depicted as a key regulator in the progression and metastasis of several pediatric tumors. Less defined appears the role of ezrin in human adult tumors, especially melanoma. We therefore addressed ezrin involvement in the metastatic phenotype of human adult metastatic melanoma cells. Our results show that cells resected from melanoma metastatic lesions of patients, display marked metastatic spreading capacity in SCID mice organs. Stable transfection of human melanoma cells with an ezrin deletion mutant comprising only 146 N-terminal aminoacids led to the abolishment of metastatic dissemination. In vitro experiments revealed ezrin direct molecular interactions with molecules related to metastatic functions such as CD44, merlin and Lamp-1, consistent with its participation to the formation of phagocitic vacuoles, vesicular sorting and migration capacities of melanoma cells. Moreover, the ezrin fragment capable of binding to CD44 was shorter than that previously reported, and transfection with the ezrin deletion mutant abrogated plasma membrane Lamp-1 recruitment. This study highlights key involvement of ezrin in a complex machinery, which allows metastatic cancer cells to migrate, invade and survive in very unfavorable conditions. Our in vivo and in vitro data reveal that ezrin is the hub of the metastatic behavior also in human adult tumors. Copyright 2008 UICC.

  13. Pathology of Neuroendocrine Tumours of the Female Genital Tract.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howitt, Brooke E; Kelly, Paul; McCluggage, W Glenn

    2017-09-01

    Neuroendocrine tumours are uncommon or rare at all sites in the female genital tract. The 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) Classification of neuroendocrine tumours of the endometrium, cervix, vagina and vulva has been updated with adoption of the terms low-grade neuroendocrine tumour and high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma. In the endometrium and cervix, high-grade neoplasms are much more prevalent than low-grade and are more common in the cervix than the corpus. In the ovary, low-grade tumours are more common than high-grade carcinomas and the term carcinoid tumour is still used in WHO 2014. The term ovarian small-cell carcinoma of pulmonary type is included in WHO 2014 for a tumour which in other organs is termed high small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Neuroendocrine tumours at various sites within the female genital tract often occur in association with other neoplasms and more uncommonly in pure form.

  14. Role of {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC PET-CT in the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Rakesh; Sharma, Punit; Karunanithi, Sellam; Naswa, Niraj; Lata, Sneh; Malhotra, Arun [All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Nuclear Medicine, New Delhi (India); Garg, Pramod [All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition, New Delhi (India); Sharma, Raju; Thulkar, Sanjay [All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiodiagnosis, New Delhi (India)

    2011-11-15

    The objective of the present study was to evaluate the role of {sup 68}Ga-DOTA(0)-Phe(1)-Tyr(3)-octreotide ({sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC) positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) for detection and staging of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). Twenty patients with clinically suspected and/or histopathologically proven pancreatic NET underwent {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC PET-CT imaging for staging and /or localisation of primary lesion. They also underwent contrast enhanced CT (CECT) and 8 patients underwent {sup 18}F-FDG PET-CT. SUVmax of primary and metastatic lesions were measured. Results were verified with histopathology for primary tumour and with clinical follow up/MRI and /or biopsy for metastatic disease. Results of {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC PET-CT were compared to CECT and {sup 18}F-FDG PET-CT. {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC PET-CT correctly localised primary in all 20, CECT in 15 and {sup 18}F-FDG PET-CT in 2 patients. {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC PET-CT demonstrated metastases in 13 patients, CECT in 7 and {sup 18}F-FDG PET-CT in 2. {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC PET-CT emerged as the best investigation with 100% sensitivity and PPV for detecting primary tumour and metastatic disease. The detection rate of CECT was lower than {sup 68}Ga-DOTATOC PET-CT, both for primary tumour (20vs.15) or metastatic disease (13vs.7). {sup 18}F-FDG PET-CT performed poorly for primary and metastasis. Ga-DOTATOC PET-CT is a very useful imaging investigation for diagnosing and staging pancreatic NET. (orig.)

  15. Spontaneous rupture of thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Chan Yeong; Lee, In Jae; Min, Soo Kee [Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-11-15

    Thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is a rare neoplasm with tendencies of local invasion and metastasis. Usually, it is detected incidentally or by its symptoms caused by mass effect. Rupture of the tumor is extremely rare. In this study, we report a case of a ruptured thymic NEC that was combined with a potentially fatal hemorrhage. This lesion was manifested as a progressive bulging of the right cardiac border on serial chest radiographs, and on CT as a large anterior mediastinal mass with heterogeneous enhancement, internal necrosis, and hematoma.

  16. Stable and high expression of Galectin-8 tightly controls metastatic progression of prostate cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gentilini, Lucas Daniel; Pérez, Ignacio González; Kotler, Monica Lidia; Chauchereau, Anne; Laderach, Diego Jose; Compagno, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    Two decades ago, Galectin-8 was described as a prostate carcinoma biomarker since it is only expressed in the neoplastic prostate, but not in the healthy tissue. To date, no biological function has been attributed to Galectin-8 that could explain this differential expression. In this study we silenced Galectin-8 in two human prostate cancer cell lines, PC3 and IGR-CaP1, and designed a pre-clinical experimental model that allows monitoring the pathology from its early steps to the long-term metastatic stages. We show for the first time that the natural and conserved expression of Gal-8 in tumour cells is responsible for the metastatic evolution of prostate cancer. In fact, Gal-8 controls the rearrangement of the cytoskeleton and E-Cadherin expression, with a major impact on anoikis and homotypic aggregation of tumour cells, both being essential processes for the survival of circulating tumour cells during metastasis. While localized prostate cancer can be cured, metastatic and advanced disease remains a significant therapeutic challenge, urging for the identification of prognostic markers of the metastatic process. Collectively, our results highlight Galectin-8 as a potential target for anti-metastatic therapy against prostate cancer. PMID:28591719

  17. Clinical application of SPECT-CT with 99mTc-Tektrotyd in bronchial and thymic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sergieva, Sonya; Robev, Bozhil; Dimcheva, Milena; Fakirova, Albena; Hristoskova, Radka

    2016-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the thorax including bronchial and thymic tumors belong to foregut NETs. Limited loco-regional thoracic NETs can be resected with surgery, but in extensive metastatic disease the treatment is mainly palliative. A high incidence and density of somatostatin receptors (SSTR2, SSTR3, and SSTR5) are found in thoracic NETs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of SPECT-CT somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) with 99mTc-Tektrotyd for imaging, staging and follow up of patients with bronchial and thymic neuroendocrine tumors. Forty-one patients with thoracic tumors with neuroendocrine differentiation were studied. Sixty-eight examinations including SPECT-CT studies of the neck and chest and/or abdomen and pelvis were carried out 2-4 hrs. post i.v. administration of aver-age 740 MBq activity dose of 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC (Tektrotyd, Polatom). In all 41 investigated patients we obtained 81.25% (13/16), 88% (22/25) and 85.36% (35/41) of sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of this diagnostic approach, respectively. Somatostatin-receptor scintigraphy correctly identified all primary NETs located in the lungs and thymus. SPECT-CT studies with 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC resulted in exact pre-surgical and pre-treatment N/M staging of bronchial and thymic NETs, except 2 cases with multiple hepatic metastases and 1 with massive suprarenal metastasis. It can be concluded that SPECT-CT with 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC is a valuable tool for staging and follow-up of patients with thoracic NETs.

  18. Immunotherapy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachna Raman

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC is often curable by surgery alone. However, metastatic RCC is generally incurable. In the 1990s, immunotherapy in the form of cytokines was the mainstay of treatment for metastatic RCC. However, responses were seen in only a minority of highly selected patients with substantial treatment-related toxicities. The advent of targeted agents such as vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors VEGF-TKIs and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR inhibitors led to a change in this paradigm due to improved response rates and progression-free survival, a better safety profile, and the convenience of oral administration. However, most patients ultimately progress with about 12% being alive at 5 years. In contrast, durable responses lasting 10 years or more are noted in a minority of those treated with cytokines. More recently, an improved overall survival with newer forms of immunotherapy in other malignancies (such as melanoma and prostate cancer has led to a resurgence of interest in immune therapies in metastatic RCC. In this review we discuss the rationale for immunotherapy and recent developments in immunotherapeutic strategies for treating metastatic RCC.

  19. Neuroendocrine Role for VGF

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jo Edward Lewis

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The vgf gene (non-acronymic is highly conserved and was identified on the basis of its rapid induction in vitro by nerve growth factor, although can also be induced by brain derived neurotrophic factor, and glial derived growth factor. The VGF gene gives rise to a 68kDa precursor polypeptide which is induced robustly, relatively selectively and is synthesized exclusively in neuronal and neuroendocrine cells. Post-translational processing by neuroendocrine specific pro-hormone convertases in these cells results in the production of a number of smaller peptides. The VGF gene and peptides are widely expressed throughout the brain, particularly the hypothalamus and hippocampus, and in peripheral tissues including the pituitary gland, the adrenal glands and the pancreas, and in the gastrointestinal tract in both the myenteric plexus and in endocrine cells. VGF peptides have been associated with a number of neuroendocrine roles and in this mini-review we aim to describe these roles to highlight the importance of VGF as therapeutic target for a number of disorders, particularly those associated with energy metabolism, pain, reproduction and cognition.

  20. Progression of metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer: impact of therapeutic intervention in the post-docetaxel space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sartor A Oliver

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Despite the proven success of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer using chemical or surgical castration, most patients eventually will progress to a phase of the disease that is metastatic and shows resistance to further hormonal manipulation. This has been termed metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC. Despite this designation, however, there is evidence that androgen receptor (AR-mediated signaling and gene expression can persist in mCRPC, even in the face of castrate levels of androgen. This may be due in part to the upregulation of enzymes involved in androgen synthesis, the overexpression of AR, or the emergence of mutant ARs with promiscuous recognition of various steroidal ligands. The therapeutic options were limited and palliative in nature until trials in 2004 demonstrated that docetaxel chemotherapy could significantly improve survival. These results established first-line docetaxel as the standard of care for mCRPC. After resistance to further docetaxel therapy develops, treatment options were once again limited. Recently reported results from phase 3 trials have shown that additional therapy with the novel taxane cabazitaxel (with prednisone, or treatment with the antiandrogen abiraterone (with prednisone could improve survival for patients with mCRPC following docetaxel therapy. Compared with mitoxantrone/prednisone, cabazitaxel/prednisone significantly improved overall survival, with a 30% reduction in rate of death, in patients with progression of mCRPC after docetaxel therapy in the TROPIC trial. Similarly, abiraterone acetate (an inhibitor of androgen biosynthesis plus prednisone significantly decreased the rate of death by 35% compared with placebo plus prednisone in mCRPC patients progressing after prior docetaxel therapy in the COU-AA-301 trial. Results of these trials have thus established two additional treatment options for mCRPC patients in the "post-docetaxel space." In view of the continued AR

  1. [Treatment of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors with 177Lu-DOTA-TATE: Experience of the Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Porto].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sampaio, Inês Lucena; Luiz, Henrique Vara; Violante, Liliana Sobral; Santos, Ana Paula; Antunes, Luís; Torres, Isabel; Sanches, Cristina; Azevedo, Isabel; Duarte, Hugo

    2016-11-01

    The purpose of this article is to report the experience of the Portuguese Institute of Oncology - Porto in the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with 177Lu-DOTA-TATE, regarding the safety and efficacy of this treatment modality. A retrospective analysis of clinical reports of patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors undergoing treatment with 177Lu-DOTA-TATE between April 2011 and November 2013 was performed. Thirty six cases were reviewed and 30 completed all 3 cycles of 177Lu-DOTA-TATE (83.3%). In these patients it was registered: acute side effects in 8.9% of cycles; grade 3 CTCAE liver toxicity in 13.3% of patients (all with previous abnormal liver function); absence of significant renal or hematologic toxicity; symptomatic improvement in 71.4% of patients; median overall time to progression of 25.6 months; median overall survival from diagnosis of 121.7 months. Patients with higher expression of somatostatin receptors had longer progression-free survival and overall survival times (p DOTA-TATE is an effective, safe and well-tolerated treatment, as evidenced in our study by the following findings: symptomatic improvement in most patients and increased time to disease progression and survival (especially in those with higher sstr expression), with acute and significant subacute/chronic side effects reported only in a minority of cases. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with 177Lu-DOTA-TATE is a promising treatment for patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, with demonstrated benefits in terms of safety and efficacy.

  2. Antiproliferative effects of lanreotide autogel in patients with progressive, well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours: a Spanish, multicentre, open-label, single arm phase II study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martín-Richard, Marta; Sala, Maria Angeles; Pericay, Carlos; Rivera, Fernando; Sastre, Javier; Segura, Ángel; Quindós, Maria; Maisonobe, Pascal; Massutí, Bartomeu; Pineda, Eva; Alonso, Vicente; Marmol, Maribel; Castellano, Daniel; Fonseca, Emilio; Galán, Antonio; Llanos, Marta

    2013-01-01

    Somatostatin analogues (SSAs) are indicated to relieve carcinoid syndrome but seem to have antiproliferative effects on neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). This is the first prospective study investigating tumour stabilisation with the long-acting SSA lanreotide Autogel in patients with progressive NETs. This was a multicentre, open-label, phase II trial conducted in 17 Spanish specialist centres. Patients with well-differentiated NETs and radiologically confirmed progression within the previous 6 months received lanreotide Autogel, 120 mg every 28 days over ≤92 weeks. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints were response rate, tumour biomarkers, symptom control, quality of life (QoL), and safety. Radiographic imaging was assessed by a blinded central radiologist. Of 30 patients included in the efficacy and safety analyses, 40% had midgut tumours and 27% pancreatic tumours; 63% of tumours were functioning. Median PFS time was 12.9 (95% CI: 7.9, 16.5) months, and most patients achieved disease stabilisation (89%) or partial response (4%). No deterioration in QoL was observed. Nineteen patients (63%) experienced treatment-related adverse events, most frequently diarrhoea and asthenia; only one treatment-related adverse event (aerophagia) was severe. Lanreotide Autogel provided effective tumour stabilisation and PFS >12 months in patients with progressive NETs ineligible for surgery or chemotherapy, with a safety profile consistent with the pharmacology of the class. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00326469; EU Clinical Trial Register EudraCT no 2004-002871-18

  3. Gangliocytic paraganglioma of duodenum metastatic to lymph nodes and liver and extending into the retropancreatic space

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amin, S M; Albrechtsen, N Wewer; Forster, J

    2013-01-01

    Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) is a rare benign neuroendocrine tumour found most often in the duodenum. To our knowledge, only a dozen cases of possibly malignant duodenal GP with local lymph node metastasis and only one case with liver metastasis have previously been published. Herein, we report...... an unusual case of GP of the duodenum spreading to the retropancreatic space and metastatic to the liver and lymph nodes. Additionally, the present tumour secreted pancreatic polypeptide (PP) which was detected in the serum during the follow-up period. We suggest that serum PP could be a valuable marker...

  4. An Extremely Rare Case of Advanced Metastatic Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of Sinonasal Tract

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Yu Thar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SNEC is a rare form of malignancy. It mainly presents as bronchogenic neoplasm, and the extrapulmonary form accounts for only 0.1% to 0.4% of all cancers. These extrapulmonary tumors have been described most frequently in the urinary bladder, prostate, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum, gall bladder, head and neck, cervix, and skin. Primary SNEC of the sinonasal tract is extremely rare with only less than 100 cases reported in the literature. Because of extreme rarity and aggressiveness of the tumor, the management for this entity varies considerably mandating multimodality approach. In this paper, we report a patient presented with left-sided facial swelling, and the histopathologic examination confirmed primary SNEC of left sinonasal tract. The tumor involved multiple paranasal sinuses with invasion into the left orbit and left infratemporal fossa and metastasized to cervical lymph nodes and bone. The patient encountered devastating outcome in spite of optimal medical management and treatment with palliative chemotherapy highlighting the necessity for further research of primary SNEC of head and neck.

  5. Primary neuroendocrine neoplasm of the gallbladder

    OpenAIRE

    Kanakala, Venkatesh; Kasaraneni, Ramesh; Smith, David A; Goulbourne, Ian A

    2009-01-01

    Carcinoid tumours are distinct neuroendocrine tumours with characteristic clinical and histological behavioural properties which arise mainly in the gastrointestinal tract (73.7%) or bronchopulmonary system (25.1%). Neuroendocrine tumours of the gallbladder are rare—to date there have been only 42 cases reported in the literature. This case was an incidental finding which was recognised during routine histopathological examination after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithia...

  6. CURRENT POSSIBILITIES OF TREATMENT FOR VISCERAL METASTASES IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC CASTRATION-REFRACTORY PROSTATE CANCER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. V. Govorov

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Medications increasing the survival of patients with metastatic castration-refractory prostate cancer (CRPC are lacking today. In the past 3 years, in the pharmaceutical market there have been a few novel drugs to treat progressive prostate cancer. Abiraterone acetate is an androgen synthesis inhibitor, which is also used to increase the survival of patients with metastatic CRPC that progresses after chemotherapy. The results of treatment for metastatic CRPC depend on a number of factors. Visceral metastases are poor predictors of the course of the disease. The results of abiraterone acetate treatment were analyzed in CRPC patients with visceral metastases.

  7. First line chemotherapy plus trastuzumab in metastatic breast cancer ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    First line chemotherapy plus trastuzumab in metastatic breast cancer HER2 positive - Observational institutional study. ... The progression free survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, from the date of first cycle to the date of progression or at the last consultation, and the median was 12.8 months. Trastuzumab ...

  8. Neuroendocrine and squamous colonic composite carcinoma: Case report with molecular analysis

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Sabrina C Wentz; Cindy Vnencak-Jones; William V Chopp

    2011-01-01

    Composite colorectal carcinomas are rare. There are a modest number of cases in the medical literature, with even fewer cases describing composite carcinoma with neuroendocrine and squamous components. There are to our knowledge no reports of composite carcinoma molecular alterations. We present a case of composite carcinoma of the splenic flexure in a 33 year-old Cau casian male to investigate the presence and prognos tic significance of molecular alterations in rare colonic carcinoma subtypes. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue was hematoxylin and eosin- and mucicar-mine-stained according to protocol, and immuno-stained with cytokeratin (CK)7, CK20, CDX2, AE1/AE3, chromo-granin-A and synaptophysin. DNA was extracted from FFPE tissues and molecular analyses were performedaccording to lab-developed methods, followed by capil lary electrophoresis. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed admixed neuroendocrine and keratinized squa mous cells. Positive nuclear CDX2 expression confirmed intestinal derivation. CK7 and CK20 were negative. Neuroendocrine cells stained positively for synaptophy sin and AE1/AE3 and negatively for chromogranin and mucicarmine. Hepatic metastases showed a similar im munohistochemical profile. Molecular analysis revealed a G13D KRAS mutation. BRAF mutational testing was negative and microsatellite instability was not detected. The patient had rapid disease progression on chemo therapy and died 60 d after presentation. Although the G13D KRAS mutation normally predicts an intermediate outcome, the aggressive tumor behavior suggests other modifying factors in rare types of colonic carcinomas.

  9. NKX2.2, PDX-1 and CDX-2 as potential biomarkers to differentiate well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Michelle X; Coates, Ryan F; Ambaye, Abiy; Cortright, Valerie; Mitchell, Jeannette M; Buskey, Alexa M; Zubarik, Richard; Liu, James G; Ades, Steven; Barry, Maura M

    2018-01-01

    Well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NET) most frequently arise from the gastrointestinal tract (GI), pancreas, and lung. Patients often present as metastasis with an unknown primary, and the clinical management and outcome depend on multiple factors, including the accurate diagnosis with the tumor primary site. Determining the site of the NET with unknown primary remains challenging. Many biomarkers have been investigated in primary NETs and metastatic NETs, with heterogeneous sensitivity and specificity observed. We used high-throughput tissue microarray (TMA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) with antibodies against a panel of transcriptional factors including NKX2.2, PDX-1, PTF1A, and CDX-2 on archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded NETs, and investigated the protein expression pattern of these transcription factors in 109 primary GI ( N  = 81), pancreatic ( N  = 17), and lung ( N  = 11) NETs. Differential expression pattern of these markers was observed. In the GI and pancreatic NETs ( N  = 98), NKX2.2, PDX-1, and CDX-2 were immunoreactive in 82 (84%), 14 (14%), and 52 (52%) cases, respectively. PDX-1 was expressed mainly in the small intestinal and appendiceal NETs, occasionally in the pancreatic NETs, and not in the colorectal NETs. All three biomarkers including NKX2.2, PDX-1, and CDX-2 were completely negative in lung NETs. PTF1A was expressed in all normal and neuroendocrine tumor cells. Our findings suggest that NKX2.2 was a sensitive and specific biomarker for the GI and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. We proposed that a panel of immunostains including NKX2.2, PDX-1, and CDX-2 may show diagnostic utility for the most common NETs.

  10. Rapid Progression of Metastatic Pulmonary Calcification and Alveolar Hemorrhage in a Patient with Chronic Renal Failure and Primary Hyperparathyroidism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Eun Joo; Kim, Dong Hun; Yoon, Seong Ho; Suk, Eun Ha

    2013-01-01

    Metastatic pulmonary calcification (MPC) is common in patients with chronic renal failure. The authors experienced a patient with chronic renal failure and primary hyperparathyroidism by parathyroid adenoma accompanied with rapid progressions of MPC and alveolar hemorrhage. Recent chest radiographs, compared with previous chest radiographs, showed rapid accumulation of calcification in both upper lungs. Following up on the high-resolution CT scan after five years demonstrates more increased nodules in size and ground glass opacity. The patient was diagnosed with MPC and alveolar hemorrhage by transbronchial lung biopsy. We assumed rapid progression of MPC and alveolar hemorrhage in underlying chronic renal failures could be a primary hyperparathyroidism which may be caused by parathyroid adenoma detected incidentally. Therefore parathyroid adenoma was treated with ethanol injections. Herein, we have reported on CT findings of MPC with alveolar hemorrhage and reviewed our case along with other articles.

  11. Radiographic progression with nonrising PSA in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: post hoc analysis of PREVAIL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryce, A H; Alumkal, J J; Armstrong, A; Higano, C S; Iversen, P; Sternberg, C N; Rathkopf, D; Loriot, Y; de Bono, J; Tombal, B; Abhyankar, S; Lin, P; Krivoshik, A; Phung, D; Beer, T M

    2017-06-01

    Advanced prostate cancer is a phenotypically diverse disease that evolves through multiple clinical courses. PSA level is the most widely used parameter for disease monitoring, but it has well-recognized limitations. Unlike in clinical trials, in practice, clinicians may rely on PSA monitoring alone to determine disease status on therapy. This approach has not been adequately tested. Chemotherapy-naive asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic men (n=872) with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who were treated with the androgen receptor inhibitor enzalutamide in the PREVAIL study were analyzed post hoc for rising versus nonrising PSA (empirically defined as >1.05 vs ⩽1.05 times the PSA level from 3 months earlier) at the time of radiographic progression. Clinical characteristics and disease outcomes were compared between the rising and nonrising PSA groups. Of 265 PREVAIL patients with radiographic progression and evaluable PSA levels on the enzalutamide arm, nearly one-quarter had a nonrising PSA. Median progression-free survival in this cohort was 8.3 months versus 11.1 months in the rising PSA cohort (hazard ratio 1.68; 95% confidence interval 1.26-2.23); overall survival was similar between the two groups, although less than half of patients in either group were still at risk at 24 months. Baseline clinical characteristics of the two groups were similar. Non-rising PSA at radiographic progression is a common phenomenon in mCRPC patients treated with enzalutamide. As restaging in advanced prostate cancer patients is often guided by increases in PSA levels, our results demonstrate that disease progression on enzalutamide can occur without rising PSA levels. Therefore, a disease monitoring strategy that includes imaging not entirely reliant on serial serum PSA measurement may more accurately identify disease progression.

  12. Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the pancreas at dynamic enhanced CT: comparison between grade 3 neuroendocrine carcinoma and grade 1/2 neuroendocrine tumour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Dong Wook; Kim, Hyoung Jung; Kim, Kyung Won; Byun, Jae Ho [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Song, Ki Byung [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ji Hoon; Hong, Seung-Mo [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-05-01

    To identify the CT features in differentiating grade 3 neuroendocrine carcinomas from grade 1/2 neuroendocrine tumours. This study included 161 patients with surgically confirmed pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Pathology slides were reviewed to determine the tumour grade. CT image analysis included size, pattern, calcification, margin, pancreatic duct dilatation, bile duct dilatation, vascular invasion, arterial enhancement ratio, and portal enhancement ratio. We used 2 cm, 3 cm, and 4 cm as cutoff values of tumour size and 0.9 and 1.1 of enhancement ratio to determine the sensitivity and specificity. Pathology analysis identified 167 lesions in 161 patients. 154 lesions (92 %) were grade 1/2 and 13 (8 %) were grade 3. Portal enhancement ratio (< 1.1) showed high sensitivity and specificity 92.3 % and 80.5 %, respectively in differentiating grade 3 from grade 1/2. It showed the highest odds ratio (49.60), followed by poorly defined margin, size (> 3 cm), bile duct dilatation, and vascular invasion. When at least two of these five criteria were used in combination, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing grade 3 were 92.3 % (12/13) and 87.7 % (135/154), respectively. By using specific CT findings, grade 3 can be differentiated from grade 1/2 with a high diagnostic accuracy leading to an appropriate imaging staging. (orig.)

  13. Neuroendocrine tumors and smoking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanja Miličević

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Neuroendocrine cells are dispersed around the body and can be found within the gastrointestinal system, lungs, larynx, thymus, thyroid, adrenal, gonads, skin and other tissues. These cells form the so-called ''diffuse neuroendocrine system'' and tumors arising from them are defined as neuroendocrine tumors (NETs. The traditional classification of NETs based on their embryonic origin includes foregut tumors (lung, thymus, stomach, pancreas and duodenum, midgut tumors (beyond the ligament of Treitz of the duodenum to the proximal transverse colon and hindgut tumors (distal colon and rectum. NETs at each site are biologically and clinically distinct from their counterparts at other sites. Symptoms in patients with early disease are often insidious in onset, leading to a delay in diagnosis. The majority of these tumors are thus diagnosed at a stage at which the only curative treatment, radical surgical intervention, is no longer an option. Due to the increasing incidence and mortality, many studies have been conducted in order to identify risk factors for the development of NETs. Still, little is known especially when it comes to preventable risk factors such as smoking. This review will focus on smoking and its contribution to the development of different subtypes of NETs.

  14. Primary Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of Breast: A Rare Case Report

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Introduction. Primary neuroendocrine carcinoma (PNEC) of breast ... than 50% neoplastic tumor cells expressing neuroendocrine. (NE) markers .... subtype also concluded that molecular classification helps ... decreased disease free survival.

  15. Targeting the extracellular matrix to disrupt cancer progression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Freja Albjerg Venning

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Metastatic complications are responsible for more than 90% of cancer related deaths. The progression from an isolated tumor to disseminated metastatic disease is a multi-step process, with each step involving intricate cross-talk between the cancer cells and their non-cellular surroundings, the extracellular matrix (ECM. Many ECM proteins are significantly de-regulated during the progression of cancer, causing both biochemical and biomechanical changes that together promote the metastatic cascade. In this review, the influence of several ECM proteins on these multiple steps of cancer spread is summarized. In addition, we highlight the promising (pre-clinical data showing benefits of targeting these ECM macromolecules to prevent cancer progression.

  16. Gemcitabine plus nedaplatin as salvage therapy is a favorable option for patients with progressive metastatic urothelial carcinoma after two lines of chemotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, Kazumasa; Mochizuki, Kohei; Hirayama, Takahiro; Ikeda, Masaomi; Nishi, Morihiro; Tabata, Ken-ichi; Okazaki, Miyoko; Fujita, Tetsuo; Taoka, Yoshinori; Iwamura, Masatsugu

    2015-01-01

    This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of gemcitabine and nedaplatin therapy among patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma previously treated with two lines of chemotherapy. Between February 2009 and August 2013, 30 patients were treated with gemcitabine and paclitaxel as a second-line chemotherapy. All had received a first-line chemotherapy consisting of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin. Ten patients who had measurable histologically proven advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder and upper urinary tract received gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15 and nedaplatin 70 mg/m2 on day 2 as a third-line chemotherapy. Tumors were assessed by imaging every two cycles. The median number of treatment cycles was 3.5. One patient had partial response and three had stable disease. The disease-control rate was 40%, the median overall survival was 8.8 months and the median progression-free survival was 5.0 months. The median overall survival times for the first-line and second-line therapies were 29.1 and 13.9 months, respectively. Among disease-controlled patients (n=4), median overall survival was 14.2 months. Myelosuppression was the most common toxicity. There were no therapy-related deaths. Gemcitabine and nedaplatin chemotherapy is a favorable third-line chemotherapeutic option for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Given the safety and benefit profile seen in this study, further prospective trials are warranted given the implications of our results with regard to strategic chemotherapy for patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

  17. Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Beggs, Rachel E

    2012-09-01

    Large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the ampulla of Vater are rare and confer a very poor prognosis despite aggressive therapy. There are few case reports of large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the ampulla of Vater in the literature and to date no studies have been done to establish optimal management. We describe a pooled case series from published reports of neuroendocrine carcinomas of the ampulla of Vater including a case which presented to our institution.

  18. Unusual presentation of high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the Urinary bladder with small-cell and large-cell features

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vitor Fiorin de Vasconcellos

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available High-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the urinary bladder comprehends small-cell and large-cell variants. It is a rare and aggressive neoplasm, mostly diagnosed in advanced stages. It is more frequently encountered among Caucasian men in the sixth decade of life. Urinary symptoms are the most common clinical presentation. Diagnosis is generally not troublesome once the lesions are easily detectable by imaging exams and cystoscopy. This neoplasia is associated with tobacco smoking, and is frequently associated with other carcinomatous components such as urothelial carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and sarcomatoid carcinoma. The authors report a case of an apparently healthy female patient who presented cervical lymph node enlargement not accompanied by systemic symptoms. The supraclavicular lymph node biopsy revealed metastatic small cell carcinoma. The computed tomography scan showed a bladder wall nodular thickening, enlarged lymph nodes along the iliac, periaortic, mediastinal, cervical and supraclavicular chains, as well as an insufflating lytic bone lesion in the right iliac wing. The positron emission tomography-fluorodeoxyglucose (PET-FDG added to these findings, the presence of a paraesophageal lymph node, lymphadenomegaly in the gluteal region and a vertebral lytic lesion in T10. Resected specimen of the bladder tumor revealed a high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma with small-cell and large-cell features.

  19. Argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) deficiency in high-grade pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma: an opportunity for personalized targeted therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walts, Ann E; Bomalaski, John S; Ines, Delma; Orsulic, Sandra

    2015-08-01

    Cells deficient in argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) must absorb the arginine they need for growth from circulating blood. Treatment with pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG 20) selectively eliminates arginine from the circulation and has shown some efficacy against ASS-deficient tumors including small cell lung cancer (SCLC). We sought to assess ASS expression in a cohort of high-grade pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas (PNEC) which include SCLC and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC). Sixty-nine PNEC (49 SCLC and 20 LCNEC) were retrieved from our pathology archives. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of the 54 primary tumors, 15 metastases and appropriate positive and negative controls were immunostained using an ASS-specific monoclonal antibody. Positive staining in ASS negative. 58 % of the PNEC including 61.2 % of the SCLC and 50 % of the LCNEC were ASS negative. These ASS-negative tumors included 63 % of the primary and 40 % of the metastatic lesions tested. More than 50 % of the high-grade PNEC tested lack immunohistochemically detectable ASS, suggesting that they are auxotrophic for arginine and potential candidates for arginine deprivation therapy. PNEC comprise about 25 % of primary lung cancers and have a 5-year overall survival of only 5-10 %, underscoring the need for new and more effective therapies. Immunostaining for ASS has potential to improve the selection of patients with PNEC for arginine deprivation therapy with ADI-PEG 20.

  20. The ketogenic diet and hyperbaric oxygen therapy prolong survival in mice with systemic metastatic cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela M Poff

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Abnormal cancer metabolism creates a glycolytic-dependency which can be exploited by lowering glucose availability to the tumor. The ketogenic diet (KD is a low carbohydrate, high fat diet which decreases blood glucose and elevates blood ketones and has been shown to slow cancer progression in animals and humans. Abnormal tumor vasculature creates hypoxic pockets which promote cancer progression and further increase the glycolytic-dependency of cancers. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO₂T saturates tumors with oxygen, reversing the cancer promoting effects of tumor hypoxia. Since these non-toxic therapies exploit overlapping metabolic deficiencies of cancer, we tested their combined effects on cancer progression in a natural model of metastatic disease. METHODS: We used the firefly luciferase-tagged VM-M3 mouse model of metastatic cancer to compare tumor progression and survival in mice fed standard or KD ad libitum with or without HBO₂T (2.5 ATM absolute, 90 min, 3x/week. Tumor growth was monitored by in vivo bioluminescent imaging. RESULTS: KD alone significantly decreased blood glucose, slowed tumor growth, and increased mean survival time by 56.7% in mice with systemic metastatic cancer. While HBO₂T alone did not influence cancer progression, combining the KD with HBO₂T elicited a significant decrease in blood glucose, tumor growth rate, and 77.9% increase in mean survival time compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: KD and HBO₂T produce significant anti-cancer effects when combined in a natural model of systemic metastatic cancer. Our evidence suggests that these therapies should be further investigated as potential non-toxic treatments or adjuvant therapies to standard care for patients with systemic metastatic disease.

  1. Metastatic Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer Presenting Clinically with Esophageal Dysphagia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lilit Karapetyan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Intra-abdominal metastases of invasive lobular breast cancer (ILBC may be insidious. We report a case of metastatic ILBC that presented with dysphagia within weeks of a negative mammogram and before the development of intra-abdominal symptoms. Case. A 70-year-old female developed esophageal dysphagia. She underwent EGD which showed a short segment of stricture of the distal esophagus without significant mucosal changes. Biopsy was unremarkable and patient underwent lower esophageal sphincter (LES dilation. Severe progressive dysphagia led to esophageal impaction and three LES dilatations. CT scan showed bilateral pleural effusions, more prominent on right side, and ascites. The pleural effusions were transudative. Repeat EGD with biopsy showed lymphocytic esophagitis, and she was started on swallowed fluticasone. Abdominal ultrasound with Doppler showed that the main portal vein had atypical turbulent flow that was felt to possibly be due to retroperitoneal process. The patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy which revealed diffuse punctate lesions on the peritoneum. Pathology was consistent with metastatic ILBC. Conclusion. Dysphagia in the setting of peritoneal carcinomatosis from metastatic ILBC is a rare finding. The case highlights the importance of metastatic ILBC as a differential diagnosis for female patients with progressive dysphagia and associated ascites or pleural effusions.

  2. Neuroendocrine-immune interaction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kemenade, van Lidy; Cohen, Nicholas; Chadzinska, Magdalena

    2017-01-01

    It has now become accepted that the immune system and neuroendocrine system form an integrated part of our physiology. Immunological defense mechanisms act in concert with physiological processes like growth and reproduction, energy intake and metabolism, as well as neuronal development. Not only

  3. Genetic analysis of an orbital metastasis from a primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Jacob Ø; von Holstein, Sarah L; Prause, Jan U

    2014-01-01

    and immunohistochemical features, and high-resolution, array-based comparative genomic hybridization demonstrated loss of one copy each of chromosomes 3 and 18, and gain of 1q both in the primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma and in the orbital tumour. The orbital mass was diagnosed as a metastasis from the primary...... hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumours are extremely rare, and the orbit is an extremely rare location for a neuroendocrine carcinoma metastasis. This is the first reported case of an orbital metastasis with origin from a primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma....

  4. Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Stomach: A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keisuke Kubota

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas are rare and have a poor prognosis, and the diagnostic criteria for this disease have recently changed. We herein report a case of sporadic gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma. A 75-year-old man was referred to our hospital with epigastric pain. Endoscopic examination revealed a localized ulcerative lesion (diameter, 4 cm at the upper stomach. The diagnosis on biopsy was neuroendocrine carcinoma. Total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy, splenectomy, and cholecystectomy was performed. Pathologically, the tumor infiltrated the subserosal layer, and 6/49 lymph nodes were involved. The tumor was uniform in shape and arranged in a rosette-like structure to form solid nests, with medium-sized, round-to-cuboid-shaped tumor cells and intense mitosis 46/10 HPF. It was positive for synaptophysin and chromogranin A, and the Ki-67 labeling index was 70–80%. The diagnosis of neuroendocrine carcinoma was made according to the WHO 2010 criteria. The patient was followed up for three years without recurrence.

  5. [The role of endoscopy in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magno, L; Sivero, L; Napolitano, V; Ruggiero, S; Fontanarosa, G; Massa, S

    2010-01-01

    Versione italiana Riassunto: Il ruolo dell'endoscopia nei tumori neuroendocrini gastroenteropancreatici. L. Magno, L. Sivero, V. Napolitano, S. Ruggiero, G. Fontanarosa, S. Massa I tumori neuroendocrini (NET) gastro-entero-pancreatici (GEP) sono neoplasie rare che originano dalle cellule neuroendocrine del tubo digerente e del pancreas. L'endoscopia digestiva e l'ecoendoscopia rivestono un ruolo importante nella diagnosi, stadiazione e sorveglianza dei pazienti con NET. Inoltre, in casi selezionati, le tecniche endoscopiche operative consentono il trattamento di queste neoplasie in fase precoce. English version Summary: The role of endoscopy in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. L. Magno, L. Sivero, V. Napolitano, S. Ruggiero, G. Fontanarosa, S. Massa Gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are rare neoplasia arisen from neuroendocrine cells present in the gut mucosa and pancreas. Digestive endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography play a relevant role in NET diagnosis, stadiation and surveillance. Moreover, in selected patients, surgical endoscopy allows the tratment of these cancers at an early stage.

  6. Ectopic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH syndrome from metastatic small cell carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shahani Sadeka

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cushing's Syndrome (CS which is caused by isolated Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH production, rather than adrenocorticotropin (ACTH production, is extremely rare. Methods We describe the clinical presentation, course, laboratory values and pathologic findings of a patient with isolated ectopic CRH causing CS. We review the literature of the types of tumors associated with this unusual syndrome and the behavior of these tumors by endocrine testing. Results A 56 year old woman presented with clinical and laboratory features consistent with ACTH-dependent CS. Pituitary imaging was normal and cortisol did not suppress with a high dose dexamethasone test, consistent with a diagnosis of ectopic ACTH. CT imaging did not reveal any discrete lung lesions but there were mediastinal and abdominal lymphadenopathy and multiple liver lesions suspicious for metastatic disease. Laboratory testing was positive for elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen and the neuroendocrine marker chromogranin A. Serum markers of carcinoid, medullary thyroid carcinoma, and pheochromocytoma were in the normal range. Because the primary tumor could not be identified by imaging, biopsy of the presumed metastatic liver lesions was performed. Immunohistochemistry was consistent with a neuroendocrine tumor, specifically small cell carcinoma. Immunostaining for ACTH was negative but was strongly positive for CRH and laboratory testing revealed a plasma CRH of 10 pg/ml (normal 0 to 10 pg/ml which should have been suppressed in the presence of high cortisol. Conclusions This case illustrates the importance of considering the ectopic production of CRH in the differential diagnosis for presentations of ACTH-dependent Cushing's Syndrome.

  7. Validating a proxy for disease progression in metastatic cancer patients using prescribing and dispensing data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Vikram; Adelstein, Barbara-Ann; Schaffer, Andrea; Srasuebkul, Preeyaporn; Dobbins, Timothy; Pearson, Sallie-Anne

    2017-10-01

    Routine data collections are used increasingly to examine outcomes of real-world cancer drug use. These datasets lack clinical details about important endpoints such as disease progression. To validate a proxy for disease progression in metastatic cancer patients using prescribing and dispensing claims. We used data from a cohort study of patients undergoing chemotherapy who provided informed consent to the collection of cancer-treatment data from medical records and linkage to pharmaceutical claims. We derived proxy decision rules based on changes to drug treatment in prescription histories (n = 36 patients) and validated the proxy in prescribing data (n = 62 patients). We adapted the decision rules and validated the proxy in dispensing data (n = 109). Our gold standard was disease progression ascertained in patient medical records. Individual progression episodes were the unit of analysis for sensitivity and Positive Predictive Value (PPV) calculations and specificity and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) were calculated at the patient level. The sensitivity of our proxy in prescribing data was 74.3% (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 55.6-86.6%) and PPV 61.2% (95% CI, 45.0-75.3%); specificity and NPV were 87.8% (95% CI, 73.8-95.9%) and 100% (95% CI, 90.3-100%), respectively. In dispensing data, the sensitivity of our proxy was 64% (95% CI, 55.0-77.0%) and PPV 56.0% (95% CI, 43.0-69.0%); specificity and NPV were 81% (95% CI, 70.05-89.0%) and 91.0% (95% CI, 82.0-97.0%), respectively. Our proxy overestimated episodes of disease progression. The proxy's performance is likely to improve if the date of prescribing is used instead of date of dispensing in claims data and by incorporating medical service claims (such as imaging prior to drug changes) in the algorithm. Our proxy is not sufficiently robust for use in real world comparative effectiveness research for cancer medicines. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  8. Perioperative blood transfusion: does it influence survival and cancer progression in metastatic spine tumor surgery?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaw, Aye Sandar; Kantharajanna, Shashidhar B; Maharajan, Karthikeyan; Tan, Barry; Vellayappan, Balamurugan; Kumar, Naresh

    2017-02-01

    Despite advances in surgical techniques for spinal metastases, there is often substantial blood loss, resulting in patients requiring blood transfusion during the perioperative period. Allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) has been the main replenishment method for lost blood. However, the impact of ABT on cancer-related outcomes has been controversial in various studies. We aimed to evaluate the influence of perioperative ABT on disease progression and survival in patients undergoing metastatic spinal tumor surgery (MSTS). We conducted a retrospective study that included 247 patients who underwent MSTS at a single tertiary institution between 2005 and 2014. The impact of using perioperative ABT (either exposure to or quantities of transfusion) on disease progression and survival was assessed using Cox regression analyses while adjusting for potential confounding variables. Of 247 patients, 133 (54%) received ABT. The overall median number of blood units transfused was 2 (range, 0-10 units). Neither blood transfusion exposure nor quantities of transfusion were associated with overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.15 [p = 0.35] and 1.10 [p = 0.11], respectively) and progression-free survival (HR, 0.87 [p = 0.18] and 0.98 [p = 0.11], respectively). The factors that influenced overall survival were primary tumor type and preoperative Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, whereas primary tumor type was the only factor that had an impact on progression-free survival. This is the first study providing evidence that disease progression and survival in patients who undergo MSTS are less likely to be influenced by perioperative ABT. The worst oncologic outcomes are more likely to be caused by the clinical circumstances necessitating blood transfusion, but not transfusion itself. However, because ABT can have a propensity toward developing postoperative infections, including surgical site infection, the use of patient blood management

  9. Diffuse metastatic infiltration of a carcinoma into skeletal muscle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hundt, W.; Braunschweig, R.; Reiser, M.

    1999-01-01

    Skeletal muscle is one of the most unusual sites of metastasis from any malignancy. We report a patient with rapidly progressive contractures due to metastatic infiltration of a carcinoma of unknown origin into the skeletal muscle. This 61-year-old man presented with a 1-month history of rapidly evolving, painful restriction of mobility of his right arm and his legs. Computed tomography showed diffuse metastatic nodules in all muscles, particularly in the hip abductors. Muscle biopsy revealed extensive infiltration of the muscle with carcinoma cells. (orig.)

  10. The use of 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC and 18F-FDG PET/CT in the evaluation of duodenal neuroendocrine tumor with atypical and extensive metastasis responding dramatically to a single fraction of PRRT with 177Lu-DOTATATE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Sandip; Abhyankar, Amit

    2014-12-01

    This report describes a case of extensive diffuse bone marrow involvement with bilateral breast metastases from duodenal neuroendocrine tumor giving rise to a superscan-like appearance on somatostatin receptor-targeted (99m)Tc-hydrazinonicotinamide-TOC scintigraphy. The metastatic lesions demonstrated partial concordance with (18)F-FDG PET/CT findings, signifying varying tumor biology and heterogeneity among metastatic lesions in the same individual, as illustrated with a dual-tracer approach. There was a dramatic symptomatic and biochemical response and better health-related quality of life with a single fraction of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with (177)Lu-DOTATATE, and radiologically there was stable disease at that point. © 2014 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

  11. Radiographic Progression-Free Survival as a Clinically Meaningful End Point in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: The PREVAIL Randomized Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathkopf, Dana E; Beer, Tomasz M; Loriot, Yohann; Higano, Celestia S; Armstrong, Andrew J; Sternberg, Cora N; de Bono, Johann S; Tombal, Bertrand; Parli, Teresa; Bhattacharya, Suman; Phung, De; Krivoshik, Andrew; Scher, Howard I; Morris, Michael J

    2018-05-01

    Drug development for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer has been limited by a lack of clinically relevant trial end points short of overall survival (OS). Radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) as defined by the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Working Group 2 (PCWG2) is a candidate end point that represents a clinically meaningful benefit to patients. To demonstrate the robustness of the PCWG2 definition and to examine the relationship between rPFS and OS. PREVAIL was a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multinational study that enrolled 1717 chemotherapy-naive men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer from September 2010 through September 2012. The data were analyzed in November 2016. Patients were randomized 1:1 to enzalutamide 160 mg or placebo until confirmed radiographic disease progression or a skeletal-related event and initiation of either cytotoxic chemotherapy or an investigational agent for prostate cancer treatment. Sensitivity analyses (SAs) of investigator-assessed rPFS were performed using the final rPFS data cutoff (May 6, 2012; 439 events; SA1) and the interim OS data cutoff (September 16, 2013; 540 events; SA2). Additional SAs using investigator-assessed rPFS from the final rPFS data cutoff assessed the impact of skeletal-related events (SA3), clinical progression (SA4), a confirmatory scan for soft-tissue disease progression (SA5), and all deaths regardless of time after study drug discontinuation (SA6). Correlations between investigator-assessed rPFS (SA2) and OS were calculated using Spearman ρ and Kendall τ via Clayton copula. In the 1717 men (mean age, 72.0 [range, 43.0-93.0] years in enzalutamide arm and 71.0 [range, 42.0-93.0] years in placebo arm), enzalutamide significantly reduced risk of radiographic progression or death in all SAs, with hazard ratios of 0.22 (SA1; 95% CI, 0.18-0.27), 0.31 (SA2; 95% CI, 0.27-0.35), 0.21 (SA3; 95% CI, 0.18-0.26), 0.21 (SA4; 95% CI, 0.17-0.26), 0

  12. Medical Treatment of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Gress

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Treatment of the clinically and prognostically heterogeneous neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN should be based on a multidisciplinary approach, including surgical, interventional, medical and nuclear medicine-based therapeutic options. Medical therapies include somatostatin analogues, interferon-a, mTOR inhibitors, multikinase inhibitors and systemic chemotherapy. For the selection of the appropriate medical treatment the hormonal activity, primary tumor localization, tumor grading and growth behaviour as well as the extent of the disease must be considered. Somatostatin analogues are mainly indicated in hormonally active tumors for symptomatic relief, but antiproliferative effects have also been demonstrated, especially in well-differentiated intestinal NET. The efficacy of everolimus and sunitinib in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET has been demonstrated in large placebo-controlled clinical trials. pNETs are also chemosensitive. Streptozocin-based chemotherapeutic regimens are regarded as current standard of care. Temozolomide in combination with capecitabine is an alternative that has shown promising results that need to be confirmed in larger trials. Currently, no comparative studies and no molecular markers are established that predict the response to medical treatment. Therefore the choice of treatment for each pNET patient is based on individual parameters taking into account the patient’s preference, expected side effects and established response criteria such as proliferation rate and tumor load. Platin-based chemotherapy is still the standard treatment for poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas. Clearly, there is an unmet need for new systemic treatment options in patients with extrapancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

  13. Mind-body interactions in breast cancer : neuroendocrine and immune aspects of acute psychological stress and psychosocial intervention in breast cancer patients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    G. van der Pompe (Grietje)

    1997-01-01

    textabstractThe proposition that stress plays a role in the progression of breast cancer has been a source of inspiration for researchers to study the associations between psychological, neuroendocrine and immune parameters. Until now a number of shldies attempted to provide insight in the link

  14. Neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Souček, Karel; Pernicová, Zuzana; Lincová, Eva; Staršíchová, Andrea; Kozubík, Alois

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 102, č. 5 (2008), s. 393 ISSN 0009-2770. [Mezioborové setkání mladých biologů, biochemiků a chemiků. Konference Sigma-Aldrich /8./. 10.06.2008-13.06.2008, Devět skal - Žďárské vrchy] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA204/07/0834; GA ČR(CZ) GA310/07/0961 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507; CEZ:AV0Z50040702 Keywords : neuroendocrine differentiation * prostate cancer * neuroendocrine-like cells Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics

  15. Diffuse metastatic infiltration of a carcinoma into skeletal muscle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hundt, W.; Braunschweig, R.; Reiser, M. [Dept. of Diagnostic Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Univ., Muenchen (Germany)

    1999-03-01

    Skeletal muscle is one of the most unusual sites of metastasis from any malignancy. We report a patient with rapidly progressive contractures due to metastatic infiltration of a carcinoma of unknown origin into the skeletal muscle. This 61-year-old man presented with a 1-month history of rapidly evolving, painful restriction of mobility of his right arm and his legs. Computed tomography showed diffuse metastatic nodules in all muscles, particularly in the hip abductors. Muscle biopsy revealed extensive infiltration of the muscle with carcinoma cells. (orig.) With 4 figs., 21 refs.

  16. Characterizing the outcomes of metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Connor Wells, John; Donskov, Frede; Fraccon, Anna P

    2017-01-01

    Outcomes of metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) patients are poorly characterized in the era of targeted therapy. A total of 5474 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in the International mRCC Database Consortium (IMDC) were retrospectively analyzed. Outcomes were...... compared between clear cell (ccRCC; n = 5008) and papillary patients (n = 466), and recorded type I and type II papillary patients (n = 30 and n = 165, respectively). Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall response rate (ORR) favored ccRCC over pRCC. OS was 8 months longer...

  17. Neuroendocrine immune interaction in fish: differential regulation of phagocyte activity by neuroendocrine factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verburg-van Kemenade, B.M.L.; Ribeiro, C.M.S.; Chadzinska, M.K.

    2011-01-01

    Coping with physical, chemical and biological disturbances depends on an extensive repertoire of physiological, endocrinological and immunological responses. Fish provide intriguing models to study bi-directional interaction between the neuroendocrine and the immune systems. Macrophages and

  18. Neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reig Castillejo, Anna; Membrive Conejo, Ismael; Foro Arnalot, Palmira; Rodríguez de Dios, Nuria; Algara López, Manuel

    2010-07-01

    Neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix (SCC) is a rare disease that mixes clinical and biological characteristics of both cervical neoplasms and neuroendocrine small cell cancer. The prognosis is poor and the optimal treatment has not yet been clarified. Multimodality treatment, with surgery and concurrent chemoradiation has recently been shown to improve local control and survival rates.

  19. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: neuroendocrine interferences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poiană, Cătălina; Muşat, Mădălina; Carsote, Mara; Chiriţă, Corina

    2009-01-01

    Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) consists in severe cognitive and mood changes, more aggressive as seen in premenstrual syndrome (PMS). These two syndromes are situated at the border between gynecology and psychiatry but the link between the two domains remains the neuroendocrine underlying mechanisms. In present, there are some molecular systems certainly proved as being involved, like estrogens. The hormonal pattern consists not in different levels of the hormones but different response to normal hormonal levels. The cyclical biochemical triggers are related to neurotransmitters as serotonin, endorphin and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). The heritability of the syndrome is sustained by genetic polymorphism in ESR1 gene. Thus, the PMDD is the result of multiple disturbances regarding neuroendocrine systems.

  20. GASTROENTEROPANCREATIC NEUROENDOCRINE TUMORS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Pavel M.E., Baum U., Hahn E.G., Hensen J. Doxorubucin and streptozocin after failed biotherapy of Neuroendocrine tumors. Int J. Gastrointest Cancer 2005; 35 179-185. 33. Yao J.C., Phan A., Hoff P.M., et al. Targeting vas- cular endothelial growth factor in advanced carci- noid tumors: a random assignment phase II study.

  1. SPECTRUM OF NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOURS- A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE EXPERIENCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pasupuleti Prathima

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Neuroendocrine tumours occur at various sites in the human body. They are considered as one of the close differentials for many tumours. Various benign and malignant tumours undergo neuroendocrine differentiation. Its incidence is slightly increasing due to advanced imaging modalities. Although rare, they can be seen in breast, gallbladder and skin. The aim of the study is to study the spectrum of neuroendocrine tumours from various sites, their clinical presentation, histomorphological features with immunohistochemistry and review of literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective study for a period of 3 years (June 2013-June 2016. Surgical resection specimens were included in the study. Out of the total specimens received, 24 cases were of neuroendocrine tumours. Differential diagnosis of small round cell tumours also was considered and a panel of immunohistochemical markers were included to rule out them. Biopsy specimens were excluded from the study. RESULTS Out of the 24 cases, 18 cases were benign lesions. 6 cases were malignant lesions. Female preponderance was noted. Peak incidence was seen in 20-30 years of age group. CONCLUSION Neuroendocrine tumours can occur anywhere in the body and it should be considered in one of the differential diagnosis. Diagnosis must be accurately made.

  2. A phase 2 study of vatalanib in metastatic melanoma patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Natalie; Basu, Bristi; Biswas, Swethajit; Kareclas, Paula; Mann, Colette; Palmer, Cheryl; Thomas, Anne; Nicholson, Steve; Morgan, Bruno; Lomas, David; Sirohi, Bhawna; Mander, Adrian P; Middleton, Mark; Corrie, Pippa G

    2010-10-01

    A phase 2 study of vatalanib (PTK787/ZK222584) an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor of VEGFR 1, 2 and 3 was undertaken in patients with metastatic melanoma. Adults with pathologically confirmed metastatic melanoma, WHO Performance status 0-2, and adequate haematological, hepatic and renal function, were treated with vatalanib until disease progression. The trial used Fleming's single stage design. Tumour control rate (CR+PR+SD) was 35% at 16 weeks, with objective response seen in only 1 patient. Median progression-free survival was 1.8 months (95% CI 1.8-3.7 months) and median overall survival was 6.5 months (95% CI 3.9-10.2 months). Vatalanib stabilised disease in a proportion of patients, although overall survival was disappointing. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Retrospective Analysis of Outcome of Patients with Metastatic Leiomyosarcoma in a Tertiary Referral Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Cann, Tom; Cornillie, Jasmien; Wozniak, Agnieszka; Debiec-Rychter, Maria; Sciot, Raf; Hompes, Daphne; Vergote, Ignace; Schöffski, Patrick

    2018-01-01

    Leiomyosarcoma is a common subtype of soft tissue sarcoma originating from smooth muscle. We evaluated the clinical course and treatment outcome of patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients at the University Hospitals Leuven. We identified 122 patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma, 77 female, median age 59.5 years. Most patients developed leiomyosarcoma in the extremities (35%), the uterus (20%) or the abdomen (19%); 69% developed metachronous metastasis, 31% had synchronous metastatic disease. Most patients (74%) received palliative systemic therapy. The most common first-line treatments were doxorubicin (n = 47) and an anthracycline combined with an alkylator (n = 28). The objective response rate to first-line palliative systemic therapy was 20% and the median progression-free survival was 4.9 months (range 0.1-17.1). The median survival from diagnosis of metastasis was 20.5 months (range 0.4-126.9). On multivariate analysis, metachronous disease, no progressive disease as best response to first-line treatment, the possibility of metastasectomy with curative intent and use of palliative radiotherapy were indicators for better survival. The prognosis of patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma is limited and objective responses to first-line systemic therapy are rare. The treatment of metastatic leiomyosarcoma remains an unmet medical need. © 2018 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

  4. PET tracers for somatostatin receptor imaging of neuroendocrine tumors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johnbeck, Camilla Bardram; Knigge, Ulrich; Kjær, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors have shown rising incidence mainly due to higher clinical awareness and better diagnostic tools over the last 30 years. Functional imaging of neuroendocrine tumors with PET tracers is an evolving field that is continuously refining the affinity of new tracers in the search...... these PET tracers further....

  5. Induction of Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Prostate Cancer Cells by Dovitinib (TKI-258 and its Therapeutic Implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shalini S. Yadav

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Prostate cancer (PCa remains the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in American men with an estimated mortality of more than 26,000 in 2016 alone. Aggressive and metastatic tumors are treated with androgen deprivation therapies (ADT; however, the tumors acquire resistance and develop into lethal castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC. With the advent of better therapeutics, the incidences of a more aggressive neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC variant continue to emerge. Although de novo occurrences of NEPC are rare, more than 25% of the therapy-resistant patients on highly potent new-generation anti-androgen therapies end up with NEPC. This, along with previous observations of an increase in the number of such NE cells in aggressive tumors, has been suggested as a mechanism of resistance development during prostate cancer progression. Dovitinib (TKI-258/CHIR-258 is a pan receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK inhibitor that targets VEGFR, FGFR, PDGFR, and KIT. It has shown efficacy in mouse-model of PCa bone metastasis, and is presently in clinical trials for several cancers. We observed that both androgen receptor (AR positive and AR-negative PCa cells differentiate into a NE phenotype upon treatment with Dovitinib. The NE differentiation was also observed when mice harboring PC3-xenografted tumors were systemically treated with Dovitinib. The mechanistic underpinnings of this differentiation are unclear, but seem to be supported through MAPK-, PI3K-, and Wnt-signaling pathways. Further elucidation of the differentiation process will enable the identification of alternative salvage or combination therapies to overcome the potential resistance development.

  6. Everolimus for Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours: A Subgroup Analysis Evaluating Japanese Patients in the RADIANT-3 Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Tetsuhide; Okusaka, Takuji; Ikeda, Masafumi; Igarashi, Hisato; Morizane, Chigusa; Nakachi, Kohei; Tajima, Takeshi; Kasuga, Akio; Fujita, Yoshie; Furuse, Junji

    2012-01-01

    Objective Everolimus, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin, has recently demonstrated efficacy and safety in a Phase III, double-blind, randomized trial (RADIANT-3) in 410 patients with low- or intermediate-grade advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. Everolimus 10 mg/day provided a 2.4-fold improvement compared with placebo in progression-free survival, representing a 65% risk reduction for progression. The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the efficacy and safety of everolimus in the Japanese subgroup enrolled in the RADIANT-3 study. Methods Subgroup analysis of the Japanese patients was performed comparing efficacy and safety between everolimus 10 mg/day orally (n = 23) and matching placebo (n = 17). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival. Safety was evaluated on the basis of the incidence of adverse drug reactions. Results Progression-free survival was significantly prolonged with everolimus compared with placebo. The median progression-free survival was 19.45 months (95% confidence interval, 8.31–not available) with everolimus vs 2.83 months (95% confidence interval, 2.46–8.34) with placebo, resulting in an 81% risk reduction in progression (hazard ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.08–0.48; P< 0.001). Adverse drug reactions occurred in all 23 (100%) Japanese patients receiving everolimus and in 13 (77%) patients receiving placebo; most were grade 1/2 in severity. The most common adverse drug reactions in the everolimus group were rash (n = 20; 87%), stomatitis (n = 17; 74%), infections (n = 15; 65%), nail disorders (n = 12; 52%), epistaxis (n = 10; 44%) and pneumonitis (n = 10; 44%). Conclusions These results support the use of everolimus as a valuable treatment option for Japanese patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. PMID:22859827

  7. Effectiveness of carboplatin and paclitaxel as first- and second-line treatment in 61 patients with metastatic melanoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annette Pflugfelder

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Patients with metastatic melanoma have a very unfavorable prognosis with few therapeutic options. Based on previous promising experiences within a clinical trial involving carboplatin and paclitaxel a series of advanced metastatic melanoma patients were treated with this combination. METHODS: Data of all patients with cutaneous metastatic melanoma treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel (CP at our institution between October 2005 and December 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. For all patients a once-every-3-weeks dose-intensified regimen was used. Overall and progression free survival were calculated using the method of Kaplan and Meier. Tumour response was evaluated according to RECIST criteria. RESULTS: 61 patients with cutaneous metastatic melanoma were treated with CP. 20 patients (85% M1c received CP as first-line treatment, 41 patients (90.2% M1c had received at least one prior systemic therapy for metastatic disease. Main toxicities were myelosuppression, fatigue and peripheral neuropathy. Partial responses were noted in 4.9% of patients, stable disease in 23% of patients. No complete response was observed. Median progression free survival was 10 weeks. Median overall survival was 31 weeks. Response, progression-free and overall survival were equivalent in first- and second-line patients. 60 patients of 61 died after a median follow up of 7 months. Median overall survival differed for patients with controlled disease (PR+SD (49 weeks compared to patients with progressive disease (18 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with metastatic melanoma a subgroup achieved disease control under CP therapy which may be associated with a survival benefit. This potential advantage has to be weighed against considerable toxicity. Since response rates and survival were not improved in previously untreated patients compared to pretreated patients, CP should thus not be applied as first-line treatment.

  8. Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor after 4 years tumor-free follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambrescu, Ioana Maria; Martin, Sorina; Cima, Luminita; Herlea, Vlad; Badiu, Corin; Fica, Simona

    2015-06-01

    A primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumour (PHNET) is a very rare disease. The liver represents the preferential site for neuroendocrine tumors' metastases. A 45-year old Caucasian female who presented with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, accompanied by diffuse abdominal pain was found to have on contrast-enhanced computer tomography an encapsulated, partially cystic liver mass. The patient underwent an uneventful left atypical hepatic resection. Histopatological and immunohistochemical examination revealed a slowly growing (G1) hepatic neuroendocrine tumour. Post surgery, the specific neuroendocrine markers (serum Chromogranin A and 24h urinary 5 hydroxy-indolacetic acid) were within normal range. Further functional imaging investigations were performed. No other lesions were found making probable the diagnosis of PHNET. The patient is presently after 4 years of follow-up with no local recurrence or distant metastases. The diagnosis of PHNET is a medical challenge that requires a thorough long term follow-up in order to exclude an occult primary neuroendocrine tumour.

  9. In1-ghrelin, a splice variant of ghrelin gene, is associated with the evolution and aggressiveness of human neuroendocrine tumors: Evidence from clinical, cellular and molecular parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gahete, Manuel D.; Ramos-Levi, Ana; Ibáñez-Costa, Alejandro; Rivero-Cortés, Esther; Serrano-Somavilla, Ana; Adrados, Magdalena; Culler, Michael D.; Castaño, Justo P.; Marazuela, Mónica

    2015-01-01

    Ghrelin system comprises a complex family of peptides, receptors (GHSRs), and modifying enzymes [e.g. ghrelin-O-acyl-transferase (GOAT)] that control multiple pathophysiological processes. Aberrant alternative splicing is an emerging cancer hallmark that generates altered proteins with tumorigenic capacity. Indeed, In1-ghrelin and truncated-GHSR1b splicing variants can promote development/progression of certain endocrine-related cancers. Here, we determined the expression levels of key ghrelin system components in neuroendocrine tumor (NETs) and explored their potential functional role. Twenty-six patients with NETs were prospectively/retrospectively studied [72 samples from primary and metastatic tissues (30 normal/42 tumors)] and clinical data were obtained. The role of In1-ghrelin in aggressiveness was studied in vitro using NET cell lines (BON-1/QGP-1). In1-ghrelin, GOAT and GHSR1a/1b expression levels were elevated in tumoral compared to normal/adjacent tissues. Moreover, In1-ghrelin, GOAT, and GHSR1b expression levels were positively correlated within tumoral, but not within normal/adjacent samples, and were higher in patients with progressive vs. with stable/cured disease. Finally, In1-ghrelin increased aggressiveness (e.g. proliferation/migration) of NET cells. Altogether, our data strongly suggests a potential implication of ghrelin system in the pathogenesis and/or clinical outcome of NETs, and warrant further studies on their possible value for the future development of molecular biomarkers with diagnostic/prognostic/therapeutic value. PMID:26124083

  10. Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis associated with hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Ee Wei; Yip, Chun Wai

    2017-07-01

    Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (Anti-NMDAR) encephalitis can present with and without tumor. Tumor associations are less common in older patients. We report a 65-year-old gentleman who presented with one week history of cough, chills, rigor and altered behavior, followed by florid visual and auditory hallucinations. Mini mental status examination score was 16/30. Both cerebrospinal fluid and plasma anti-NMDA receptor antibodies were detected. A course of intravenous methylprednisolone was given with partial symptom improvement. A hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma was detected and confirmed on biopsy. Unfortunately, he developed several medical complications: non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, infected foot gangrene and peripheral vascular disease, which made him unsuitable for both surgery and chemotherapy. He passed away 6months later due to the progression of the malignancy. This case illustrated that NMDAR encephalitis may be associated with an uncommon hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma in an older person, which is responsive to early treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Investigation of Metastatic Breast Tumor Heterogeneity and Progression Using Dual Optical/SPECT Imaging

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Antich, Peter P; Constantinescu, Anca; Lewis, Matthew; Mason, Ralph; Richer, Edmond

    2005-01-01

    The goal of our project is to image tumor growth, metastatic development and vascular changes, both to characterize tumor dynamics during growth for application in diagnostic and prognostic imaging...

  12. Metastatic Insulinoma Following Resection of Nonsecreting Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anoopa A. Koshy MD

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A 56-year-old woman presented to our clinic for recurrent hypoglycemia after undergoing resection of an incidentally discovered nonfunctional pancreatic endocrine tumor 6 years ago. She underwent a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy, after which she developed diabetes and was placed on an insulin pump. Pathology showed a pancreatic endocrine neoplasm with negative islet hormone immunostains. Two years later, computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed multiple liver lesions. Biopsy of a liver lesion showed a well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasm, consistent with pancreatic origin. Six years later, she presented to clinic with 1.5 years of recurrent hypoglycemia. Laboratory results showed elevated proinsulin, insulin levels, and c-peptide levels during a hypoglycemic episode. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen redemonstrated multiple liver lesions. Repeated transarterial catheter chemoembolization and microwave thermal ablation controlled hypoglycemia. The unusual features of interest of this case include the transformation of nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumor to a metastatic insulinoma and the occurrence of atrial flutter after octreotide for treatment.

  13. Neuroendocrine regulation of appetitive ingestive behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erin eKeen-Rhinehart

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Food availability in nature is often irregular, and famine is commonplace. Increased motivation to engage in ingestive behaviors increases the chance of survival, providing additional potential opportunities for reproduction. Because of the advantages conferred by entraining ingestive behavior to environmental conditions, neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating the motivation to acquire and ingest food have evolved to be responsive to exogenous (i.e. food stored for future consumption and endogenous (i.e. body fat stores fuel availability. Motivated behaviors like eating occur in two phases. The appetitive phase brings animals into contact with food (e.g. foraging, food hoarding, and the more reflexive consummatory phase results in ingestion (e.g., chewing, swallowing. Quantifiable appetitive behaviors are part of many the natural ingestive behavioral repertoire of species such as hamsters and humans. This review summarizes current knowledge about neuroendocrine regulators of ingestive behavior, with an emphasis appetitive behavior. We will discuss hormonal regulators of appetitive ingestive behaviors, including the orexigenic hormone ghrelin, which potently stimulates foraging and food hoarding in Siberian hamsters. This section includes a discussion of the hormone leptin, its relation to endogenous fat stores, and its role in food deprivation-induced increases in appetitive ingestive behaviors. Next, we discuss how hormonal regulators interact with neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of ingestive behaviors, such as NPY, AgRP and alpha-MSH, to regulate ingestive behavior. Finally, we discuss the potential impact that perinatal nutrient availability can have on the neuroendocrine regulation of ingestive behavior. Understanding the hormonal mechanisms that connect metabolic fuel availability to central appetite regulatory circuits should provide a better understanding of the neuroendocrine regulation of the motivation to engage in ingestive

  14. Nab-Paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma: experience of use

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Ferris Villanueva

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the results obtained with the combined use of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Materials and methods: Retrospective observational study. Patients treated with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine between January of 2013 and January of 2014 were selected. Demographical and clinical data were gathered. Results: 15 patients (mean age 59,4 ± 10,3 years were included. All patients received the combination of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in first-line metastatic disease. Nine received adjuvant treatment before the disease was metastatic. The median progression-free survival rate with combined nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine was 5,6 months (95% CI: 4,44 - 8,03. In two patients the treatment was stopped due to toxicity. Conclusions: The treatment with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in our patients resulted in progression-free survival rates similar to those published in clinical trials with good treatment tolerability

  15. Reacquisition of E-cadherin expression in metastatic deposits of signet-ring cell carcinoma of the upper gastrointestinal system: a potential anchor for metastatic deposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yihong R; Siegal, Gene P; Wei, Shi

    2017-06-01

    To examine the expression of E-cadherin in paired primary and metastatic signet-ring cell carcinomas (SRCC) of various organ systems in order to explore the potential role of the molecule in metastatic dissemination of this unique tumour type. Thirty-seven consecutive cases of SRCC from various organs with paired primary and metastatic tumorous tissue available were retrieved. The intensity of membranous E-cadherin expression was semiquantitatively scored on a scale of 0-3+. Reduced E-cadherin expression was a distinct feature of primary SRCC and was observed in 78% of primary tumours. Interestingly, the E-cadherin reduction was less frequently seen in metastatic SRCC when compared with their primary counterparts, and was only found in 57% of tumours in lymph node metastases or at distant sites of relapse. Furthermore, the mean score of E-cadherin expression of primary SRCC was significantly lower than that of their metastatic counterparts (2.3 vs 1.8; p=0.008). When divided by organ systems, the reacquisition of E-cadherin expression in the metastatic deposits was most remarkable in the SRCC of upper gastrointestinal tract origin (2.3 vs 1.4; p=0.003), whereas no significant difference was observed in other organ systems. While the reduction of E-cadherin in primary SRCC supports its pivotal role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition, a process crucial in tumour progression and metastatic dissemination, the re-expression of this molecule in metastatic SRCC cells implies a reversal to their epithelial phenotype (thus mesenchymal-epithelial transition) which, in turn, theoretically helps tumour cells to anchor and form cohesive metastatic deposits. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  16. Effect of Proton Beam on Cancer Progressive and Metastatic Enzymes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sohn, Y. H.; Nam, K. S.; Oh, Y. H.; Kim, M. K.; Kim, M. Y.; Jang, J. S.

    2008-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of proton beam on enzymes for promotion/progression of carcinogenesis and metastasis of malignant tumor cells to clarify proton beam-specific biological effects. The changes of cancer chemopreventive enzymes in human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells irradiated with proton beams were tested by measuring the activities of quinine reductase (QR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), glutathione (GSH) levels, and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). We also examined the effect of proton beam on the ODC activity and expression of COX-2 in human breast cancer cell. We then assessed the metastatic capabilities of HT-29 and MDA-MB-231 cells irradiated with proton beam by measuring the invasiveness of cells through Matrigel-coated membrane and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced MMP activity in MDA-MB-231 and HT-29 cells. QR activity of irradiated HT-29 cells was slightly increased. Proton irradiation at dose of 32 Gy in HT-29 cells increased GST activity by 1.23-fold. In addition GSH levels in HT-29 cells was significantly increased 1.23- (p<0.05), 1.32- (p<0.01) and 1.34-fold (p<0.01) with the proton irradiation at doses of 8, 16 and 32 Gy, respectively. These results suggest that colon cancer chemopreventive activity was increased with the proton irradiation by increasing QR and GST activities and GSH levels and inhibiting ODC activity. Proton ion irradiation decreased the invasiveness of TPA-treated HT-29 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells through Matrigel-coated membrane. Proton ion irradiation pretreatment decreased TPA-induced MMP activity in MDA-MB-231 and HT-29 cells. Further studies are necessary to investigate if these findings could be translated to in vivo situations

  17. Radiosensitivity related to neuroendocrine and endodermal differentation in lung carcinoma lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duchesne, G.; Casoni, A.; Pera, M.

    1988-01-01

    A panel of human lung carcinoma lines was studied with respect to hormone production and intermediate filament expression to distinguish between endodermal and neuroendocrine differentation. An index of the degree of neuroendocrine differentiation of each line was derived from the presence or absence of hormone production, cytokeratins, neurofilaments and an embryonic endodermal cell marker, which allowed identification of three groups showing high, intermediate or low neuroendocrine expression. This grouping correlated well with the in vitro radiosensitivity of the lines, those expressing pure neuroendocrine features being significantly more radiosensitive than those with an endodermal phenotype, with the intermediate group having intermediate sensitivity. Use of such an index might predict those patients likely to benefit from the use of radiotherapy in their management. 30 refs.; 3 figs.; 3 tabs

  18. Tumors of the endocrine/neuroendocrine system: an overview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erlandson, R A; Nesland, J M

    1994-01-01

    For the sake of discussion, the markedly diversified tumors of the endocrine/neuroendocrine system are classified as those originating in classic epithelial endocrine organs (eg, adrenal cortical adenomas), from the diffuse endocrine cells (eg, jejunal carcinoid tumors), or from clusters of these cells (eg, islet cell tumors); and those arising from neurosecretory neurons (eg, neuroblastoma) or paraganglia (eg, carotid body tumor). Although traditional transmission electron microscopy is useful for identifying neurosecretory or endosecretory granules as such, with few exceptions (eg, insulin-containing granules with a complex paracrystalline core) it is not possible to ascribe a granule type (size, shape, or ultrastructure) to a distinct nosologic entity or secretory product because of their overlapping fine structures in different cell types. Immunoelectron microscopy methods utilizing colloidal gold-labeled secondary antibodies can be used to localize virtually any antigen (peptide or neuroamine) to a specific neurosecretory or endosecretory granule or other cell structure. General endocrine/neuroendocrine cell markers such as neuron-specific enolase, the chromogranins, and synaptophysin are useful in identifying neuroendocrine differentiation in a neoplasm using routine immunohistochemical procedures. The current relevance of the APUD concept of Pearse as well as the biologic importance of endocrine/neuroendocrine secretory products such as bombesin and insulinlike growth factors also are discussed.

  19. Colorectal neuroendocrine neoplasms - management guidelines (recommended by the Polish Network of Neuroendocrine Tumours).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starzyńska, Teresa; Londzin-Olesik, Magdalena; Bałdys-Waligórska, Agata; Bednarczuk, Tomasz; Blicharz-Dorniak, Jolanta; Bolanowski, Marek; Boratyn-Nowicka, Agnieszka; Borowska, Małgorzata; Cichocki, Andrzej; Ćwikła, Jarosław B; Deptała, Andrzej; Falconi, Massimo; Foltyn, Wanda; Handkiewicz-Junak, Daria; Hubalewska-Dydejczyk, Alicja; Jarząb, Barbara; Junik, Roman; Kajdaniuk, Dariusz; Kamiński, Grzegorz; Kolasińska-Ćwikła, Agnieszka; Kowalska, Aldona; Król, Robert; Królicki, Leszek; Kunikowska, Jolanta; Kuśnierz, Katarzyna; Lampe, Paweł; Lange, Dariusz; Lewczuk-Myślicka, Anna; Lewiński, Andrzej; Lipiński, Michał; Marek, Bogdan; Nasierowska-Guttmejer, Anna; Nowakowska-Duława, Ewa; Pilch-Kowalczyk, Joanna; Remiszewski, Piotr; Rosiek, Violetta; Ruchała, Marek; Siemińska, Lucyna; Sowa-Staszczak, Anna; Steinhof-Radwańska, Katarzyna; Strzelczyk, Janusz; Sworczak, Krzysztof; Syrenicz, Anhelli; Szawłowski, Andrzej; Szczepkowski, Marek; Wachuła, Ewa; Zajęcki, Wojciech; Zemczak, Anna; Zgliczyński, Wojciech; Kos-Kudła, Beata

    2017-01-01

    Neuroendocrine neoplasms/tumours (NENs/NETs) of the large intestine are detected increasingly often, especially rectal tumours, which is probably associated with the widespread use of screening colonoscopy. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the thesis that the NENs of the rectum and the NENs of the colon are two different diseases. Rectal NENs are usually small lesions, of low to moderate histological malignancy, associated with good prognosis, and most may be treated endoscopically. NENs of the colon, however, are often aggressive, poorly differentiated, associated with a poor or uncer-tain prognosis, and require surgical treatment. The management guidelines regarding these groups of patients are constantly changing. On the basis of the recent literature data and conclusions reached by the working meeting of the Polish Network of Neuroendocrine Tumours (December 2016), this study completes and updates the data and management guidelines regarding colorectal NENs published in Endokrynologia Polska 2013; 64: 358-368.

  20. A short history of neuroendocrine tumours and their peptide hormones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Herder, Wouter W; Rehfeld, Jens F; Kidd, Mark

    2016-01-01

    The discovery of neuroendocrine tumours of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas started in 1870, when Rudolf Heidenhain discovered the neuroendocrine cells, which can lead to the development of these tumours. Siegfried Oberndorfer was the first to introduce the term carcinoid in 1907. The panc...

  1. Exosomes from metastatic cancer cells transfer amoeboid phenotype to non-metastatic cells and increase endothelial permeability: their emerging role in tumor heterogeneity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schillaci, Odessa; Fontana, Simona; Monteleone, Francesca; Taverna, Simona; Di Bella, Maria Antonietta; Di Vizio, Dolores; Alessandro, Riccardo

    2017-07-05

    The goal of this study was to understand if exosomes derived from high-metastatic cells may influence the behavior of less aggressive cancer cells and the properties of the endothelium. We found that metastatic colon cancer cells are able to transfer their amoeboid phenotype to isogenic primary cancer cells through exosomes, and that this morphological transition is associated with the acquisition of a more aggressive behavior. Moreover, exosomes from the metastatic line (SW620Exos) exhibited higher ability to cause endothelial hyperpermeability than exosomes from the non metastatic line (SW480Exos). SWATH-based quantitative proteomic analysis highlighted that SW620Exos are significantly enriched in cytoskeletal-associated proteins including proteins activating the RhoA/ROCK pathway, known to induce amoeboid properties and destabilization of endothelial junctions. In particular, thrombin was identified as a key mediator of the effects induced by SW620Exos in target cells, in which we also found a significant increase of RhoA activity. Overall, our results demonstrate that in a heterogeneous context exosomes released by aggressive sub-clones can contribute to accelerate tumor progression by spreading malignant properties that affect both the tumor cell plasticity and the endothelial cell behavior.

  2. Abiraterone plus Prednisone in Metastatic, Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fizazi, Karim; Tran, NamPhuong; Fein, Luis; Matsubara, Nobuaki; Rodriguez-Antolin, Alfredo; Alekseev, Boris Y; Özgüroğlu, Mustafa; Ye, Dingwei; Feyerabend, Susan; Protheroe, Andrew; De Porre, Peter; Kheoh, Thian; Park, Youn C; Todd, Mary B; Chi, Kim N

    2017-07-27

    Abiraterone acetate, a drug that blocks endogenous androgen synthesis, plus prednisone is indicated for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. We evaluated the clinical benefit of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone with androgen-deprivation therapy in patients with newly diagnosed, metastatic, castration-sensitive prostate cancer. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned 1199 patients to receive either androgen-deprivation therapy plus abiraterone acetate (1000 mg daily, given once daily as four 250-mg tablets) plus prednisone (5 mg daily) (the abiraterone group) or androgen-deprivation therapy plus dual placebos (the placebo group). The two primary end points were overall survival and radiographic progression-free survival. After a median follow-up of 30.4 months at a planned interim analysis (after 406 patients had died), the median overall survival was significantly longer in the abiraterone group than in the placebo group (not reached vs. 34.7 months) (hazard ratio for death, 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51 to 0.76; P<0.001). The median length of radiographic progression-free survival was 33.0 months in the abiraterone group and 14.8 months in the placebo group (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.55; P<0.001). Significantly better outcomes in all secondary end points were observed in the abiraterone group, including the time until pain progression, next subsequent therapy for prostate cancer, initiation of chemotherapy, and prostate-specific antigen progression (P<0.001 for all comparisons), along with next symptomatic skeletal events (P=0.009). These findings led to the unanimous recommendation by the independent data and safety monitoring committee that the trial be unblinded and crossover be allowed for patients in the placebo group to receive abiraterone. Rates of grade 3 hypertension and hypokalemia were higher in the abiraterone group. The addition of abiraterone

  3. Epigenome-Wide Tumor DNA Methylation Profiling Identifies Novel Prognostic Biomarkers of Metastatic-Lethal Progression in Men Diagnosed with Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Shanshan; Geybels, Milan S; Leonardson, Amy; Rubicz, Rohina; Kolb, Suzanne; Yan, Qingxiang; Klotzle, Brandy; Bibikova, Marina; Hurtado-Coll, Antonio; Troyer, Dean; Lance, Raymond; Lin, Daniel W; Wright, Jonathan L; Ostrander, Elaine A; Fan, Jian-Bing; Feng, Ziding; Stanford, Janet L

    2017-01-01

    Aside from Gleason sum, few factors accurately identify the subset of prostate cancer patients at high risk for metastatic progression. We hypothesized that epigenetic alterations could distinguish prostate tumors with life-threatening potential. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation profiling was performed in surgically resected primary tumor tissues from a population-based (n = 430) and a replication (n = 80) cohort of prostate cancer patients followed prospectively for at least 5 years. Metastasis was confirmed by positive bone scan, MRI, CT, or biopsy, and death certificates confirmed cause of death. AUC, partial AUC (pAUC, 95% specificity), and P value criteria were used to select differentially methylated CpG sites that robustly stratify patients with metastatic-lethal from nonrecurrent tumors, and which were complementary to Gleason sum. Forty-two CpG biomarkers stratified patients with metastatic-lethal versus nonrecurrent prostate cancer in the discovery cohort, and eight of these CpGs replicated in the validation cohort based on a significant (P prostate cancer include CpGs in five genes (ALKBH5, ATP11A, FHAD1, KLHL8, and PI15) and three intergenic regions. In the validation dataset, the AUC for Gleason sum alone (0.82) significantly increased with the addition of four individual CpGs (range, 0.86-0.89; all P epigenetic biomarkers warrant further investigation as they may improve prognostic classification of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer and provide new insights on tumor aggressiveness. Clin Cancer Res; 23(1); 311-9. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  4. Neuroendocrine regulation of appetitive ingestive behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keen-Rhinehart, Erin; Ondek, Katelynn; Schneider, Jill E

    2013-11-15

    Food availability in nature is often irregular, and famine is commonplace. Increased motivation to engage in ingestive behaviors increases the chance of survival, providing additional potential opportunities for reproduction. Because of the advantages conferred by entraining ingestive behavior to environmental conditions, neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating the motivation to acquire and ingest food have evolved to be responsive to exogenous (i.e., food stored for future consumption) and endogenous (i.e., body fat stores) fuel availability. Motivated behaviors like eating occur in two phases. The appetitive phase brings animals into contact with food (e.g., foraging, food hoarding), and the more reflexive consummatory phase results in ingestion (e.g., chewing, swallowing). Quantifiable appetitive behaviors are part of the natural ingestive behavioral repertoire of species such as hamsters and humans. This review summarizes current knowledge about neuroendocrine regulators of ingestive behavior, with an emphasis appetitive behavior. We will discuss hormonal regulators of appetitive ingestive behaviors, including the orexigenic hormone ghrelin, which potently stimulates foraging and food hoarding in Siberian hamsters. This section includes a discussion of the hormone leptin, its relation to endogenous fat stores, and its role in food deprivation-induced increases in appetitive ingestive behaviors. Next, we discuss how hormonal regulators interact with neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of ingestive behaviors, such as neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti-related protein (AgRP) and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), to regulate ingestive behavior. Finally, we discuss the potential impact that perinatal nutrient availability can have on the neuroendocrine regulation of ingestive behavior. Understanding the hormonal mechanisms that connect metabolic fuel availability to central appetite regulatory circuits should provide a better understanding of the

  5. A Continuation Study Using Sunitinib Malate For Patients Leaving Treatment On A Previous Sunitinib Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-10-07

    Metastatic Breast Cancer [F]; Advanced Breast Cancer; Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer; Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer; Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer; Thyroid Cancer; Advanced/Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer; Advanced Gastric Cancer; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor; Hepatocellular Carcinoma; Pancreatic Islet Cell Carcinoma; Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor

  6. The Function of PTP1B in Neuroendocrine Differentation of Prostate Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    AD_________________ Award Number: W81XWH-07-1-0061 TITLE: The Function of PTP1B in Neuroendocrine...The Function of PTP1B in Neuroendocrine Differentation of Prostate Cancer 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-07-1-0061 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR...pathways that may be responsible for the neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer cells, particularly the relationship of PTP1B to IL-8

  7. ENETS Consensus Guidelines for the Standards of Care in Neuroendocrine Tumours

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Partelli, Stefano; Bartsch, Detlef K.; Capdevila, Jaume

    2017-01-01

    The small intestine and pancreas are among the most frequent abdominal sites of origin of neuroendocrine tumours. Distinctive features of these forms are represented by the relatively low incidence and the wide heterogeneity in biological behaviour. In this light, it is difficult to standardize...... indications for surgery and the most appropriate approach. It would be helpful for surgeons managing patients with these tumours to have guidelines for surgical treatment of small intestinal neuroendocrine tumours and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. The proposed guidelines represent a consensus...

  8. Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vargas Martinez, Cristian Camilo; Castano Llano, Rodrigo

    2010-01-01

    Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETS) are rare neoplasms which can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Their particular characteristics include uptake of silver salts, neuroendocrine cell marker expression and hormonal secretory granules. Depending on their size, anatomical location and upon whether or not metastasis has occurred, these tumors can show different clinical patterns and have different prognoses. Early diagnosis is essential for treating these lesions and improving the patients' prognoses, but it requires a high degree of suspicion and confirmation by special testing. Surgical treatment is the first choice, but other medical therapy can be helpful for patients who have unresectable disease. This review presents the most relevant aspects of classification, morphology, methods of locating tumors, diagnosis and treatment of GEP-NETS. It presents only the Colombian experience in the epidemiology and management of these tumors.

  9. Abiraterone Acetate: A Review in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostrate Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Lesley J

    2017-09-01

    Oral abiraterone acetate (Zytiga ® ) is a selective inhibitor of CYP17 and thereby inhibits androgen biosynthesis, with androgen signalling crucial in the progression from primary to metastatic prostate cancer (PC) and subsequently, in the development of metastatic castration-resistant PC (mCRPC). In large phase 3 trials and in the clinical practice setting, oral abiraterone acetate in combination with prednisone was an effective treatment and had an acceptable, manageable tolerability and safety profile in chemotherapy-naive and docetaxel-experienced men with mCRPC. In the pivotal global phase 3 trials, relative to placebo (+prednisone), abiraterone acetate (+prednisone) prolonged overall survival (OS) at data maturity (final analysis) and radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) at all assessed timepoints. Given its efficacy in prolonging OS and its convenient once-daily oral regimen, in combination with prednisone, abiraterone acetate is an important first-line option for the treatment of mCRPC.

  10. Concomitant parenteral nutrition and systemic cytotoxic therapy in a metastatic colorectal cancer patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Popov

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Pathologic nutrients metabolism presents a severe problem in metastatic colorectal cancer patients, especially those with canceromatosis. A hypermetabolism-catabolism syndrome frequently develops in in patients with progressing canceromatosis. This leads to cachexia anorexia syndrome, which significantly impedes available treatment options. Artificial nutrition allows to improve available treatment in such patients. We present a successful case of concomitant parenteral nutrition and systemic cytotoxic therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer patient with peritoneal canceromatosis.

  11. 3'-Deoxy-3'-18F-fluorothymidine positron emission tomography as an early predictor of disease progression in patients with advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Challapalli, Amarnath; Barwick, Tara; Merchant, Shairoz; Pearson, Rachel A.; Howell, Elizabeth C.; Maxwell, Ross J.; Mauri, Francesco; Sumpter, Katherine; Aboagye, Eric O.; Sharma, Rohini

    2015-01-01

    3'-Deoxy-3'- 18 F-fluorothymidine (FLT) positron emission tomography (PET) has limited utility in abdominal imaging due to high physiological hepatic uptake of tracer. We evaluated FLT PET/CT combined with a temporal-intensity information-based voxel-clustering approach termed kinetic spatial filtering (FLT PET/CT KSF ) for early prediction of response and survival outcomes in locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer patients receiving gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Dynamic FLT PET/CT data were collected before and 3 weeks after the first cycle of chemotherapy. Changes in tumour FLT PET/CT variables were determined. The primary end point was RECIST 1.1 response on contrast-enhanced CT after 3 months of therapy. Twenty patients were included. Visual distinction between tumours and normal pancreas was seen in FLT PET KSF images. All target lesions (>2 cm), including all primary pancreatic tumours, were visualised. Of the 11 liver metastases, 3 (<2 cm) were not visible after kinetic filtering. Of the 20 patients, 7 progressed (35 %). Maximum standardised uptake value at 60 min post-injection (SUV 60,max ) significantly increased in patients with disease progression (p = 0.04). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that a threshold of SUV 60,max increase of ≥ 12 % resulted in sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of 71, 100 and 100 %, respectively [area under the curve (AUC) 0.90, p = 0.0001], to predict patients with disease progression. Changes in SUV 60,max were not predictive of survival. FLT PET/CT detected changes in proliferation, with early increase in SUV 60,max predicting progressive disease with a high specificity and PPV. Therefore, FLT PET/CT could be used as an early response biomarker for gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, to select a poor prognostic group who may benefit from novel therapeutic agents in advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer. (orig.)

  12. Cement-augmented dorsal instrumentation of the spine as a safe adjunct to the multimodal management of metastatic pheochromocytoma: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rittirsch Daniel

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Malignant pheochromocytoma is a neuroendocrine tumor that originates from chromaffin tissue. Although osseous metastases are common, metastatic dissemination to the spine rarely occurs. Five years after primary diagnosis of extra-adrenal, abdominal pheochromocytoma and laparoscopic extirpation, a 53-year old patient presented with recurrence of pheochromocytoma involving the spine, the pelvis, both proximal femora and the right humerus. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography revealed osteolytic lesions of numerous vertebrae (T1, T5, T10, and T12. In the case of T10, total destruction of the vertebral body with involvement of the rear edge resulted in the risk of vertebral collapse and subsequent spinal stenosis. Thus, dorsal instrumentation (T8-T12 and cement augmentation of T12 was performed after perioperative alpha- and beta-adrenergic blockade with phenoxybenzamine and bisoprolol. After thorough preoperative evaluation to assess the risk for surgery and anesthesia, and appropriate perioperative management including pharmacological antihypertensive treatment, dorsal instrumentation of T8-T12 and cement augmentation of T12 prior to placing the corresponding pedicle screws did not result in hypertensive crisis or hemodynamic instability due to the release of catecholamines from metastatic lesions. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report describing cement-augmentation in combination with dorsal instrumentation to prevent osteolytic vertebral collapse in a patient with metastatic pheochromocytoma. With appropriate preoperative measures, cement-augmented dorsal instrumentation represents a safe approach to stabilize vertebral bodies with metastatic malignant pheochromocytoma. Nevertheless, direct manipulation of metastatic lesions should be avoided as far as possible in order to minimize the risk of hemodynamic complications.

  13. Permanent and plastic epigenesis in neuroendocrine systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auger, Catherine J; Auger, Anthony P

    2013-08-01

    The emerging area of neuroepigenetics has been linked to numerous mental health illnesses. Importantly, a large portion of what we know about early gene×environment interactions comes from examining epigenetic modifications of neuroendocrine systems. This review will highlight how neuroepigenetic mechanisms during brain development program lasting differences in neuroendocrine systems and how other neuroepigenetic processes remain plastic, even within the adult brain. As epigenetic mechanisms can either be stable or plastic, elucidating the mechanisms involved in reversing these processes could aid in understanding how to reverse pathological epigenetic programming. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Somatostatin-based Radiopeptide Therapy with [177Lu-DOTA]-TOC versus [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in Neuroendocrine Tumors

    OpenAIRE

    Romer A Seiler D Marincek N Brunner P Koller MT Ng QK Maecke HR Muller-Brand J Rochlitz C B

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE: Somatostatin based radiopeptide treatment is generally performed using the ß emitting radionuclides (90)Y or (177)Lu. The present study aimed at comparing benefits and harms of both therapeutic approaches. METHODS: In a comparative cohort study patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumours underwent repeated cycles of [(90)Y DOTA] TOC or [(177)Lu DOTA] TOC until progression of disease or permanent adverse events. Multivariable Cox regression and competing risks regression were emplo...

  15. The Contrasting Role of p16Ink4A Patterns of Expression in Neuroendocrine and Non-Neuroendocrine Lung Tumors: A Comprehensive Analysis with Clinicopathologic and Molecular Correlations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicola Fusco

    Full Text Available Lung cancer encompasses a constellation of malignancies with no validated prognostic markers. p16Ink4A expression has been reported in different subtypes of lung cancers; however, its prognostic value is controversial. Here, we sought to investigate the clinical significance of p16Ink4A immunoexpression according to specific staining patterns and its operational implications. A total of 502 tumors, including 277 adenocarcinomas, 84 squamous cell carcinomas, 22 large cell carcinomas, 47 typical carcinoids, 12 atypical carcinoids, 28 large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, and 32 small cell carcinomas were reviewed and subjected to immunohistochemical analysis for p16Ink4A and Ki67. The spectrum of p16Ink4A expression was annotated for each case as negative, sporadic, focal, or diffuse. Expression at immunohistochemical level showed intra-tumor homogeneity, regardless tumor histotype. Enrichments in cells expressing p16Ink4A were observed from lower- to higher-grade neuroendocrine malignancies, whereas a decrease was seen in poorly and undifferentiated non-neuroendocrine carcinomas. Tumor proliferation indices were higher in neuroendocrine tumors expressing p16Ink4A while non-neuroendocrine malignancies immunoreactive for p16Ink4A showed a decrease in Ki67-positive cells. Quantitative statistical analyses including each histotype and the p16Ink4A status confirmed the independent prognostic role of p16Ink4A expression, being a high-risk indicator in neuroendocrine tumors and a marker of good prognosis in non-neuroendocrine lung malignancies. In this study, we provide circumstantial evidence to suggest that the routinary assessment of p16Ink4A expression using a three-tiered scoring algorithm, even in a small biopsy, may constitute a reliable, reproducible, and cost-effective substrate for a more accurate risk stratification of each individual patient.

  16. WHO Grade 2 Neuroendocrine Tumor in a 15-Year-Old Male: A Case Report and Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric Johannesen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Neuroendocrine tumors, distinguished from adenocarcinomas by their neuroendocrine differentiation, are the most common pediatric epithelial malignancy that most often occurs in the appendix. In 2010, the WHO classified neuroendocrine neoplasms into three grades based on morphology, mitotic count, and Ki67 proliferation index. A 15-year-old male with a history of anemia and failure to thrive was diagnosed with a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor in the jejunum that invaded into the subserosal soft tissue and metastasized to four lymph nodes. Pediatric neuroendocrine tumors frequently arise within hereditary tumor syndromes with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors being the most common. Several studies also indicate an elevated risk of small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors in which children born to a parent with a history of neuroendocrine tumors in the small intestine have a significant increased risk of developing one.

  17. ⁶⁸Ga-DOTA-TOC-PET/CT detects heart metastases from ileal neuroendocrine tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calissendorff, Jan; Sundin, Anders; Falhammar, Henrik

    2014-09-01

    Metastases from ileal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) to the myocardium are rare and generally seen in patients with widespread metastatic NET disease. The objectives of this investigation were to describe the frequency of intracardiac metastases in ileal NET patients examined by (68)Ga-DOTA-TOC-PET/CT and to describe the cases in detail. All (68)Ga-DOTA-TOC-PET/CT examinations performed at the Karolinska University Hospital since 2010 until April 2012 were reviewed. In all, 128 out of 337 examinations were in patients with ileal NETs. Four patients had seven myocardiac metastases, yielding a frequency of 4.3 % in patients with ileal NETs. One patient had cardiac surgery while three were treated with somatostatin analogs. The cardiac metastases did not affect the patients' activity of daily life. (68)Ga-DOTA-TOC-PET/CT is an established imaging modality in identifying cardiac metastases in ileal NETs. Prospective studies are needed to confirm the true clinical value of (68)Ga-DOTA-TOC-PET/CT in detecting cardiac metastases in both ileal and non-ileal NETs.

  18. Progression-free survival/time to progression as a potential surrogate for overall survival in HR+, HER2– metastatic breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Forsythe A

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Anna Forsythe,1 David Chandiwana,2 Janina Barth,3 Marroon Thabane,4 Johan Baeck,2 Gabriel Tremblay1 1Purple Squirrel Economics, New York, NY, 2Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, USA; 3Novartis Pharma GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany; 4Novartis Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Dorval, QC, Canada Background: Several recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs in hormone receptor-positive (HR+, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2– metastatic breast cancer (MBC have demonstrated significant improvements in progression-free survival (PFS; however, few have reported improvement in overall survival (OS. The surrogacy of PFS or time to progression (TTP for OS has not been formally investigated in HR+, HER2– MBC.Methods: A systematic literature review of RCTs in HR+, HER2– MBC was conducted to identify studies that reported both median PFS/TTP and OS. The correlation between PFS/TTP and OS was evaluated using Pearson’s product–moment correlation and Spearman’s rank correlation. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore possible reasons for heterogeneity. Errors-in-variables weighted least squares regression (LSR was used to model incremental OS months as a function of incremental PFS/TTP months. An exploratory analysis investigated the impact of three covariates (chemotherapy vs hormonal/targeted therapy, PFS vs TTP, and first-line therapy vs second-line therapy or greater on OS prediction. The lower 95% prediction band was used to determine the minimum incremental PFS/TTP months required to predict OS benefit (surrogate threshold effect [STE].Results: Forty studies were identified. There was a statistically significant correlation between median PFS/TTP and OS (Pearson =0.741, P=0.000; Spearman =0.650, P=0.000. These results proved consistent for chemotherapy and hormonal/targeted therapy. Univariate LSR analysis yielded an R2 of 0.354 with 1 incremental PFS/TTP month corresponding to 1.13 incremental OS months

  19. Identifying and Prioritizing Gaps in Neuroendocrine Tumor Research: A Modified Delphi Process With Patients and Health Care Providers to Set the Research Action Plan for the Newly Formed Commonwealth Neuroendocrine Tumor Collaboration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Segelov

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs are a diverse group of malignancies that pose challenges common to all rare tumors. The Commonwealth Neuroendocrine Tumor Collaboration (CommNETS was established in 2015 to enhance outcomes for patients with NETs in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. A modified Delphi process was undertaken involving patients, clinicians, and researchers to identify gaps in NETs research to produce a comprehensive and defensible research action plan. Methods: A three-round modified Delphi process was undertaken with larger representation than usual for medical consensus processes. Patient/advocate and health care provider/researcher expert panels undertook Round 1, which canvassed 17 research priorities and 42 potential topics; in Round 2, these priorities were ranked. Round 3 comprised a face-to-face meeting to generate final consensus rankings and formulate the research action plan. Results: The Delphi groups consisted of 203 participants in Round 1 (64% health care providers/researchers, 36% patient/advocates; 52% Canadian, 32% Australian, and 17% New Zealander, of whom 132 participated in Round 2. The top eight priorities were biomarker development; peptide receptor radionuclide therapy optimization; trials of new agents in advanced NETs; functional imaging; sequencing therapies for metastatic NETs, including development of validated surrogate end points for studies; pathologic classification; early diagnosis; interventional therapeutics; and curative surgery. Two major areas were ranked significantly higher by patients/advocates: early diagnosis and curative surgery. Six CommNETS working parties were established. Conclusion: This modified Delphi process resulted in a well-founded set of research priorities for the newly formed CommNETS collaboration by involving a large, diverse group of stakeholders. This approach to setting a research agenda for a new collaborative group should be adopted to ensure that research plans

  20. Identifying and Prioritizing Gaps in Neuroendocrine Tumor Research: A Modified Delphi Process With Patients and Health Care Providers to Set the Research Action Plan for the Newly Formed Commonwealth Neuroendocrine Tumor Collaboration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segelov, Eva; Chan, David; Lawrence, Ben; Pavlakis, Nick; Kennecke, Hagen F; Jackson, Christopher; Law, Calvin; Singh, Simron

    2017-08-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a diverse group of malignancies that pose challenges common to all rare tumors. The Commonwealth Neuroendocrine Tumor Collaboration (CommNETS) was established in 2015 to enhance outcomes for patients with NETs in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. A modified Delphi process was undertaken involving patients, clinicians, and researchers to identify gaps in NETs research to produce a comprehensive and defensible research action plan. A three-round modified Delphi process was undertaken with larger representation than usual for medical consensus processes. Patient/advocate and health care provider/researcher expert panels undertook Round 1, which canvassed 17 research priorities and 42 potential topics; in Round 2, these priorities were ranked. Round 3 comprised a face-to-face meeting to generate final consensus rankings and formulate the research action plan. The Delphi groups consisted of 203 participants in Round 1 (64% health care providers/researchers, 36% patient/advocates; 52% Canadian, 32% Australian, and 17% New Zealander), of whom 132 participated in Round 2. The top eight priorities were biomarker development; peptide receptor radionuclide therapy optimization; trials of new agents in advanced NETs; functional imaging; sequencing therapies for metastatic NETs, including development of validated surrogate end points for studies; pathologic classification; early diagnosis; interventional therapeutics; and curative surgery. Two major areas were ranked significantly higher by patients/advocates: early diagnosis and curative surgery. Six CommNETS working parties were established. This modified Delphi process resulted in a well-founded set of research priorities for the newly formed CommNETS collaboration by involving a large, diverse group of stakeholders. This approach to setting a research agenda for a new collaborative group should be adopted to ensure that research plans reflect unmet needs and priorities in the field.

  1. Chronic diarrhea as presenting symptom for a metastasic neuroendocrine tumor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hani A, Albis Cecilia; Garcia A, Jairo Alberto

    2007-01-01

    We describe the clinical case of a 74 years old female patient presenting with a watery diarrhea syndrome, having severe hypokalaemia and liver metastases. In her necropsy a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor was found. We present a literature review about pancreas neuroendocrine tumours, focusing in the VIPoma, which may correspond with the clinical features of this particular patient

  2. Interleukin-30: A novel microenvironmental hallmark of prostate cancer progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Carlo, Emma

    2014-01-01

    Metastatic prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in men worldwide. We have recently discovered that IL-30 shapes the microenvironment of prostate cancer and tumor-draining lymph nodes to favor tumor progression. IL-30 supports tumor growth in vitro, and IL-30 expression in prostate cancer patients is associated with high tumor grade and metastatic stage of disease. Thus, IL-30 may constitute a valuable target for modern therapeutic approaches to hamper prostate cancer progression.

  3. Thoracoabdominal actinomycosis mimicking metastatic disease: case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ros, L.H.; Villacampa, V.M.; Torres, G.M.; Ros, P.R.

    1999-01-01

    Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative infection with bacteria of the Actinomycetaceae family, characterized by the formation of abundant granular tissue and multiple abscesses. It is a rare entity, and clinical and radiological findings are similar to those in other inflammatory and in neoplastic processes. Actinomycosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis in high-risk patients with predisposing factors, such as alcoholism, poor oral hygiene, maxillofacial trauma, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, steroid ingestion or immunodeficiency, and in patients in whom the disease history does not correlate with widespread metastatic involvement. Early diagnosis is important, to prevent disease progression and unnecessary surgery, since the response to drug treatment is very good. We present a case of diffuse actinomycosis involving multiple organs (liver, kidneys, colon, and lungs) that simulated metastatic disease on radiography and computed tomography (CT). (author)

  4. Thoracoabdominal actinomycosis mimicking metastatic disease: case report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ros, L.H.; Villacampa, V.M. [Hospital Miguel Servet, Dept. of Radiology, Zaragoza (Spain); Torres, G.M. [Univ. of Florida, Dept. of Radiology, Gainesville, Florida (United States); Ros, P.R. [Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Dept. of Radiology, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

    1999-12-01

    Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative infection with bacteria of the Actinomycetaceae family, characterized by the formation of abundant granular tissue and multiple abscesses. It is a rare entity, and clinical and radiological findings are similar to those in other inflammatory and in neoplastic processes. Actinomycosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis in high-risk patients with predisposing factors, such as alcoholism, poor oral hygiene, maxillofacial trauma, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, steroid ingestion or immunodeficiency, and in patients in whom the disease history does not correlate with widespread metastatic involvement. Early diagnosis is important, to prevent disease progression and unnecessary surgery, since the response to drug treatment is very good. We present a case of diffuse actinomycosis involving multiple organs (liver, kidneys, colon, and lungs) that simulated metastatic disease on radiography and computed tomography (CT). (author)

  5. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy of neuroendocrine tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bodei, L.; Giammarile, F.

    2009-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumours are considered relatively rare tumours that have the characteristic property of secreting bioactive substances, such as amines and hormones. They constitute a heterogeneous group, characterized by good prognosis, but important disparities of the evolutionary potential. In the aggressive forms, the therapeutic strategies are limited. The metabolic or internal radiotherapy, using radiolabelled peptides, which can act at the same time on the primary tumour and its metastases, constitutes a tempting therapeutic alternative, currently in evolution. The prospects are related to the development of new radiopharmaceuticals, with the use of other peptide analogues whose applications will overflow the framework of the neuro-endocrine tumours. (authors)

  6. A genetic variant in SLC28A3, rs56350726, is associated with progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer in a Korean population with metastatic prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jo, Jung Ku; Oh, Jong Jin; Kim, Yong Tae; Moon, Hong Sang; Choi, Hong Yong; Park, Seunghyun; Ho, Jin-Nyoung; Yoon, Sungroh; Park, Hae Young; Byun, Seok-Soo

    2017-11-14

    Genetic variation which related with progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) during androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) has not been elucidated in patients with metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa). Therefore, we assessed the association between genetic variats in mPCa and progession to CRPC. Analysis of exome genotypes revealed that 42 SNPs were significantly associated with mPCa. The top five polymorphisms were statistically significantly associated with metastatic disease. In addition, one of these SNPs, rs56350726, was significantly associated with time to CRPC in Kaplan-Meier analysis (Log-rank test, p = 0.011). In multivariable Cox regression, rs56350726 was strongly associated with progression to CRPC (HR = 4.172 95% CI = 1.223-14.239, p = 0.023). We assessed genetic variation among 1000 patients with PCa with or without metastasis, using 242,221 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the custom HumanExome BeadChip v1.0 (Illuminam Inc.). We analyzed the time to CRPC in 110 of the 1000 patients who were treated with ADT. Genetic data were analyzed using unconditional logistic regression and odds ratios calculated as estimates of relative risk of metastasis. We identified SNPs associated with metastasis and analyzed the relationship between these SNPs and time to CRPC in mPCa. Based on a genetic variation, the five top SNPs were observed to associate with mPCa. And one (SLC28A3, rs56350726) of five SNP was found the association with the progression to CRPC in patients with mPCa.

  7. 3'-Deoxy-3'-{sup 18}F-fluorothymidine positron emission tomography as an early predictor of disease progression in patients with advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Challapalli, Amarnath; Barwick, Tara; Merchant, Shairoz [Imperial College London (ICL), Department of Surgery and Cancer, London (United Kingdom); Pearson, Rachel A.; Howell, Elizabeth C.; Maxwell, Ross J. [Newcastle University, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle (United Kingdom); Mauri, Francesco [Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Department of Pathology, London (United Kingdom); Sumpter, Katherine [Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom); Aboagye, Eric O. [Imperial College London (ICL), Department of Surgery and Cancer, London (United Kingdom); ICL, Hammersmith Hospital, Department of Surgery and Cancer, London (United Kingdom); Sharma, Rohini [ICL, Department of Investigative Medicine, London (United Kingdom)

    2015-05-01

    3'-Deoxy-3'-{sup 18}F-fluorothymidine (FLT) positron emission tomography (PET) has limited utility in abdominal imaging due to high physiological hepatic uptake of tracer. We evaluated FLT PET/CT combined with a temporal-intensity information-based voxel-clustering approach termed kinetic spatial filtering (FLT PET/CT{sub KSF}) for early prediction of response and survival outcomes in locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer patients receiving gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Dynamic FLT PET/CT data were collected before and 3 weeks after the first cycle of chemotherapy. Changes in tumour FLT PET/CT variables were determined. The primary end point was RECIST 1.1 response on contrast-enhanced CT after 3 months of therapy. Twenty patients were included. Visual distinction between tumours and normal pancreas was seen in FLT PET{sub KSF} images. All target lesions (>2 cm), including all primary pancreatic tumours, were visualised. Of the 11 liver metastases, 3 (<2 cm) were not visible after kinetic filtering. Of the 20 patients, 7 progressed (35 %). Maximum standardised uptake value at 60 min post-injection (SUV{sub 60,max}) significantly increased in patients with disease progression (p = 0.04). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that a threshold of SUV{sub 60,max} increase of ≥ 12 % resulted in sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of 71, 100 and 100 %, respectively [area under the curve (AUC) 0.90, p = 0.0001], to predict patients with disease progression. Changes in SUV{sub 60,max} were not predictive of survival. FLT PET/CT detected changes in proliferation, with early increase in SUV{sub 60,max} predicting progressive disease with a high specificity and PPV. Therefore, FLT PET/CT could be used as an early response biomarker for gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, to select a poor prognostic group who may benefit from novel therapeutic agents in advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer. (orig.)

  8. The role of serum osteoprotegerine in metastatic prostate cancer - a case control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siampanopoulou, M; El, Mantani; Moustakas, G; Haritanti, A; Gotzamani-Psarrakou, A

    2016-01-01

    Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant neoplastic diseases in men. Early control of the disease progression contributes significantly to survival rates and patients' quality of life. Osteoprotegerin is a dimeric glycoprotein, which affects bone metabolism and inhibits osteoclastogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated the expression of osteoprotegerin in the serum of prostate cancer patients with or without skeletal metastases. The expression of serum osteoprotegerin, as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, has been studied in 82 patients with locally controlled prostate cancer, in 49 patients with metastatic bone disease and in a control group of 41 healthy males. At sampling time 65/131 of included patients were newly diagnosed, while 66/131 patients were already under hormonal therapy. All eligible prostate cancer patients had histologically confirmed malignancy. Serum total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was determined by an immunoradiometric assay. We investigated the expression of osteoprotegerin in hormone-dependent and hormone-refractory prostate cancer and its relation to disease progression. Among the 131 patients with prostate cancer, higher osteoprotegerin and PSA concentrations have been observed in metastatic bone patients' sera (p cancer patients has shown a statistically significant area curve (p cancer patients (p cancer reflect the bone metastatic extent and may potentially be used in metastatic patients' follow-ups. Hippokratia 2016, 20(2): 133-138.

  9. Association Between Breast Cancer Disease Progression and Workplace Productivity in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Wesley; Horblyuk, Ruslan; Perkins, Julia Jane; Sison, Steve; Smith, Greg; Snider, Julia Thornton; Wu, Yanyu; Philipson, Tomas J

    2017-02-01

    Determine workplace productivity losses attributable to breast cancer progression. Longitudinal analysis linking 2005 to 2012 medical and pharmacy claims and workplace absence data in the US patients were commercially insured women aged 18 to 64 diagnosed with breast cancer. Productivity was measured as employment status and total quarterly workplace hours missed, and valued using average US wages. Six thousand four hundred and nine women were included. Breast cancer progression was associated with a lower probability of employment (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.65, P work was $24,166 for non-metastatic and $30,666 for metastatic patients. Thus, progression to metastatic disease is associated with an additional $6500 in lost work time (P < 0.05), or 14% of average US wages. Breast cancer progression leads to diminished likelihood of employment, increased workplace hours missed, and increased cost burden.

  10. Ziv-aflibercept in metastatic colorectal cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patel A

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Anuj Patel, Weijing Sun Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Abstract: The combination of cytotoxic chemotherapy and antiangiogenic agents has become a conventional treatment option for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Ziv-aflibercept is a fusion protein which acts as a decoy receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A, VEGF-B, and placental growth factor (PlGF; it was approved in combination with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer that is resistant to or has progressed after an oxaliplatin-containing fluoropyrimidine-based regimen. Herein we review the role of tumor angiogenesis as the rationale for antiangiogenic therapy, the clinical data associated with ziv-aflibercept, and its current role as a treatment option compared to other antiangiogenic agents, such as bevacizumab and regorafenib. Keywords: aflibercept, angiogenesis, colorectal cancer

  11. Large Cell Neuroendocrine Cancer (LCNEC of uterine cervix

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gehanath Baral

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available A rare type of cervical cancer was encountered as a neuroendocrine cancer of cervix. Clinically, the patient presented with bleeding per vagina. She refused biopsy in her first visit and did not come for follow up. However, after few months she came and since there was a polypoid growth from cervix, she was advised to undergo hysterectomy. Histopathologically, it was diagnosed as large cell type of neuroendocrine cancer. Multimodality systemic treatment was offered as per literature. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2009; 3(1: 36-38

  12. Metastatic Mantle Cell Lymphoma to the Pituitary Gland: Case Report and Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arthur Wang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We present an unusual case of a metastatic mantle cell lymphoma (MCL to the pituitary gland. The patient had a known history of MCL for which she previously received chemotherapy. She presented with new-onset diplopia and confusion, and reported a history of progressive vision blurriness associated with headache, nausea, and vomiting. MRI of the brain showed an enhancing lesion within the sella turcica involving the cavernous sinuses bilaterally, extending into Meckel's cave on the left, and abutting the optic nerves bilaterally. Following surgical excision, histopathology revealed the tumor to be a MCL. Metastatic pituitary tumors are rare and have been estimated to make up 1% of tumors discovered in the sellar region. The two most common secondary metastatic lesions to the sella are breast and lung carcinoma followed by prostate, renal cell, and gastrointestinal carcinoma. Metastatic lymphoma to the pituitary gland is especially rare and is estimated to constitute 0.5% of all metastatic tumors to the sella turcica. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of MCL metastasizing to the pituitary gland.

  13. Nivolumab-induced vitiligo in a metastatic melanoma patient: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmondson, Lindsay A; Smith, Leticia V; Mallik, Alka

    2017-12-01

    The programmed-death-1 inhibitors selectively block programmed-death-1 interaction with its receptor, which restores active T-cell response directed at tumor cells, inducing an anti-tumor effect. This nonspecific activation of the immune system can also lead to a wide spectrum of side effects. Nivolumab has been used effectively to prolong survival in patients with metastatic melanoma and is recommended as a category 1 agent for systemic therapy in metastatic or unresectable melanoma per the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. We present a case of a 64-year-old woman who began nivolumab therapy for metastatic melanoma. After six doses of nivolumab therapy, the patient experienced generalized hypopigmentation on her face, chest, back, arms, and lower extremities. Although vitiligo has been reported in as many as 10.7% of patients undergoing nivolumab therapy in some clinical trials, we believe this is the first case to describe the progression of nivolumab-induced vitiligo in a metastatic melanoma patient. This case provides significant insight into the onset, symptoms, development, and treatment options for patients experiencing vitiligo as a result of nivolumab therapy.

  14. Neuroendocrine Regulation of Maternal Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bridges, Robert S.

    2015-01-01

    The expression of maternal behavior in mammals is regulated by the developmental and experiential events over a female’s lifetime. In this review the relationships between the endocrine and neural systems that play key roles in these developmental and experiential that affect both the establishment and maintenance of maternal care are presented. The involvement of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and lactogens are discussed in the context of ligand, receptor, and gene activity in rodents and to a lesser extent in higher mammals. The roles of neuroendocrine factors, including oxytocin, vasopressin, classical neurotransmitters, and other neural gene products that regulate aspects of maternal care are set forth, and the interactions of hormones with central nervous system mediators of maternal behavior are discussed. The impact of prior developmental factors, including epigenetic events, and maternal experience on subsequent maternal care are assessed over the course of the female’s lifespan. It is proposed that common neuroendocrine mechanisms underlie the regulation of maternal care in mammals. PMID:25500107

  15. Metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy from uterine leiomyosarcoma with good local response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Yoon Kyeong; Park, Hee Chul; Kee, Keun Hong; Jeon, Ho Jong; Park, You Hwan; Chung, Choon Hai

    2000-01-01

    The metastasis of uterine leiomyosarcoma to the neck node has not been reported previously and the radiotherapy has been rarely used for the metastatic lesion of the other sites. We report a case of neck metastasis from a uterine leiomyosarcoma, which developed 10 months after surgery and postoperative pelvic radiotherapy. It also involved the parapharyngeal space, adjacent spine, and spinal canal. The metastatic neck mass was inoperable, and was treated by neck radiotherapy (6,000 cGy) and chemotherapy including taxol and carboplatin. The mass has regressed progressively to a nearly impalpable state. She has never developed spinal cord compression syndrome, and has maintained good swallowing for eight months since the neck radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Since the extensive metastatic neck mass showed good local response to high dose radiotherapy and chemotherapy, both treatments may be considered for an unresectable metastatic leiomyosarcoma

  16. [Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the digestive tract: a literature review].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, J; Chargari, C; Helissey, C; Ferrand, F-R; Ceccaldi, B; Le Moulec, S; Bauduceau, O; Fayolle, M; Védrine, L

    2013-11-01

    Neuroendocrine carcinoma is a rare and agressive malignant tumor, mainly developing at the expense of the respiratory and of the digestive tract. Among the digestive tract, appendix, small bowel, and pancreas are the preferential sites of involvement, other locations have been more rarely reported. Neuroendocrine digestive tumors may present with various symptoms in relationship with their localization and a complex pathophysiology. Diagnosis is often made at an advanced stage, explaining partly the bad prognosis of these tumors. The optimal management of digestive neuroendocrine tumors is rendered difficult by their rarity and by a low number of randomized trials. We review the literature regarding epidemiologic and prognostic features of these rare tumors, their diagnostic and therapeutic care. Potential complications are also discussed. Copyright © 2013 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. A case of metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma complicated with Graves' disease after total thyroidectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aoyama, Mariko; Takizawa, Hiromitsu; Tsuboi, Mitsuhiro; Nakagawa, Yasushi; Tangoku, Akira

    2017-12-28

    Thyroid cancer and Graves' disease may present simultaneously in one patient. The incidence of the development of hyperthyroidism from metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma is rare. We herein report a case of metastatic follicular carcinoma complicated with Graves' disease after total thyroidectomy. A 57-year-old woman underwent right hemithyroidectomy for follicular carcinoma. Metastatic lesions appeared in the lungs and skull two years after the first surgery, and remnant thyroidectomy was performed for radioactive iodine-131 (RAI) therapy, during which the TSH receptor antibody (TRAb) was found to be negative. The patient was treated with RAI therapy four times for four years and was receiving levothyroxine suppressive therapy. Although radioiodine uptake was observed in the lesions after the fourth course of RAI therapy, metastatic lesions had progressed. Four years after the second surgery, she had heart palpitations and tremors. Laboratory data revealed hyperthyroidism and positive TRAb. She was diagnosed with Graves' disease and received a fifth course of RAI therapy. 131I scintigraphy after RAI therapy showed strong radioiodine uptake in the metastatic lesions. As a result, the sizes and numbers of metastatic lesions decreased, and thyroid function improved. Metastatic lesions produced thyroid hormone and caused hyperthyroidism. RAI therapy was effective for Graves' disease and thyroid carcinoma.

  18. Vertebral compression fractures after spine irradiation using conventional fractionation in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

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    Ree, Woo Joong; Kim, Kyung Hwan; Chang, Jee Suk; Kim, Hyun Ju; Choi, Seo Hee; Koom, Woong Sub [Dept.of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-12-15

    To evaluate the risk of vertebral compression fracture (VCF) after conventional radiotherapy (RT) for colorectal cancer (CRC) with spine metastasis and to identify risk factors for VCF in metastatic and non-metastatic irradiated spines. We retrospectively reviewed 68 spinal segments in 16 patients who received conventional RT between 2009 and 2012. Fracture was defined as a newly developed VCF or progression of an existing fracture. The target volume included all metastatic spinal segments and one additional non-metastatic vertebra adjacent to the tumor-involved spines. The median follow-up was 7.8 months. Among all 68 spinal segments, there were six fracture events (8.8%) including three new VCFs and three fracture progressions. Observed VCF rates in vertebral segments with prior irradiation or pre-existing compression fracture were 30.0% and 75.0% respectively, compared with 5.2% and 4.7% for segments without prior irradiation or pre-existing compression fracture, respectively (both p < 0.05). The 1-year fracture-free probability was 87.8% (95% CI, 78.2-97.4). On multivariate analysis, prior irradiation (HR, 7.30; 95% CI, 1.31-40.86) and pre-existing compression fracture (HR, 18.45; 95% CI, 3.42-99.52) were independent risk factors for VCF. The incidence of VCF following conventional RT to the spine is not particularly high, regardless of metastatic tumor involvement. Spines that received irradiation and/or have pre-existing compression fracture before RT have an increased risk of VCF and require close observation.

  19. Management Options for Advanced Low or Intermediate Grade Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: Review of Recent Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Neychev

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Our understanding of the biology, genetics, and natural history of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas has improved considerably in the last several decades and the spectrum of available therapeutic options is rapidly expanding. The management of patients with metastatic low or intermediate grade NETs has been revolutionized by the development of new treatment strategies such as molecular targeting therapies with everolimus and sunitinib, somatostatin analogs, tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitors, and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy that can be used alone or as a multimodal approach with or without surgery. To further define and clarify the utility, appropriateness, and the sequence of the growing list of available therapies for this patient population will require more high level evidence; however, data from well-designed randomized phase III clinical trials is rapidly accumulating that will further stimulate development of new management strategies. It is therefore important to thoroughly review emerging evidence and report major findings in frequent updates, which will expand our knowledge and contribute to a better understanding, characterization, and management of advanced NETs.

  20. [Immunomodulators of microbial origin enhance cytotoxicity of human mononuclear leukocytes and reduce metastatic progression of Lewis lung carcinoma in mice].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akhmatova, N K; Semenova, I B; Donenko, F V; Kiselevskiĭ, M V; Kurbatova, E A; Egorova, N B

    2006-01-01

    Effect of immunomodulators for microbial origin on innate immunity and antitumor system was continued to study. Immunomodificator Immunovac VP-4, purified staphylococcal toxoid and glucosaminyl muramyl dipeptide (GMDP) equally enhanced cytotoxicity of mononuclear leukocytes of peripheral blood of healthy donors. Index of cytotoxicity was 2.78, 2.77 and 2.70 respectively. Reduced metastatic progression of Lewis lung carcinoma in mice was observed after Immunovac VP-4 and GMDP administration. Effectiveness was seen when preparations administered according to schedules including their administration before implantation of the tumor. If preparations were administered number of metastases reduced in 4.4-5.6 times and size of metastases reduced in 7-10 times. Interplay between antitumor activity of studied immunomodulators and cytotoxic activity of NK-cells, which are base effectors of antitumor immune response, are discussed.

  1. Gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritter, J M; Garner, M M; Chilton, J A; Jacobson, E R; Kiupel, M

    2009-11-01

    This article describes a newly recognized highly malignant neoplastic entity in young bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps), gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas, which readily metastasize. Ten bearded dragons with histories of anorexia (8), vomiting (3), hyperglycemia (2), and anemia (3) were included in this study. All animals had neoplastic masses in their stomach, with metastasis to the liver. Microscopically, 6 of these neuroendocrine carcinomas were well-differentiated and 4 were poorly differentiated. For further characterization, immunohistochemistry for protein gene product 9.5, neuron-specific enolase, endorphin, chromogranins A and B, synaptophysin, somatostatin, insulin, glucagon, gastrin, pancreatic polypeptide, and vasoactive intestinal peptide was performed on 5 animals. Because only immunolabeling for somatostatin was consistently observed in all neoplasms, a diagnosis of somatostatinoma was made for these 5 bearded dragons. Some neoplasms also exhibited multihormonal expression. Electron microscopy performed on 1 tumor confirmed the presence of neuroendocrine granules within neoplastic cells. Gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas, and specifically somatostatinomas, have not been previously reported in bearded dragons, or other reptiles, and may be underdiagnosed due to inconsistent, ambiguous clinical signs. In humans, pancreatic somatostatinomas are associated with a syndrome of hypersomatostatinemia, which includes hyperglycemia, weight loss, and anemia, as observed in some of these bearded dragons. Somatostatinomas in humans are commonly associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (Von Recklinghausen's disease), caused by a mutation in the tumor suppressor gene NF1, which results in decreased expression of neurofibromin. In all 5 animals examined, neoplasms exhibited decreased neurofibromin expression compared with control tissues, suggesting that decreased functional neurofibromin may play a role in the pathogenesis of somatostatinomas in bearded dragons.

  2. Primary Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of Vagina: A Rare Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jignasa N. Bhalodia

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Primary small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of vagina is an extremely rare disease. There have been only 26 previously reported cases in literature. Here, we report a case of primary small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of vagina. Immunohistochemistry (IHC showed tumor cells positive for synaptophysin, chromogranin, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE.

  3. 131I-MIBG and neuroendocrine tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliva Gonzalez, Juan Perfecto; Gonzalez Gonzalez, Joaquin Jorge; Calderon Marin, Carlos Fabian

    2012-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumours are neoplasms that arise from various tissues closely linked to the neural crest by their common embryological origin. These tumours have the ability to synthesize neurotransmitter peptides and hormones, as well as to store catecholamines. Some of these tumours express somatostatin receptors at their membranes, what have allowed nuclear medicine to be involved in their diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. Since they arise from different and varied types of tissues, these tumours have a wide range of signs and symptoms different for every one of them. These signs and symptoms mainly depend on their biochemical characteristics, given by the substances they secrete, as well as by their location, and consequently, they also depend on the place where the tumour appears, its local infiltration, and potential long-distance metastasis resulting from the tumour). Neuroendocrine tumours are diagnosed by means of nuclear medicine images, which are obtained by using different techniques and radiopharmaceuticals such as 99 mTc dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA(V)), 99 mTc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI), metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) labelled with 131 I or 123 I ( 131 I-MIBG or 123 I -MIBG), 111 In-labelled octreotide, positron emission tomography, using 68 Ga-labelled somatostatin analogues and carcinoembryonic antigen monoclonal antibodies. Nuclear medicine uses mainly somatostatin analogues labelled with 90 Y or 177 Lu for the treatment of these tumours. This paper is aimed at showing our experience in the use of 131 I-MIBG for the diagnosis and treatment of neuroendocrine tumours.(author)

  4. Neuroendocrine causes of amenorrhea--an update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fourman, Lindsay T; Fazeli, Pouneh K

    2015-03-01

    Secondary amenorrhea--the absence of menses for three consecutive cycles--affects approximately 3-4% of reproductive age women, and infertility--the failure to conceive after 12 months of regular intercourse--affects approximately 6-10%. Neuroendocrine causes of amenorrhea and infertility, including functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia, constitute a majority of these cases. In this review, we discuss the physiologic, pathologic, and iatrogenic causes of amenorrhea and infertility arising from perturbations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, including potential genetic causes. We focus extensively on the hormonal mechanisms involved in disrupting the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. A thorough understanding of the neuroendocrine causes of amenorrhea and infertility is critical for properly assessing patients presenting with these complaints. Prompt evaluation and treatment are essential to prevent loss of bone mass due to hypoestrogenemia and/or to achieve the time-sensitive treatment goal of conception.

  5. Ipilimumab versus placebo after radiotherapy in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer that had progressed after docetaxel chemotherapy (CA184-043): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kwon, Eugene D; Drake, Charles G; Scher, Howard I

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Ipilimumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 to enhance antitumour immunity. Our aim was to assess the use of ipilimumab after radiotherapy in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer that progressed after docetaxel...... chemotherapy. METHODS: We did a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial in which men with at least one bone metastasis from castration-resistant prostate cancer that had progressed after docetaxel treatment were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive bone-directed radiotherapy (8 Gy in one...... fraction) followed by either ipilimumab 10 mg/kg or placebo every 3 weeks for up to four doses. Non-progressing patients could continue to receive ipilimumab at 10 mg/kg or placebo as maintenance therapy every 3 months until disease progression, unacceptable toxic effect, or death. Patients were randomly...

  6. Oligo- and polymetastatic progression in lung metastasis(es) patients is associated with specific microRNAs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lussier, Yves A; Khodarev, Nikolai N; Regan, Kelly; Corbin, Kimberly; Li, Haiquan; Ganai, Sabha; Khan, Sajid A; Gnerlich, Jennifer L; Gnerlich, Jennifer; Darga, Thomas E; Fan, Hanli; Karpenko, Oleksiy; Paty, Philip B; Posner, Mitchell C; Chmura, Steven J; Hellman, Samuel; Ferguson, Mark K; Weichselbaum, Ralph R

    2012-01-01

    Strategies to stage and treat cancer rely on a presumption of either localized or widespread metastatic disease. An intermediate state of metastasis termed oligometastasis(es) characterized by limited progression has been proposed. Oligometastases are amenable to treatment by surgical resection or radiotherapy. We analyzed microRNA expression patterns from lung metastasis samples of patients with ≤ 5 initial metastases resected with curative intent. Patients were stratified into subgroups based on their rate of metastatic progression. We prioritized microRNAs between patients with the highest and lowest rates of recurrence. We designated these as high rate of progression (HRP) and low rate of progression (LRP); the latter group included patients with no recurrences. The prioritized microRNAs distinguished HRP from LRP and were associated with rate of metastatic progression and survival in an independent validation dataset. Oligo- and poly- metastasis are distinct entities at the clinical and molecular level.

  7. Australian contemporary management of synchronous metastatic colorectal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malouf, Phillip; Gibbs, Peter; Shapiro, Jeremy; Sockler, Jim; Bell, Stephen

    2018-01-01

    This article outlines the current Australian multidisciplinary treatment of synchronous metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma and assesses the factors that influence patient outcome. This is a retrospective analysis of the prospective 'Treatment of Recurrent and Advanced Colorectal Cancer' registry, describing the patient treatment pathway and documenting the extent of disease, resection of the colorectal primary and metastases, chemotherapy and biological therapy use. Cox regression models for progression-free and overall survival were constructed with a comprehensive set of clinical variables. Analysis was intentionn-ton-treat, quantifying the effect of treatment intent decided at the multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT). One thousand one hundred and nine patients presented with synchronous metastatic disease between July 2009 and November 2015. Median follow-up was 15.8 months; 4.4% (group 1) had already curative resections of primary and metastases prior to MDT, 22.2% (group 2) were considered curative but were referred to MDT for opinion and/or medical oncology treatment prior to resection and 70.2% were considered palliative at MDT (group 3). Overall, 83% received chemotherapy, 55% had their primary resected and 23% had their metastases resected; 13% of resections were synchronous, 20% were staged with primary resected first and 62% had only the colorectal primary managed surgically. Performance status, metastasis resection (R0 versus R1 versus R2 versus no resection), resection of the colorectal primary and treatment intent determined at MDT were the most significant factors for progression-free and overall survival. This is the largest Australian series of synchronous metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma and offers insight into the nature and utility of contemporary practice. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  8. A Rare Case of Primary Infiltrating Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Breast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nawawi, Ouzreiah; Ying Goh, Keat; Rahmat, Kartini

    2012-01-01

    Primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast is a very rare malignant tumor. There are not many cases reported in the English literature since it was first documented in 1983. Reports on the imaging features, in particular the ultrasonographic features of this rare tumor are scarce. Herein, we report a case of aggressive primary infiltrating neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast, masquerading as an inflammatory breast condition in a 22-year-old young lady, perhaps the youngest case ever reported in the English literature. We discuss the imaging features and highlight the Doppler ultrasonographic findings of this rare breast carcinoma. This is the first documentation on Doppler ultrasonographic findings of primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast in the literature

  9. Carboplatin AUC 10 for IGCCCG good prognosis metastatic seminoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tookman, Laura; Rashid, Sukaina; Matakidou, Athena; Phillips, Melissa; Wilson, Peter; Ansell, Wendy; Jamal-Hanjani, Mariam; Chowdhury, Simon; Harland, Stephen; Sarwar, Naveed; Oliver, Timothy; Powles, Thomas; Shamash, Jonathan

    2013-06-01

    Metastatic seminoma is a highly curable disease. Standard treatment comprises of combination chemotherapy. The short- and long-term toxicities of this treatment are increasingly recognised and the possibility of over treatment in such a curable disease should be considered. We have therefore assessed the use of single agent carboplatin at a dose of AUC 10 in patients with good prognosis metastatic seminoma. Patients with good prognosis metastatic seminoma treated with carboplatin (AUC 10) were identified at our institution and affiliated institutions. Treatment was three weekly for a total of three or four cycles. Outcome and toxicities were analysed. With a median follow-up of 36 months, 61 patients in total were treated with carboplatin AUC 10, all good prognosis by the IGCCCG criteria. Forty-eight percent had stage IIA/IIB disease and 52% had greater than stage IIB disease. Thirty-one patients (51%) had a complete response following treatment. Three-year survival was 96.3% with a three-year progression free survival of 93.2%. The main treatment toxicity was haematological with 46% having grade 3, 24% having grade 4 neutropenia and 54% experiencing grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia. There were no treatment related deaths. Single agent carboplatin at a dose of AUC 10 is an effective treatment for good prognosis metastatic seminoma. The outcome compares favourably to previously published outcomes of combination chemotherapy. Although haematological toxicity is a concern, single agent carboplatin treatment for good prognosis metastatic seminoma could be considered a treatment option and is associated with less toxicity than combination regimens currently used.

  10. Development of a metastatic fluorescent Lewis Lung carcinoma mouse model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rask, Lene; Fregil, Marianne; Høgdall, Estrid

    2013-01-01

    Cancer metastasis is the foremost cause of death in cancer patients. A series of observable pathological changes takes place during progression and metastasis of cancer, but the underlying genetic changes remain unclear. Therefore, new approaches are required, including insights from cancer mouse...... and the model is well suited for the identification of novel microRNAs and mRNAs involved in malignant progression. Our results suggest that increases in metalloproteinase expression and impairment of microRNA processing are involved in the acquirement of metastatic ability....

  11. Treatment of Hormone Resistance with Docetaxel in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients: Results of a Clinical Experience at Omid Hospital, Isfahan, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mina Tajvidi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Metastatic prostate cancer is one of the most important cancers among men worldwide. Androgen ablation therapy can be used in treatment of these patients; however, most will progress to metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer. In this regard, docetaxel has been approved to treat metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer in the United States. In this study, we aimed to investigate the results of this treatment modality in metastatic prostate cancer patients from Iran. Methods:We evaluated PSA response and bone pain relief in 18 metastatic prostate cancer patients who underwent treatment with docetaxel at a dose of 75 mg/m2 intravenously on the first day of treatment. The treatment was repeated every three weeks (6 cycles along with 10 mg of prednisolone. Results: Of 18 patients, 39% had >50% decline in PSA levels.There were 16% of the patients with a PSA decline of approximately 30% to 50% of the pre-treatment levels. In addition, 29% of the patients had progressive PSA levels during chemotherapy. Among them, 55% had significant pain relief. Conclusion: This research showed the effectiveness of docetaxel to decrease PSA levels in metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients from Iran. Docetaxel was also valuable in alleviation of pain in these patients. However, prospective studies should validate this approach.

  12. Primary hyperparathyroidism, adrenal tumors and neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas - clinical diagnosis and imaging requirements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Auernhammer, C.J.; Engelhardt, D.; Goeke, B.

    2003-01-01

    Diseases of the parathyroids, the adrenals and of neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas are primarily diagnosed by clinical and endocrinological evaluation.The requirements concerning various imaging techniques and their relative importance in localization strategies of the different tumors are complex. Current literature search, using PubMed. Evaluation of primary hyperparathyroidism requires bone densitometry by DXA and search for nephrolithiasis by ultrasound or native CT examination.While ultrasound of the thyroid and parathyroids seems useful before any parathyroid surgery,more extensive preoperative localization strategies (sestamibi scintigraphy, MRI) should be restricted to minimal invasive parathyroid surgery or re-operations.For adrenal tumors CT and MRI are of similar diagnostic value. Imaging of pheochromocytomas should be completed by MIBG scintigraphy. Each adrenal incidentaloma requires an endocrinological work-up.A fine-needle aspiration or core needle biopsy of an adrenal tumor is rarely indicated.Before adrenal biopsy a pheochromocytoma has to be excluded.Successful localization strategies for neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas include somatostatin receptor scintigraphy, endoscopic ultrasound and MRI.Discussion Specific localization strategies have been established for the aforementioned tumors.The continuous progress of different imaging techniques requires a regular reevaluation of these localization strategies. (orig.) [de

  13. Neuroendocrine reactivity and recovery from work with different physical and mental demands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sluiter, JK; Frings-Dresen, MHW; van der Beek, AJ; Meijman, TF; Heisterkamp, SH

    Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the type or nature (physical, mental or mixed mental and physical) of work and work characteristics is related to the course of neuroendocrine reactivity and recovery from work. Methods Neuroendocrine reactivity and recovery

  14. Neuroendocrine reactivity and recovery from work with different physical and mental demands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sluiter, J. K.; Frings-Dresen, M. H.; van der Beek, A. J.; Meijman, T. F.; Heisterkamp, S. H.

    2000-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the type or nature (physical, mental or mixed mental and physical) of work and work characteristics is related to the course of neuroendocrine reactivity and recovery from work. METHODS: Neuroendocrine reactivity and recovery

  15. Interrelation between Neuroendocrine Disturbances and Medical Complications Encountered during Rehabilitation after TBI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caroline I. E. Renner

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Traumatic brain injury is not a discrete event but an unfolding sequence of damage to the central nervous system. Not only the acute phase but also the subacute and chronic period after injury, i.e., during inpatient rehabilitation, is characterized by multiple neurotransmitter alterations, cellular dysfunction, and medical complications causing additional secondary injury. Neuroendocrine disturbances also influence neurological outcome and are easily overlooked as they often present with diffuse symptoms such as fatigue, depression, poor concentration, or a decline in overall cognitive function; these are also typical sequelae of traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, neurological complications such as hydrocephalus, epilepsy, fatigue, disorders of consciousness, paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity, or psychiatric-behavioural symptoms may mask and/or complicate the diagnosis of neuroendocrine disturbances, delay appropriate treatment and impede neurorehabilitation. The present review seeks to examine the interrelation between neuroendocrine disturbances with neurological complications frequently encountered after moderate to severe TBI during rehabilitation. Common neuroendocrine disturbances and medical complications and their clinical implications are discussed.

  16. Targeting ECM Disrupts Cancer Progression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Venning, Freja A; Wullkopf, Lena; Erler, Janine T

    2015-01-01

    , the extracellular matrix (ECM). Many ECM proteins are significantly deregulated during the progression of cancer, causing both biochemical and biomechanical changes that together promote the metastatic cascade. In this review, the influence of several ECM proteins on these multiple steps of cancer spread...... is summarized. In addition, we highlight the promising (pre-)clinical data showing benefits of targeting these ECM macromolecules to prevent cancer progression....

  17. Gene expression profiles in primary pancreatic tumors and metastatic lesions of Ela-c-myc transgenic mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liao Dezhong J

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pancreatic carcinoma usually is a fatal disease with no cure, mainly due to its invasion and metastasis prior to diagnosis. We analyzed the gene expression profiles of paired primary pancreatic tumors and metastatic lesions from Ela-c-myc transgenic mice in order to identify genes that may be involved in the pancreatic cancer progression. Differentially expressed selected genes were verified by semi-quantitative and quantitative RT-PCR. To further evaluate the relevance of some of the selected differentially expressed genes, we investigated their expression pattern in human pancreatic cancer cell lines with high and low metastatic potentials. Results Data indicate that genes involved in posttranscriptional regulation were a major functional category of upregulated genes in both primary pancreatic tumors (PT and liver metastatic lesions (LM compared to normal pancreas (NP. In particular, differential expression for splicing factors, RNA binding/pre-mRNA processing factors and spliceosome related genes were observed, indicating that RNA processing and editing related events may play critical roles in pancreatic tumor development and progression. High expression of insulin growth factor binding protein-1 (Igfbp1 and Serine proteinase inhibitor A1 (Serpina1, and low levels or absence of Wt1 gene expression were exclusive to liver metastatic lesion samples. Conclusion We identified Igfbp1, Serpina1 and Wt1 genes that are likely to be clinically useful biomarkers for prognostic or therapeutic purposes in metastatic pancreatic cancer, particularly in pancreatic cancer where c-Myc is overexpressed.

  18. Gene expression profiles in primary pancreatic tumors and metastatic lesions of Ela-c-myc transgenic mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakur, Archana; Bollig, Aliccia; Wu, Jiusheng; Liao, Dezhong J

    2008-01-24

    Pancreatic carcinoma usually is a fatal disease with no cure, mainly due to its invasion and metastasis prior to diagnosis. We analyzed the gene expression profiles of paired primary pancreatic tumors and metastatic lesions from Ela-c-myc transgenic mice in order to identify genes that may be involved in the pancreatic cancer progression. Differentially expressed selected genes were verified by semi-quantitative and quantitative RT-PCR. To further evaluate the relevance of some of the selected differentially expressed genes, we investigated their expression pattern in human pancreatic cancer cell lines with high and low metastatic potentials. Data indicate that genes involved in posttranscriptional regulation were a major functional category of upregulated genes in both primary pancreatic tumors (PT) and liver metastatic lesions (LM) compared to normal pancreas (NP). In particular, differential expression for splicing factors, RNA binding/pre-mRNA processing factors and spliceosome related genes were observed, indicating that RNA processing and editing related events may play critical roles in pancreatic tumor development and progression. High expression of insulin growth factor binding protein-1 (Igfbp1) and Serine proteinase inhibitor A1 (Serpina1), and low levels or absence of Wt1 gene expression were exclusive to liver metastatic lesion samples. We identified Igfbp1, Serpina1 and Wt1 genes that are likely to be clinically useful biomarkers for prognostic or therapeutic purposes in metastatic pancreatic cancer, particularly in pancreatic cancer where c-Myc is overexpressed.

  19. Metastatic behaviour of primary human tumours in a zebrafish xenotransplantation model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marques, Ines J; Bagowski, Christoph P; Weiss, Frank Ulrich; Vlecken, Danielle H; Nitsche, Claudia; Bakkers, Jeroen; Lagendijk, Anne K; Partecke, Lars Ivo; Heidecke, Claus-Dieter; Lerch, Markus M

    2009-01-01

    Aberrant regulation of cell migration drives progression of many diseases, including cancer cell invasion and metastasis formation. Analysis of tumour invasion and metastasis in living organisms to date is cumbersome and involves difficult and time consuming investigative techniques. For primary human tumours we establish here a simple, fast, sensitive and cost-effective in vivo model to analyse tumour invasion and metastatic behaviour. We fluorescently labelled small explants from gastrointestinal human tumours and investigated their metastatic behaviour after transplantation into zebrafish embryos and larvae. The transparency of the zebrafish embryos allows to follow invasion, migration and micrometastasis formation in real-time. High resolution imaging was achieved through laser scanning confocal microscopy of live zebrafish. In the transparent zebrafish embryos invasion, circulation of tumour cells in blood vessels, migration and micrometastasis formation can be followed in real-time. Xenografts of primary human tumours showed invasiveness and micrometastasis formation within 24 hours after transplantation, which was absent when non-tumour tissue was implanted. Furthermore, primary human tumour cells, when organotopically implanted in the zebrafish liver, demonstrated invasiveness and metastatic behaviour, whereas primary control cells remained in the liver. Pancreatic tumour cells showed no metastatic behaviour when injected into cloche mutant embryos, which lack a functional vasculature. Our results show that the zebrafish is a useful in vivo animal model for rapid analysis of invasion and metastatic behaviour of primary human tumour specimen

  20. The Clone Wars – Revenge of the Metastatic Rogue State: The Sarcoma Paradigm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spraker, Holly L.; Price, Shawn L.; Chaturvedi, Aashi; Schiffman, Joshua D.; Jones, Kevin B.; Lessnick, Stephen L.; Beckerle, Mary; Randall, R. Lor

    2012-01-01

    Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common bone tumor affecting primarily adolescents and young adults. Despite recent advances in biological understanding, intensification of chemotherapeutic treatments, and progress in local control with surgery and/or radiation therapy, patients with metastatic or recurrent ES continue to have a dismal prognosis with less than 20% overall survival. All ES is likely metastatic at diagnosis although our methods of detection and classification may not account for this. Progressive disease may arise via a combination of: (1) selection of chemotherapy-resistant clones in primary tumor, (2) signaling from bone or lung microenvironments that may attract tumor cells to distant locations, and/or (3) genetic changes within the ES cells themselves due to DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents or other “hits.” These possibilities and the evidence base to support them are explored.

  1. Novel immunotherapy approaches for metastatic urothelial and renal cell carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiying Shao

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC and urothelial carcinoma (UC remains a major challenge. Past research has implicated the immune system in tumor surveillance of both malignancies, leading to the application of immunotherapy agents for both cancers. Among them, the most promising agents are the checkpoint blockade drugs, such as antibodies targeting the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4, programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1, and PD-1 ligand (PD-L1. In normal physiology, these immune checkpoints act as inhibitory signals to fine-tune the duration and strength of immune reactions, which is pivotal for maintaining self-tolerance. However, tumor cells also utilize immune checkpoint pathways to evade anti-tumor immune response, leading to disease progression and metastasis. Thus, there has been intense preclinical and clinical effort focused on the application of checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic RCC and UC. To date, nivolumab (anti-PD-1 and atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1 have been approved for the treatment of metastatic RCC and UC, respectively. Despite these successes, challenges remain in how to further improve response rates to immunotherapy and how to select patients that will benefit from this approach. In this report, we review existing data and research on immunotherapy in metastatic RCC and UC.

  2. Nuclear Medicine Imaging of Neuroendocrine Tumors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brabander, Tessa; Kwekkeboom, Dik J.; Feelders, Richard A.; Brouwers, Adrienne H.; Teunissen, Jaap J. M.; Papotti, M; DeHerder, WW

    2015-01-01

    An important role is reserved for nuclear imaging techniques in the imaging of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) with In-111-DTPA-octreotide is currently the most important tracer in the diagnosis, staging and selection for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy

  3. Expression and Genetic Variation in Neuroendocrine Signaling Pathways in Lethal and Nonlethal Prostate Cancer among Men Diagnosed with Localized Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Donghao; Carlsson, Jessica; Penney, Kathryn L; Davidsson, Sabina; Andersson, Swen-Olof; Mucci, Lorelei A; Valdimarsdóttir, Unnur; Andrén, Ove; Fang, Fang; Fall, Katja

    2017-12-01

    Background: Recent data suggest that neuroendocrine signaling pathways may play a role in the progression of prostate cancer, particularly for early-stage disease. We aimed to explore whether expression of selected genes in the adrenergic, serotoninergic, glucocorticoid, and dopaminergic pathways differs in prostate tumor tissue from men with lethal disease compared with men with nonlethal disease. Methods: On the basis of the Swedish Watchful Waiting Cohort, we included 511 men diagnosed with incidental prostate cancer through transurethral resection of the prostate during 1977-1998 with follow-up up to 30 years. For those with tumor tissue ( N = 262), we measured mRNA expression of 223 selected genes included in neuroendocrine pathways. Using DNA from normal prostate tissue ( N = 396), we genotyped 36 SNPs from 14 receptor genes. Lethal prostate cancer was the primary outcome in analyses with pathway gene expression and genetic variants. Results: Differential expression of genes in the serotoninergic pathway was associated with risk of lethal prostate cancer ( P = 0.007); similar but weaker associations were noted for the adrenergic ( P = 0.014) and glucocorticoid ( P = 0.020) pathways. Variants of the HTR2A (rs2296972; P = 0.002) and NR3CI (rs33388; P = 0.035) genes (within the serotoninergic and glucocorticoid pathways) were associated with lethal cancer in overdominant models. These genetic variants were correlated with expression of several genes in corresponding pathways ( P pathways, particularly serotoninergic pathway, are associated with lethal outcome in the natural course of localized prostate cancer. Impact: This study provides evidence of the role of neuroendocrine pathways in prostate cancer progression that may have clinical utility. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(12); 1781-7. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  4. Neuroendocrine Causes of Amenorrhea—An Update

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fourman, Lindsay T.

    2015-01-01

    Context: Secondary amenorrhea—the absence of menses for three consecutive cycles—affects approximately 3–4% of reproductive age women, and infertility—the failure to conceive after 12 months of regular intercourse—affects approximately 6–10%. Neuroendocrine causes of amenorrhea and infertility, including functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia, constitute a majority of these cases. Objective: In this review, we discuss the physiologic, pathologic, and iatrogenic causes of amenorrhea and infertility arising from perturbations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, including potential genetic causes. We focus extensively on the hormonal mechanisms involved in disrupting the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. Conclusions: A thorough understanding of the neuroendocrine causes of amenorrhea and infertility is critical for properly assessing patients presenting with these complaints. Prompt evaluation and treatment are essential to prevent loss of bone mass due to hypoestrogenemia and/or to achieve the time-sensitive treatment goal of conception. PMID:25581597

  5. Oligo- and Polymetastatic Progression in Lung Metastasis(es) Patients Is Associated with Specific MicroRNAs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lussier, Yves A.; Ganai, Sabha; Khan, Sajid A.; Gnerlich, Jennifer; Darga, Thomas E.; Fan, Hanli; Karpenko, Oleksiy; Paty, Philip B.; Posner, Mitchell C.; Chmura, Steven J.; Hellman, Samuel; Ferguson, Mark K.; Weichselbaum, Ralph R.

    2012-01-01

    Rationale Strategies to stage and treat cancer rely on a presumption of either localized or widespread metastatic disease. An intermediate state of metastasis termed oligometastasis(es) characterized by limited progression has been proposed. Oligometastases are amenable to treatment by surgical resection or radiotherapy. Methods We analyzed microRNA expression patterns from lung metastasis samples of patients with ≤5 initial metastases resected with curative intent. Results Patients were stratified into subgroups based on their rate of metastatic progression. We prioritized microRNAs between patients with the highest and lowest rates of recurrence. We designated these as high rate of progression (HRP) and low rate of progression (LRP); the latter group included patients with no recurrences. The prioritized microRNAs distinguished HRP from LRP and were associated with rate of metastatic progression and survival in an independent validation dataset. Conclusion Oligo- and poly- metastasis are distinct entities at the clinical and molecular level. PMID:23251360

  6. Oligo- and polymetastatic progression in lung metastasis(es patients is associated with specific microRNAs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yves A Lussier

    Full Text Available RATIONALE: Strategies to stage and treat cancer rely on a presumption of either localized or widespread metastatic disease. An intermediate state of metastasis termed oligometastasis(es characterized by limited progression has been proposed. Oligometastases are amenable to treatment by surgical resection or radiotherapy. METHODS: We analyzed microRNA expression patterns from lung metastasis samples of patients with ≤ 5 initial metastases resected with curative intent. RESULTS: Patients were stratified into subgroups based on their rate of metastatic progression. We prioritized microRNAs between patients with the highest and lowest rates of recurrence. We designated these as high rate of progression (HRP and low rate of progression (LRP; the latter group included patients with no recurrences. The prioritized microRNAs distinguished HRP from LRP and were associated with rate of metastatic progression and survival in an independent validation dataset. CONCLUSION: Oligo- and poly- metastasis are distinct entities at the clinical and molecular level.

  7. Metronomic chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer Impact on VEGF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ezz El-Arab, L.R.; Menha Swellam, M.; El Mahdy, M.M.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Anticancer chemotherapy is thought to be effective by means of direct cytotoxicity on tumor cells. Alternative mechanisms of efficacy have been ascribed to several common anticancer agents; including cyclophosphamide (CTX) and capecitabine (Cap) when given at lower doses for prolonged period (metronomic chemotherapy) postulating an antiangiogenic activity as well, Aim of work :To evaluate the action and tolerability of metronomic chemotherapy (MC) and its impact on serum vascular endothetial growth factor (VEGF) levels in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. Patients and methods: In this study we evaluated the clinical efficacy and tolerability of low dose, capecitabine (500 mg twice daily) together with oral cyclophosphamide (CTX) (a dose of 50 mg once daily) in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an angiogenic marker, was measured in the serum samples; at base line, and after 2 and 6 months of therapy. Results: Sixty patients were evaluable. One achieved complete response (CR), 12 partial responses (PR), and 21 stable diseases (SD), while 26 were with progressive disease (PD). The overall response rate was 21.7% with overall disease control (CR, PR, and SD) 56.7%. The median time to progression was 7±2.59 months and overall survival 16 ±8.02 months. Toxicity was mild, Palmar-plantar erythrodythesia was the must common side effect and was observed in 22 patients (37%), leucopenia (Gl + 2) was the most common hematological toxicity, and it was reported in 27% of the cases. The median VEGF level was significantly declined after 2 and 6 months of therapy compared to the base line among the patients with disease control (CR, PR, and SD). In multivariate logisatic regression analysis, patients with post-menopausal, positive hormonal receptors, negative HER-2/Neu, and one, metastatic site, were statistically significant and have a better disease control rate. Coclcusions: MC induced drop in VEGF, and was

  8. Salvage Lenvatinib Therapy in Metastatic Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iñiguez-Ariza, Nicole M; Ryder, Mabel M; Hilger, Crystal R; Bible, Keith C

    2017-07-01

    Historical anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) outcomes have been terrible, with a median survival of only five months and <20% one-year survival. Improved outcomes are now achieved with aggressive initial therapy in stages IVA and IVB disease, but patients with distant metastatic disease (stage IVC) still do poorly; improved therapies are sorely needed. Kinase inhibitors have emerged as promising agents in the therapy of advanced medullary and differentiated thyroid cancer, but there are limited data regarding the use of lenvatinib in ATC. The aim of this study was to delineate clinical outcomes in a series of patients with advanced ATC in response to lenvatinib therapy. A retrospective analysis was conducted involving all lenvatinib-treated Mayo Clinic ATC patients in 2015. Of 28 distinct ATC patients seen in 2015, three (11%) with metastatic disease of ECOG performance status 2-3 were treated with lenvatinib. Two patients were male; age range at ATC diagnosis was 57-84 years. All three patients attained successful local control of their disease with surgery and/or combined chemoradiotherapy. Lenvatinib was offered as the second, third, or fourth line of therapy at the time of metastatic disease progression. Two patients incurred minor responses to therapy, with structural regression of distant metastatic tumor disease soon after starting lenvatinib treatment (at one to two months), while one patient achieved stable disease, but no Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors partial responses resulted. Overall survival after starting lenvatinib was two, six, and seven months. Fatigue and hypertension were prominent, and one patient developed pulmonary emboli while on lenvatinib. This initial single-institution experience suggests that lenvatinib may have some disease-modifying activity in metastatic ATC that is otherwise refractory to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Unfortunately, observed benefits were transient, and toxicities were prominent. Clinical trials are required

  9. Embolotherapy for Neuroendocrine Tumor Liver Metastases: Prognostic Factors for Hepatic Progression-Free Survival and Overall Survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, James X.; Rose, Steven; White, Sarah B.; El-Haddad, Ghassan; Fidelman, Nicholas; Yarmohammadi, Hooman; Hwang, Winifred; Sze, Daniel Y.; Kothary, Nishita; Stashek, Kristen; Wileyto, E. Paul; Salem, Riad; Metz, David C.; Soulen, Michael C.

    2017-01-01

    PurposeThe purpose of the study was to evaluate prognostic factors for survival outcomes following embolotherapy for neuroendocrine tumor (NET) liver metastases.Materials and MethodsThis was a multicenter retrospective study of 155 patients (60 years mean age, 57 % male) with NET liver metastases from pancreas (n = 71), gut (n = 68), lung (n = 8), or other/unknown (n = 8) primary sites treated with conventional transarterial chemoembolization (TACE, n = 50), transarterial radioembolization (TARE, n = 64), or transarterial embolization (TAE, n = 41) between 2004 and 2015. Patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related factors were evaluated for prognostic effect on hepatic progression-free survival (HPFS) and overall survival (OS) using unadjusted and propensity score-weighted univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsMedian HPFS and OS were 18.5 and 125.1 months for G1 (n = 75), 12.2 and 33.9 months for G2 (n = 60), and 4.9 and 9.3 months for G3 tumors (n = 20), respectively (p  50 % hepatic volume demonstrated 5.5- and 26.8-month shorter median HPFS and OS, respectively, versus burden ≤50 % (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in HPFS or OS between gut or pancreas primaries. In multivariate HPFS analysis, there were no significant differences among embolotherapy modalities. In multivariate OS analysis, TARE had a higher hazard ratio than TACE (unadjusted Cox model: HR 2.1, p = 0.02; propensity score adjusted model: HR 1.8, p = 0.11), while TAE did not differ significantly from TACE.ConclusionHigher tumor grade and tumor burden prognosticated shorter HPFS and OS. TARE had a higher hazard ratio for OS than TACE. There were no significant differences in HPFS among embolotherapy modalities.

  10. Embolotherapy for Neuroendocrine Tumor Liver Metastases: Prognostic Factors for Hepatic Progression-Free Survival and Overall Survival

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, James X. [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); Rose, Steven [University of San Diego Medical Center, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); White, Sarah B. [Medical College of Wisconsin, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); El-Haddad, Ghassan [Moffitt Cancer Center, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); Fidelman, Nicholas [University of San Francisco Medical Center, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); Yarmohammadi, Hooman [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); Hwang, Winifred; Sze, Daniel Y.; Kothary, Nishita [Stanford University Medical Center, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); Stashek, Kristen [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Pathology (United States); Wileyto, E. Paul [University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (United States); Salem, Riad [Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); Metz, David C. [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine (United States); Soulen, Michael C., E-mail: michael.soulen@uphs.upenn.edu [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States)

    2017-01-15

    PurposeThe purpose of the study was to evaluate prognostic factors for survival outcomes following embolotherapy for neuroendocrine tumor (NET) liver metastases.Materials and MethodsThis was a multicenter retrospective study of 155 patients (60 years mean age, 57 % male) with NET liver metastases from pancreas (n = 71), gut (n = 68), lung (n = 8), or other/unknown (n = 8) primary sites treated with conventional transarterial chemoembolization (TACE, n = 50), transarterial radioembolization (TARE, n = 64), or transarterial embolization (TAE, n = 41) between 2004 and 2015. Patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related factors were evaluated for prognostic effect on hepatic progression-free survival (HPFS) and overall survival (OS) using unadjusted and propensity score-weighted univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsMedian HPFS and OS were 18.5 and 125.1 months for G1 (n = 75), 12.2 and 33.9 months for G2 (n = 60), and 4.9 and 9.3 months for G3 tumors (n = 20), respectively (p < 0.05). Tumor burden >50 % hepatic volume demonstrated 5.5- and 26.8-month shorter median HPFS and OS, respectively, versus burden ≤50 % (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in HPFS or OS between gut or pancreas primaries. In multivariate HPFS analysis, there were no significant differences among embolotherapy modalities. In multivariate OS analysis, TARE had a higher hazard ratio than TACE (unadjusted Cox model: HR 2.1, p = 0.02; propensity score adjusted model: HR 1.8, p = 0.11), while TAE did not differ significantly from TACE.ConclusionHigher tumor grade and tumor burden prognosticated shorter HPFS and OS. TARE had a higher hazard ratio for OS than TACE. There were no significant differences in HPFS among embolotherapy modalities.

  11. Genome wide single cell analysis of chemotherapy resistant metastatic cells in a case of gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hjortland, Geir Olav; Fodstad, Oystein; Smeland, Sigbjorn; Hovig, Eivind; Meza-Zepeda, Leonardo A; Beiske, Klaus; Ree, Anne H; Tveito, Siri; Hoifodt, Hanne; Bohler, Per J; Hole, Knut H; Myklebost, Ola

    2011-01-01

    Metastatic progression due to development or enrichment of therapy-resistant tumor cells is eventually lethal. Molecular characterization of such chemotherapy resistant tumor cell clones may identify markers responsible for malignant progression and potential targets for new treatment. Here, in a case of stage IV adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction, we report the successful genome wide analysis using array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) of DNA from only fourteen tumor cells using a bead-based single cell selection method from a bone metastasis progressing during chemotherapy. In a case of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction, the progression of bone metastasis was observed during a chemotherapy regimen of epirubicin, oxaliplatin and capecitabine, whereas lung-, liver and lymph node metastases as well as the primary tumor were regressing. A bone marrow aspirate sampled at the site of progressing metastasis in the right iliac bone was performed, and single cell molecular analysis using array-CGH of Epithelial Specific Antigen (ESA)-positive metastatic cells, and revealed two distinct regions of amplification, 12p12.1 and 17q12-q21.2 amplicons, containing the KRAS (12p) and ERBB2 (HER2/NEU) (17q) oncogenes. Further intrapatient tumor heterogeneity of these highlighted gene copy number changes was analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in all available primary and metastatic tumor biopsies, and ErbB2 protein expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry. ERBB2 was heterogeneously amplified by FISH analysis in the primary tumor, as well as liver and bone metastasis, but homogenously amplified in biopsy specimens from a progressing bone metastasis after three initial cycles of chemotherapy, indicating a possible enrichment of erbB2 positive tumor cells in the progressing bone marrow metastasis during chemotherapy. A similar amplification profile was detected for wild-type KRAS, although more heterogeneously

  12. Everolimus for Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yao, James C.; Shah, Manisha H.; Ito, Tetsuhide; Bohas, Catherine Lombard; Wolin, Edward M.; Van Cutsem, Eric; Hobday, Timothy J.; Okusaka, Takuji; Capdevila, Jaume; de Vries, Elisabeth G. E.; Tomassetti, Paola; Pavel, Marianne E.; Hoosen, Sakina; Haas, Tomas; Lincy, Jeremie; Lebwohl, David; Oberg, Kjell

    2011-01-01

    Background: Everolimus, an oral inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), has shown antitumor activity in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, in two phase 2 studies. We evaluated the agent in a prospective, randomized, phase 3 study. Methods: We randomly assigned 410

  13. Enzalutamide in Men with Chemotherapy-naïve Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beer, Tomasz M; Armstrong, Andrew J; Rathkopf, Dana

    2017-01-01

    Enzalutamide significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) and overall survival (OS) among men with chemotherapy-naïve metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer at the prespecified interim analysis of PREVAIL, a phase 3, double-blind, randomized study. We evaluated...

  14. Leptin receptor (Ob-R) mRNA expression and serum leptin concentration in patients with colorectal and metastatic colorectal cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Erkasap, N.; Ozkurt, M. [Department of Physiology, Osmangazi University Medical Faculty, Meselik, Eskisehir (Turkey); Erkasap, S.; Yasar, F. [Department of General Surgery, Osmangazi University Medical Faculty, Meselik, Eskisehir (Turkey); Uzuner, K. [Department of Physiology, Osmangazi University Medical Faculty, Meselik, Eskisehir (Turkey); Ihtiyar, E. [Department of General Surgery, Osmangazi University Medical Faculty, Meselik, Eskisehir (Turkey); Uslu, S.; Kara, M. [Department of Biochemistry, Osmangazi University Medical Faculty, Meselik, Eskisehir (Turkey); Bolluk, O. [Department of Biostatistics, Osmangazi University Medical Faculty, Meselik, Eskisehir (Turkey)

    2013-03-19

    The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of leptin on the progression of colorectal carcinoma to metastatic disease by analyzing the serum leptin concentration and Ob-R gene expression in colon cancer tissues. Tissue samples were obtained from 31 patients who underwent surgical resection for colon (18 cases) and metastatic colon (13 cases) cancer. Serum leptin concentration was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Ob-R mRNA expression by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for both groups. ELISA data were analyzed by the Student t-test and RT-PCR data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U-test. RT-PCR results demonstrated that mRNA expression of Ob-R in human metastatic colorectal cancer was higher than in local colorectal cancer tissues. On the other hand, mean serum leptin concentration was significantly higher in local colorectal cancer patients compared to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The results of the present study suggest a role for leptin in the progression of colon cancer to metastatic disease without weight loss. In other words, significantly increased Ob-R mRNA expression and decreased serum leptin concentration in patients with metastatic colon cancer indicate that sensitization to leptin activity may be a major indicator of metastasis to the colon tissue and the determination of leptin concentration and leptin gene expression may be used to aid the diagnosis.

  15. Leptin receptor (Ob-R) mRNA expression and serum leptin concentration in patients with colorectal and metastatic colorectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erkasap, N.; Ozkurt, M.; Erkasap, S.; Yasar, F.; Uzuner, K.; Ihtiyar, E.; Uslu, S.; Kara, M.; Bolluk, O.

    2013-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of leptin on the progression of colorectal carcinoma to metastatic disease by analyzing the serum leptin concentration and Ob-R gene expression in colon cancer tissues. Tissue samples were obtained from 31 patients who underwent surgical resection for colon (18 cases) and metastatic colon (13 cases) cancer. Serum leptin concentration was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Ob-R mRNA expression by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for both groups. ELISA data were analyzed by the Student t-test and RT-PCR data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U-test. RT-PCR results demonstrated that mRNA expression of Ob-R in human metastatic colorectal cancer was higher than in local colorectal cancer tissues. On the other hand, mean serum leptin concentration was significantly higher in local colorectal cancer patients compared to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The results of the present study suggest a role for leptin in the progression of colon cancer to metastatic disease without weight loss. In other words, significantly increased Ob-R mRNA expression and decreased serum leptin concentration in patients with metastatic colon cancer indicate that sensitization to leptin activity may be a major indicator of metastasis to the colon tissue and the determination of leptin concentration and leptin gene expression may be used to aid the diagnosis

  16. Leptin receptor (Ob-R mRNA expression and serum leptin concentration in patients with colorectal and metastatic colorectal cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Erkasap

    Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of leptin on the progression of colorectal carcinoma to metastatic disease by analyzing the serum leptin concentration and Ob-R gene expression in colon cancer tissues. Tissue samples were obtained from 31 patients who underwent surgical resection for colon (18 cases and metastatic colon (13 cases cancer. Serum leptin concentration was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA and Ob-R mRNA expression by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR for both groups. ELISA data were analyzed by the Student t-test and RT-PCR data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U-test. RT-PCR results demonstrated that mRNA expression of Ob-R in human metastatic colorectal cancer was higher than in local colorectal cancer tissues. On the other hand, mean serum leptin concentration was significantly higher in local colorectal cancer patients compared to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The results of the present study suggest a role for leptin in the progression of colon cancer to metastatic disease without weight loss. In other words, significantly increased Ob-R mRNA expression and decreased serum leptin concentration in patients with metastatic colon cancer indicate that sensitization to leptin activity may be a major indicator of metastasis to the colon tissue and the determination of leptin concentration and leptin gene expression may be used to aid the diagnosis.

  17. Sinonasal malignancies with neuroendocrine differentiation: Case series and review of literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Menon Santosh

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Primary sinonasal tumors with neuroendocrine differentiation (SCND are uncommon tumors with considerable overlap of histological features. Based on their neuroendocrine differentiation they can be sub categorized into sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC, sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma (SNEC, esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB and small cell carcinoma (SmCC. The natural history and biological behavior varies in this group of tumors. Hence the histo-morphological diagnosis coupled with grading/staging is important for the prognostication of these tumors. Aim : To study the clinicopathological characteristics of sinonasal neuroendocrine malignancies at our institute. Material and Methods : We searched our institute′s pathology database for the period from 2002 to 2007, for the four subcategories of sinonasal tumors with neuroendocrine differentiation. Morphological and immunohistochemical features were studied and, grading, staging was done in accordance with standard criteria. The clinical treatment and follow- up data were retrieved from the case files in available cases. Results : A total of 37 cases were retrieved from our database which include 14 cases of SNUC, 14 cases of ENB and nine cases of SNEC. The cases of SNUC were immunopositive for cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen and weakly for neuron-specific enolase. SNEC showed strong reactivity with epithelial and neuroendocrine markers whereas ENB demonstrated immunoreactivity to synaptophysisn and chromogranin strongly, with weak to negative expression of epithelial markers. All cases of SNUC and SNEC were of high grade and stage whereas 50% of ENB cases were of grade II but high stage tumors. Most of the SNUC and SNEC patients had been treated with multimodality treatment regimens including upfront chemotherapy followed by surgery and loco- regional radiation. In contrast, ENB patients had undergone surgical extirpation followed by radiation therapy in majority of cases. With

  18. Specific expression of the human voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 in highly metastatic breast cancer cells, promotes tumor progression and metastasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Yifan; Li, Shu Jie; Pan, Juncheng; Che, Yongzhe; Yin, Jian; Zhao, Qing

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Hv1 is specifically expressed in highly metastatic human breast tumor tissues. → Hv1 regulates breast cancer cytosolic pH. → Hv1 acidifies extracellular milieu. → Hv1 exacerbates the migratory ability of metastatic cells. -- Abstract: The newly discovered human voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 is essential for proton transfer, which contains a voltage sensor domain (VSD) without a pore domain. We report here for the first time that Hv1 is specifically expressed in the highly metastatic human breast tumor tissues, but not in poorly metastatic breast cancer tissues, detected by immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile, real-time RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry showed that the expression levels of Hv1 have significant differences among breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, MDA-MB-453, T-47D and SK-BR-3, in which Hv1 is expressed at a high level in highly metastatic human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, but at a very low level in poorly metastatic human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Inhibition of Hv1 expression in the highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells by small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly decreases the invasion and migration of the cells. The intracellular pH of MDA-MB-231 cells down-regulated Hv1 expression by siRNA is obviously decreased compared with MDA-MB-231 with the scrambled siRNA. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and gelatinase activity in MDA-MB-231 cells suppressed Hv1 by siRNA were reduced. Our results strongly suggest that Hv1 regulates breast cancer intracellular pH and exacerbates the migratory ability of metastatic cells.

  19. The secreted factors responsible for pre-metastatic niche formation: old sayings and new thoughts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peinado, Héctor; Lavotshkin, Simon; Lyden, David

    2011-04-01

    Metastasis is a multistep process that requires acquisition of malignant cell phenotypes which allow tumor cells to escape from the primary tumor site. Each of the steps during metastatic progression involves co-evolution of the tumor and its microenvironment. Although tumor cells are the driving force of metastasis, new findings suggest that the host cells within the tumor microenvironment play a key role in influencing metastatic behavior. Many of these contributing cells are derived from the bone marrow; in particular, recruited bone marrow progenitor cells generate the "pre-metastatic niche" to which the tumor cells metastasize. Analysis of the molecular mechanisms involved in pre-metastatic niche formation has revealed that secreted soluble factors are key players in bone marrow cell mobilization during metastasis. In addition, membrane vesicles derived from both tumor and host cells have recently been recognized as new candidates with important roles in the promotion of tumor growth and metastasis. This review describes old ideas and presents new insights into the role of tumor and bone marrow-derived microvesicles and exosomes in pre-metastatic niche formation and metastasis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Individual Patient Data Analysis of Progression-Free Survival Versus Overall Survival As a First-Line End Point for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in Modern Randomized Trials: Findings From the Analysis and Research in Cancers of the Digestive System Database

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shi, Qian; de Gramont, Aimery; Grothey, Axel; Zalcberg, John; Chibaudel, Benoist; Schmoll, Hans-Joachim; Seymour, Matthew T.; Adams, Richard; Saltz, Leonard; Goldberg, Richard M.; Punt, Cornelis J. A.; Douillard, Jean-Yves; Hoff, Paulo M.; Hecht, Joel Randolph; Hurwitz, Herbert; Díaz-Rubio, Eduardo; Porschen, Rainer; Tebbutt, Niall C.; Fuchs, Charles; Souglakos, John; Falcone, Alfredo; Tournigand, Christophe; Kabbinavar, Fairooz F.; Heinemann, Volker; van Cutsem, Eric; Bokemeyer, Carsten; Buyse, Marc; Sargent, Daniel J.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose Progression-free survival (PFS) has previously been established as a surrogate for overall survival (OS) for first-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Because mCRC treatment has advanced in the last decade with extended OS, this surrogacy requires re-examination. Methods Individual

  1. Metastatic colorectal cancer responsive to regorafenib for 2 years: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshino, Kenji; Manaka, Dai; Kudo, Ryo; Kanai, Shunpei; Mitsuoka, Eisei; Kanto, Satoshi; Hamasu, Shinya; Konishi, Sayuri; Nishitai, Ryuta

    2017-08-18

    Regorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor that has been demonstrated as clinically effective in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in phase III studies. Although disease control was achieved in 40% of the pretreated patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in the pivotal studies, radiological response has rarely been reported. Severe adverse events associated with regorafenib are known to occur during the first and second courses of treatment. We present a case of a 62-year-old Japanese patient whose metastatic colorectal cancer has been responding to treatment with regorafenib for 2 years. A 54-year-old Japanese man visited our institute exhibiting general malaise, and he was diagnosed with ascending colon cancer in April 2006. He underwent right hemicolectomy, and the final staging was T3N0M0, stage II. After 19 months, pulmonary metastasis and anastomotic recurrences were detected, and a series of operations were performed to resect both metastatic lesions. After that, liver metastasis, a duodenal metastasis with right renal invasion, right adrenal metastasis, and para-aortic lymph node metastases were observed during follow-up, and chemotherapy and resection were performed. The patient had metastatic para-aortic lymph nodes after the fifth tumor resection and underwent multiple lines of chemotherapy in April 2014. Regorafenib monotherapy was started at 80 mg/day. Then, regorafenib was increased to 120 mg/day in the second cycle. Regorafenib monotherapy led to 60% tumor shrinkage within the initial 2 months, and the tumor further decreased in size over 4 months until it became unrecognizable on imaging studies. The clinical effects of regorafenib monotherapy have shown a partial response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria. No severe adverse events were observed, except for mild fatigue and hand-foot syndrome. The patient has received 24 courses of regorafenib over 2 years without exhibiting tumor progression. To the

  2. Pre-metastatic niches

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peinado, Héctor; Zhang, Haiying; Matei, Irina R.

    2017-01-01

    It is well established that organs of future metastasis are not passive receivers of circulating tumour cells, but are instead selectively and actively modified by the primary tumour before metastatic spread has even occurred. Sowing the 'seeds' of metastasis requires the action of tumour......-secreted factors and tumour-shed extracellular vesicles that enable the 'soil' at distant metastatic sites to encourage the outgrowth of incoming cancer cells. In this Review, we summarize the main processes and new mechanisms involved in the formation of the pre-metastatic niche....

  3. Comparative proteomic investigation of metastatic and non-metastatic osteosarcoma cells of human and canine origin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jahnabi Roy

    Full Text Available Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer in dogs and people. In order to improve clinical outcomes, it is necessary to identify proteins that are differentially expressed by metastatic cells. Membrane bound proteins are responsible for multiple pro-metastatic functions. Therefore characterizing the differential expression of membranous proteins between metastatic and non-metastatic clonal variants will allow the discovery of druggable targets and consequently improve treatment methodology. The objective of this investigation was to systemically identify the membrane-associated proteomics of metastatic and non-metastatic variants of human and canine origin. Two clonal variants of divergent in vivo metastatic potential from human and canine origins were used. The plasma membranes were isolated and peptide fingerprinting was used to identify differentially expressed proteins. Selected proteins were further validated using western blotting, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Over 500 proteins were identified for each cell line with nearly 40% of the proteins differentially regulated. Conserved between both species, metastatic variants demonstrated significant differences in expression of membrane proteins that are responsible for pro-metastatic functions. Additionally, CD147, CD44 and vimentin were validated using various biochemical techniques. Taken together, through a comparative proteomic approach we have identified several differentially expressed cell membrane proteins that will help in the development of future therapeutics.

  4. Comparative proteomic investigation of metastatic and non-metastatic osteosarcoma cells of human and canine origin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Jahnabi; Wycislo, Kathryn L; Pondenis, Holly; Fan, Timothy M; Das, Aditi

    2017-01-01

    Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer in dogs and people. In order to improve clinical outcomes, it is necessary to identify proteins that are differentially expressed by metastatic cells. Membrane bound proteins are responsible for multiple pro-metastatic functions. Therefore characterizing the differential expression of membranous proteins between metastatic and non-metastatic clonal variants will allow the discovery of druggable targets and consequently improve treatment methodology. The objective of this investigation was to systemically identify the membrane-associated proteomics of metastatic and non-metastatic variants of human and canine origin. Two clonal variants of divergent in vivo metastatic potential from human and canine origins were used. The plasma membranes were isolated and peptide fingerprinting was used to identify differentially expressed proteins. Selected proteins were further validated using western blotting, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Over 500 proteins were identified for each cell line with nearly 40% of the proteins differentially regulated. Conserved between both species, metastatic variants demonstrated significant differences in expression of membrane proteins that are responsible for pro-metastatic functions. Additionally, CD147, CD44 and vimentin were validated using various biochemical techniques. Taken together, through a comparative proteomic approach we have identified several differentially expressed cell membrane proteins that will help in the development of future therapeutics.

  5. The role of immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and ultrastructural cytochemistry in the diagnosis of mixed carcinoma-neuroendocrine neoplasms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, A R; Payne, C M; Nagle, R B; Angel, E

    1987-02-01

    We studied four mixed carcinoma-neuroendocrine neoplasms from gastrointestinal tract and pancreas by routine light microscopy (LM), immunohistochemistry (IH), electron microscopy (EM), and ultrastructural cytochemistry (UC). By LM, the individual tumors showed fairly pure neuroendocrine (carcinoid) or epithelial (papillary) patterns, mixed neuroendocrine-carcinoma features and poorly-differentiated tumor in sheets and nests which did not lend itself to morphologic characterization. IH demonstrated mixed expression, within different areas of the same neoplasm, of epithelial antigens (keratins and carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA]) and neuroendocrine markers (neuron-specific enolase [NSE], bombesin and neurohormonal peptides). By EM, each tumor showed ultrastructural features of epithelial and neuroendocrine differentiation which varied substantially in terms of number of cells involved and their distribution; two of the neoplasms showed biphasic differentiation within single cells. The nature of the neurosecretory granules was verified with the uranaffin reaction (UR). This study illustrates the value of combining LM, IH, EM and UC for the identification of mixed carcinoma-neuroendocrine lesions.

  6. HSP90 inhibition is effective in breast cancer: a phase II trial of tanespimycin (17-AAG) plus trastuzumab in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer progressing on trastuzumab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modi, Shanu; Stopeck, Alison; Linden, Hannah; Solit, David; Chandarlapaty, Sarat; Rosen, Neal; D'Andrea, Gabriella; Dickler, Maura; Moynahan, Mary E; Sugarman, Steven; Ma, Weining; Patil, Sujata; Norton, Larry; Hannah, Alison L; Hudis, Clifford

    2011-08-01

    HSP90 is a chaperone protein required for the stability of a variety of client proteins. 17-Demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) is a natural product that binds to HSP90 and inhibits its activity, thereby inducing the degradation of these clients. In preclinical studies, HER2 is one of the most sensitive known client proteins of 17-AAG. On the basis of these data and activity in a phase I study, we conducted a phase II study of 17-AAG (tanespimycin) with trastuzumab in advanced trastuzumab-refractory HER2-positive breast cancer. We enrolled patients with metastatic HER2(+) breast cancer whose disease had previously progressed on trastuzumab. All patients received weekly treatment with tanespimycin at 450 mg/m(2) intravenously and trastuzumab at a conventional dose. Therapy was continued until disease progression. The primary endpoint was response rate by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. Thirty-one patients were enrolled with a median age of 53 years and a median Karnofsky performance status (KPS) of 90%. The most common toxicities, largely grade 1, were diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, and headache. The overall response rate was 22%, the clinical benefit rate [complete response + partial response + stable disease] was 59%, the median progression-free survival was 6 months (95% CI: 4-9), and the median overall survival was 17 months (95% CI: 16-28). This is the first phase II study to definitively show RECIST-defined responses for 17-AAG in solid tumors. Tanespimycin plus trastuzumab has significant anticancer activity in patients with HER2-positive, metastatic breast cancer previously progressing on trastuzumab. Further research exploring this therapeutic interaction and the activity of HSP90 inhibitors is clearly warranted. ©2011 AACR.

  7. Genetic rearrangements, hotspot mutations, and microRNA expression in the progression of metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andreasen, Simon; Agander, Tina Klitmøller; Bjørndal, Kristine

    2018-01-01

    , but there was no general difference between primary ACCs and metastases. Collectively, we show that MYB and NFIB aberrations are consistently preserved in ACC metastatic lesions, and that additional mutations included in the 50-gene hotspot panel used are infrequently acquired by the metastatic lesions. In contrast, tumor...

  8. Differential Expression of Ccn4 and Other Genes Between Metastatic and Non-metastatic EL4 Mouse Lymphoma Cells

    OpenAIRE

    S. CHAHAL, MANPREET; TERESA KU, H.; ZHANG, ZHIHONG; M. LEGASPI, CHRISTIAN; LUO, ANGELA; M. HOPKINS, MANDI; E. MEIER, KATHRYN

    2016-01-01

    Background: Previous work characterized variants of the EL4 murine lymphoma cell line. Some are non-metastatic, and others metastatic, in syngenic mice. In addition, metastatic EL4 cells were stably transfected with phospholipase D2 (PLD2), which further enhanced metastasis. Materials and Methods: Microarray analyses of mRNA expression was performed for non-metastatic, metastatic, and PLD2-expressing metastatic EL4 cells. Results: Many differences were observed between non-metastatic and meta...

  9. Consistent expression of guanylyl cyclase-C in primary and metastatic gastrointestinal cancers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hadi Danaee

    Full Text Available The transmembrane receptor guanylate cyclase-C (GCC has been found to be expressed in colorectal cancers. However, limited data are available on GCC protein expression in non-colorectal gastrointestinal tumors and few studies have reported whether GCC protein expression was consistently preserved in synchronous primary and metastatic cancer tissues.GCC protein status was assessed by immunohistochemistry in tumor specimens from individuals (n = 627 with gastrointestinal tumors, including esophageal (n = 130, gastric (n = 276, pancreatic (n = 136, and colorectal (n = 85 primary and metastatic tumors. Tissue specimens consisted of tissue microarrays containing esophageal, gastric, pancreatic tumors, and whole-slide tissue sections from colorectal cancer patients with matching primary and metastatic tumors.Among the evaluated esophageal, gastric, and pancreatic tumors, the frequency of GCC positivity at the protein level ranged from 59% to 68%. GCC was consistently expressed in primary and matched/synchronous metastatic lesions of colorectal cancer tissues derived from the same patients.This observational study demonstrated the protein expression of GCC across various gastrointestinal malignancies. In all cancer histotypes, GCC protein localization was observed predominantly in the cytoplasm compared to the membrane region of tumor cells. Consistent immunohistochemistry detection of GCC protein expression in primary colorectal cancers and in their matched liver metastases suggests that the expression of GCC is maintained throughout the process of tumor progression and formation of metastatic disease.

  10. Perioperative events influence cancer recurrence risk after surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiller, Jonathan G; Perry, Nicholas J; Poulogiannis, George; Riedel, Bernhard; Sloan, Erica K

    2018-04-01

    Surgery is a mainstay treatment for patients with solid tumours. However, despite surgical resection with a curative intent and numerous advances in the effectiveness of (neo)adjuvant therapies, metastatic disease remains common and carries a high risk of mortality. The biological perturbations that accompany the surgical stress response and the pharmacological effects of anaesthetic drugs, paradoxically, might also promote disease recurrence or the progression of metastatic disease. When cancer cells persist after surgery, either locally or at undiagnosed distant sites, neuroendocrine, immune, and metabolic pathways activated in response to surgery and/or anaesthesia might promote their survival and proliferation. A consequence of this effect is that minimal residual disease might then escape equilibrium and progress to metastatic disease. Herein, we discuss the most promising proposals for the refinement of perioperative care that might address these challenges. We outline the rationale and early evidence for the adaptation of anaesthetic techniques and the strategic use of anti-adrenergic, anti-inflammatory, and/or antithrombotic therapies. Many of these strategies are currently under evaluation in large-cohort trials and hold promise as affordable, readily available interventions that will improve the postoperative recurrence-free survival of patients with cancer.

  11. Other PET tracers for neuroendocrine tumors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koopmans, Klaas Pieter; Glaudemans, Andor W J M

    In this article the applicability of (124)I-MIBG and (11)C-5-HTP PET for the detection of abdominal gastro-enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors is discussed. (124)I-MIBG is a positron-emitting variant of (123)I-MIBG and therefore suited for PET imaging. Due to the better intrinsic characteristics

  12. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs enhance metastatic properties of breast cancer cells by activating Rho-associated kinase (ROCK.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sijin Liu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs are a family of structurally related chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons. Numerous studies have documented a wide spectrum of biological effects of PCBs on human health, such as immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, estrogenic or antiestrogenic activity, and carcinogenesis. The role of PCBs as etiologic agents for breast cancer has been intensively explored in a variety of in vivo, animal and epidemiologic studies. A number of investigations indicated that higher levels of PCBs in mammary tissues or sera correlated to breast cancer risk, and PCBs might be implicated in advancing breast cancer progression. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the current study, we for the first time report that PCBs greatly promote the ROCK activity and therefore increase cell motility for both non-metastatic and metastatic human breast cancer cells in vitro. In the in vivo study, PCBs significantly advance disease progression, leading to enhanced capability of metastatic breast cancer cells to metastasize to bone, lung and liver. Additionally, PCBs robustly induce the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS in breast cancer cells; ROS mechanistically elevate ROCK activity. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: PCBs enhance the metastatic propensity of breast cancer cells by activating the ROCK signaling, which is dependent on ROS induced by PCBs. Inhibition of ROCK may stand for a unique way to restrain metastases in breast cancer upon PCB exposure.

  13. Cowden Syndrome and Concomitant Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Tumor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Langer, Seppo W; Ringholm, Lene; Dali, Christine I

    2015-01-01

    Cowden Syndrome is a rare autosomal dominantly inherited disorder. Patients with Cowden Syndrome are at increased risk of various benign and malignant neoplasms in breast, endometrium, thyroid, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary system. Neuroendocrine tumors are ubiquitous neoplasms that may...

  14. Comparative exome sequencing of metastatic lesions provides insights into the mutational progression of melanoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gartner Jared J

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Metastasis is characterized by spreading of neoplastic cells to an organ other than where they originated and is the predominant cause of death among cancer patients. This holds true for melanoma, whose incidence is increasing more rapidly than any other cancer and once disseminated has few therapeutic options. Here we performed whole exome sequencing of two sets of matched normal and metastatic tumor DNAs. Results Using stringent criteria, we evaluated the similarities and differences between the lesions. We find that in both cases, 96% of the single nucleotide variants are shared between the two metastases indicating that clonal populations gave rise to the distant metastases. Analysis of copy number variation patterns of both metastatic sets revealed a trend similar to that seen with our single nucleotide variants. Analysis of pathway enrichment on tumor sets shows commonly mutated pathways enriched between individual sets of metastases and all metastases combined. Conclusions These data provide a proof-of-concept suggesting that individual metastases may have sufficient similarity for successful targeting of driver mutations.

  15. Carcinome neuroendocrine thymique: à propos d’un cas et revue de la littérature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramahandrisoa, Andriatsihoarana Voahary Nasandratriniavo; Hasiniatsy, Nomeharisoa Rodrigue Emile; Refeno, Valéry; Vololonantenaina, Clairette Raharisolo; Rakotoarisoa, Andriamihaja Jean Claude; Rakotovao, Hanitrala Jean Louis; Rafaramino, Florine

    2017-01-01

    Les tumeurs neuroendocrines thymiques (TNET) sont rares, de pronostic mal connu. L'objectif est de rapporter un cas de TNET et discuter la difficulté diagnostique et thérapeutique en milieu à faibles ressources. Un homme de 60 ans présentait une douleur thoracique, une toux grasse et un amaigrissement récent. Le scanner thoracique révélait une masse tissulaire médiastinale antérieure. L'histologie définitive obtenue quatre mois après la biopsie par médiastinotomie antérieure montrait une TNET bien différenciée, avec marquage intense à la chromogranine et à la synaptophysine. La recherche d'autres tumeurs neuroendocrines et le bilan d'extension étaient négatifs. La tumeur était inextirpable d'emblée et la radiothérapie indisponible. Le patient a reçu deux lignes de chimiothérapie première. Avec un recul de 16 mois, le patient était asymptomatique, mais en progression tumorale. Le diagnostic de TNET peut être retardé quand l'examen immunohistochimique n'est pas réalisé en routine. La chimiothérapie apporte une amélioration des symptômes en situation palliative. PMID:28451004

  16. Differentiation of Metastatic and Non-Metastatic Mesenteric Lymph Nodes by Strain Elastography in Surgical Specimens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Havre, R F; Leh, S M; Gilja, O H

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate if strain elastography could differentiate between metastatic and non-metastatic mesenteric lymph nodes ex-vivo. Materials and Methods: 90 mesenteric lymph nodes were examined shortly after resection from 25 patients including 17 patients with colorectal cancer and 8...... patients with Crohn's disease. Ultrasound-based strain elastography was performed with a linear probe. Tissue hardness in lymph nodes was assessed using visual scales and measuring the strain ratio. B-mode characteristics were also recorded. Pathological diagnosis with grading of fibrosis served...... non-metastatic nodes, but the difference was not significant (65.5 vs. 55.0, p = 0.055). There was no difference between lymph nodes in Crohn's and non-metastatic cancer specimens. The metastatic lymph nodes were significantly more fibrotic than the non-metastatic lymph nodes by the ordinal fibrosis...

  17. Neuroendocrine cells during human prostate development: does neuroendocrine cell density remain constant during fetal as well as postnatal life?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Xue, Y.; van der Laak, J.; Smedts, F.; Schoots, C.; Verhofstad, A.; de la Rosette, J.; Schalken, J.

    2000-01-01

    Knowledge concerning differentiation of neuroendocrine (NE) cells during development of the human prostate is rather fragmentary. Using immunohistochemistry combined with a morphometric method, we investigated the distribution and density of NE cells in the developing human prostate, with special

  18. FIRST-LINE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH INOPERABLE METASTATIC COLON CANCER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Yu. Fedyanin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available First-line therapy for metastatic colon cancer is most important for a patient. Its median time to progression constitutes the bulk of the patient’s survival. Clearly, it is necessary to choose the most effective combinations of targeted drugs and chemotherapy regimens. The choice of therapy for patients with colon cancer is governed by both the clinical characteristics of the disease and the molecular changes of a tumor. In recent literature, there has been a great deal of evidence for the use of targeted drugs in different clinical situations; the results of comparative trials of different treatment combinations have been published. This all determines the reconsideration of the choice of a treatment regimen in patients with metastatic colon cancer; it is the topic of the present review.

  19. Gemcitabine and oxaliplatin or alkylating agents for neuroendocrine tumors: Comparison of efficacy and search for predictive factors guiding treatment choice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dussol, Anne-Sophie; Joly, Marie-Odile; Vercherat, Cecile; Forestier, Julien; Hervieu, Valérie; Scoazec, Jean-Yves; Lombard-Bohas, Catherine; Walter, Thomas

    2015-10-01

    The alkylating agents (ALKYs) streptozotocin, dacarbazine, and temozolomide currently are the main drugs used in systemic chemotherapy for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The promising activity shown by gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) in previous studies prompted this study 1) to confirm the use of GEMOX in a larger population of NET patients, 2) to compare its efficacy with that of ALKYs, and 3) to explore whether the O(6) -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) status could help in selecting the chemotherapy regimen. One hundred four patients with metastatic NETs (37 pancreatic NETs, 33 gastrointestinal NETs, 23 bronchial NETs, and 11 NETs of other/unknown origin) were treated with GEMOX between 2004 and 2014. Among these patients, 63 also received ALKYs. MGMT promoter gene methylation was assessed via pyrosequencing in 42 patients. Patients received a median of 6 courses of GEMOX. Twenty-four (23%) had an objective response (OR). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 7.8 and 31.6 months, respectively. In the 63 patients treated with both ALKYs and GEMOX, the ORs (22% and 22%) and the PFSs (7.5 and 7.3 months) were similar. The response was concordant in 53% of the patients. Promoter gene methylation of MGMT was associated with better outcomes with ALKYs (P = .03 for OR and P = .04 for PFS) but not GEMOX. GEMOX is effective against NETs; its activity is comparable to that of ALKYs, and it is not influenced by the MGMT status. Our data suggest that GEMOX might be preferred for patients with unmethylated MGMT tumors. Cancer 2015;121:3435-43. © 2015 American Cancer Society. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

  20. Notch Signaling Is Associated With ALDH Activity And An Aggressive Metastatic Phenotype In Murine Osteosarcoma Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaodong eMu

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Osteosarcoma (OS is the most common primary malignancy of bone, and pulmonary metastatic disease accounts for nearly all mortality. However, little is known about the biochemical signaling alterations that drive the progression of metastatic disease. Two murine OS cell populations, K7M2 and K12, are clonally related but differ significantly in their metastatic phenotypes and therefore represent excellent tools for studying metastatic OS molecular biology. K7M2 cells are highly metastatic, whereas K12 cells display limited metastatic potential. Here we report that the expression of Notch genes (Notch1, 2, 4 are up-regulated, including downstream targets Hes1 and Stat3, in the highly metastatic K7M2 cells compared to the less metastatic K12 cells, indicating that the Notch signaling pathway is more active in K7M2 cells. We have previously described that K7M2 cells exhibit higher levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH activity. Here we report that K7M2 cell ALDH activity is reduced with Notch inhibition, suggesting that ALDH activity may be regulated in part by the Notch pathway. Notch signaling is also associated with increased resistance to oxidative stress, migration, invasion, and VEGF expression in vitro. However, Notch inhibition did not significantly alter K7M2 cell proliferation. In conclusion, we provide evidence that Notch signaling is associated with ALDH activity and increased metastatic behavior in OS cells. Both Notch and ALDH are putative molecular targets for the treatment and prevention of OS metastasis.

  1. A Phase II Study of Weekly Docetaxel as Second-Line Chemotherapy in Patients With Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Young Saing; Lee, Soon Il; Park, Se Hoon; Park, Silvia; Hwang, In Gyu; Lee, Sang-Cheol; Sun, Jong-Mu; Lee, Jeeyun; Lim, Ho Yeong

    2016-02-01

    The present multicenter phase II study evaluated the efficacy and safety of weekly docetaxel as second-line chemotherapy for metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Weekly docetaxel was well tolerated but demonstrated modest activity, with a response rate of 6%, a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 1.4 months, and a median overall survival (OS) of 8.3 months. The dichotomy between PFS and OS was likely associated with subsequent platinum-based chemotherapy received by 58% of the patients. Docetaxel is commonly used for second-line therapy for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC). However, myelosuppression is a substantial concern when the traditional 3-week docetaxel cycle is used. The present multicenter phase II study evaluated the efficacy and safety of weekly docetaxel as second-line chemotherapy for metastatic UC. Patients with progression after previous platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic disease were treated with docetaxel 30 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 every 21 days. The primary endpoint was the response rate. The study enrolled 31 patients. Their median age was 64 years (range, 40-79 years). An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 1, liver metastasis, and a hemoglobin level chemotherapy had been administered for metastatic disease in 29 patients (94%). Although fatigue (13%) and anorexia (6%) were the most frequently observed grade 3 to 4 toxicities, the safety profiles were generally mild and manageable. Two patients (6%) achieved an objective response, which was maintained for 3.0 to 7.8 months. Eight patients experienced disease stabilization (disease control rate, 32%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 1.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-1.6) and 8.3 months (95% CI, 5.9-10.6), respectively. A relatively long OS was associated with further salvage platinum-based chemotherapy (n = 18, 58%) showing an encouraging activity (response rate, 44%; median PFS, 4.0 months

  2. Cystic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (cPNETs: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case series

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Hurtado-Pardo

    Full Text Available Cystic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors represent 13% of all neuroendocrine tumors. The aim of this study is to analyze the phenotype and biologic behavior of resected cystic neuroendocrine tumors. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted until September 2016 using a search in Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE with the terms "cystic pancreatic endocrine neoplasm", "cystic islets tumors" and "cystic islets neoplasms". From the 795 citations recovered 80 studies reporting on 431 patients were selected. 87.1% (n = 387 were sporadic tumors and 10.3% (n = 40 corresponded to multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. Were diagnosed incidentally 44.6% (n = 135. Cytology was found to have a sensitivity of 78.5%. Were non-functional tumors 85% (n = 338, and among the functional tumors, insulinoma was the most frequent. According to the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society staging, 87.8% were limited to the pancreas (I-IIb, and 12.2% were advanced (III-IV. Disease-free survival at 5 years in stages (I-IIIa and (IIIb-IV was 91.5% and 54.2%, respectively; and was significantly lower (p = 0.0001 in functional tumors. In patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia there was a higher incidence of functional (62.5% and multifocal (28.1% tumors. Disease-free survival at 5 and 10 years was 60%. Cystic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors exhibit phenotypical characteristics which are different to those of solid neuroendocrine tumors.

  3. Differential Expression of Ccn4 and Other Genes Between Metastatic and Non-metastatic EL4 Mouse Lymphoma Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chahal, Manpreet S; Ku, H Teresa; Zhang, Zhihong; Legaspi, Christian M; Luo, Angela; Hopkins, Mandi M; Meier, Kathryn E

    Previous work characterized variants of the EL4 murine lymphoma cell line. Some are non-metastatic, and others metastatic, in syngenic mice. In addition, metastatic EL4 cells were stably transfected with phospholipase D2 (PLD2), which further enhanced metastasis. Microarray analyses of mRNA expression was performed for non-metastatic, metastatic, and PLD2-expressing metastatic EL4 cells. Many differences were observed between non-metastatic and metastatic cell lines. One of the most striking new findings was up-regulation of mRNA for the matricellular protein WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (CCN4) in metastatic cells; increased protein expression was verified by immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry. Other differentially expressed genes included those for reproductive homeobox 5 (Rhox5; increased in metastatic) and cystatin 7 (Cst7; decreased in metastatic). Differences between PLD2-expressing and parental cell lines were limited but included the signaling proteins Ras guanyl releasing protein 1 (RGS18; increased with PLD2) and suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2; decreased with PLD2). The results provide insights into signaling pathways potentially involved in conferring metastatic ability on lymphoma cells. Copyright© 2016, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  4. Morbidity and mortality of aggressive resection in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norton, Jeffrey A; Kivlen, Maryann; Li, Michelle; Schneider, Darren; Chuter, Timothy; Jensen, Robert T

    2003-08-01

    dissection was performed in 1. The spleen was removed in 11 patients, and the left kidney was removed as a result of tumor metastases in 2. Eighteen patients had primary pancreatic tumors, and 2 had duodenal tumors; 2 patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 had both pancreatic and duodenal tumors. The mean tumor size was 8 cm (range, 0.5-23 cm). Of the patients, 14 (70%) had lymph node metastases and 8 (40%) had liver metastases. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 11.5 days (range, 6-26 days). Six patients (30%) had postoperative complications. There was a significantly greater incidence of pancreatic fistulas with enucleations compared with resections (P =.04). There were no operative deaths. The mean follow-up period was 19 months (range, 1-96 months); 18 patients (90%) are alive, 2 died of progressive tumor, and 12 (60%) are disease-free. The actuarial overall survival rate is 80% at 5 years, and disease-free survival rates indicate that all tumors will recur by the 7-year follow-up visit. Aggressive surgery including pancreatectomy, splenectomy, superior mesenteric vein reconstruction, and liver resection can be done with acceptable morbidity and low mortality rates for patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors. Although survival rates following surgery are excellent, most patients will develop a recurrent tumor. These findings suggest that conventional contraindications to surgical resection, such as superior mesenteric vein invasion and nodal or distant metastases, should be reconsidered in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors.

  5. Staging of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: how we do it based on an evidence-based approach.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McDermott, Shaunagh

    2013-01-01

    In contrast to other common types of malignant tumors, the vast majority of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are well differentiated and slowly growing with only a minority showing aggressive behavior. It is important to accurately stage patients radiologically so the correct treatment can be implemented and to improve prognosis. In this article, we critically appraise the current literature in an effort to establish the current role of radiologic imaging in the staging of neuroendocrine tumors. We also discuss our protocol for staging neuroendocrine tumors.

  6. Similar cold stress induces sex-specific neuroendocrine and working memory responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solianik, Rima; Skurvydas, Albertas; Urboniene, Daiva; Eimantas, Nerijus; Daniuseviciute, Laura; Brazaitis, Marius

    2015-01-01

    Men have higher cold-induced neuroendocrine response than women; nevertheless, it is not known whether a different stress hormone rise elicits different effects on cognition during whole body cooling. The objective was to compare the effect of cold-induced neuroendocrine responses on the performance of working memory sensitive tasks between men and women. The cold stress continued until rectal temperature reached 35.5 degree C or for a maximum of 170 min. Working memory performance and stress hormone concentrations were monitored. During cold stress, body temperature variables dropped in all subjects (P < 0.001) and did not differ between sexes. Cold stress raised plasma epinephrine and serum cortisol levels only in men (P < 0.05). Cold stress adversely affected memory performance in men but not in women (P < 0.05). The present study indicated that similar moderate cold stress in men and women induces sex-specific neuroendocrine and working memory responses.

  7. A phase 2 study of high-activity {sup 186}Re-HEDP with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant in progressive hormone-refractory prostate cancer metastatic to bone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O' Sullivan, J.M. [Queen' s University Belfast/Belfast City Hospital, Department of Oncology, Belfast (United Kingdom); Norman, A.R. [Royal Marsden Foundation NHS Trust, Department of Computing, Sutton, Surrey (United Kingdom); McCready, V.R.; Flux, G.; Buffa, F.M. [Royal Marsden Foundation NHS Trust, Department of Physics, Sutton, Surrey (United Kingdom); Johnson, B. [Royal Marsden Foundation NHS Trust, Bob Champion Unit, Sutton, Surrey (United Kingdom); Coffey, J.; Horwich, A.; Huddart, R.A.; Parker, C.C.; Dearnaley, D.P. [Royal Marsden Foundation NHS Trust, Academic Unit of Urology, Sutton, Surrey (United Kingdom); Cook, G. [Royal Marsden Foundation NHS Trust, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sutton, Surrey (United Kingdom); Treleaven, J. [Royal Marsden Foundation NHS Trust, Department of Haematology, Sutton, Surrey (United Kingdom)

    2006-09-15

    We investigated the potential for improvement in disease control by use of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT) to permit administration of high activities of {sup 186}Re-hydroxyethylidene diphosphonate (HEDP) in patients with progressive hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). Eligible patients had progressive HRPC metastatic to bone, good performance status and minimal soft tissue disease. Patients received 5,000 MBq of {sup 186}Re-HEDP i.v., followed 14 days later by PBSCT. Response was assessed using PSA, survival, pain scores and quality of life. Thirty-eight patients with a median age of 67 years (range 50-77) and a median PSA of 57 ng/ml (range 4-3,628) received a median activity of 4,978 MBq {sup 186}Re-HEDP (range 4,770-5,100 MBq). The most serious toxicity was short-lived grade 3 thrombocytopenia in 8 (21%) patients. The median survival of the group is 21 months (95%CI 18-24 months) with Kaplan-Meier estimated 1- and 2-year survival rates of 83% and 40% respectively. Thirty-one patients (81%, 95% CI 66-90%) had stable or reduced PSA levels 3 months post therapy while 11 (29%, 95% CI 15-49%) had PSA reductions of >50% lasting >4 weeks. Quality of life measures were stable or improved in 27 (66%) at 3 months. We have shown that it is feasible and safe to deliver high-activity radioisotope therapy with PBSCT to men with metastatic HRPC. Response rates and survival data are encouraging; however, further research is needed to define optimal role of this treatment approach. (orig.)

  8. Outcome of Patients With Metastatic Sarcomatoid Renal Cell Carcinoma: Results From the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kyriakopoulos, Christos E; Chittoria, Namita; Choueiri, Toni K

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma is associated with poor prognosis. Data regarding outcome in the targeted therapy era are lacking. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical, prognostic, and treatment parameters in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients with and without sarcomatoid histology......% intermediate risk, and 40% vs. 24% poor risk; P system metastases (6...... of second- (P = .018) and third-line (P systemic therapy. The median progression-free survival (PFS)/overall survival (OS) was 4.5/10.4 months in sRCC patients and 7.8/22.5 months in non-sRCC patients (P

  9. Self-renewal of CD133(hi) cells by IL6/Notch3 signalling regulates endocrine resistance in metastatic breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sansone, Pasquale; Ceccarelli, Claudio; Berishaj, Marjan; Chang, Qing; Rajasekhar, Vinagolu K; Perna, Fabiana; Bowman, Robert L; Vidone, Michele; Daly, Laura; Nnoli, Jennifer; Santini, Donatella; Taffurelli, Mario; Shih, Natalie N C; Feldman, Michael; Mao, Jun J; Colameco, Christopher; Chen, Jinbo; DeMichele, Angela; Fabbri, Nicola; Healey, John H; Cricca, Monica; Gasparre, Giuseppe; Lyden, David; Bonafé, Massimiliano; Bromberg, Jacqueline

    2016-02-09

    The mechanisms of metastatic progression from hormonal therapy (HT) are largely unknown in luminal breast cancer. Here we demonstrate the enrichment of CD133(hi)/ER(lo) cancer cells in clinical specimens following neoadjuvant endocrine therapy and in HT refractory metastatic disease. We develop experimental models of metastatic luminal breast cancer and demonstrate that HT can promote the generation of HT-resistant, self-renewing CD133(hi)/ER(lo)/IL6(hi) cancer stem cells (CSCs). HT initially abrogates oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) generating self-renewal-deficient cancer cells, CD133(hi)/ER(lo)/OXPHOS(lo). These cells exit metabolic dormancy via an IL6-driven feed-forward ER(lo)-IL6(hi)-Notch(hi) loop, activating OXPHOS, in the absence of ER activity. The inhibition of IL6R/IL6-Notch pathways switches the self-renewal of CD133(hi) CSCs, from an IL6/Notch-dependent one to an ER-dependent one, through the re-expression of ER. Thus, HT induces an OXPHOS metabolic editing of luminal breast cancers, paradoxically establishing HT-driven self-renewal of dormant CD133(hi)/ER(lo) cells mediating metastatic progression, which is sensitive to dual targeted therapy.

  10. Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPCa) increased the neighboring PCa chemo-resistance via altering the PTHrP/p38/Hsp27/androgen receptor (AR)/p21 signals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Yun; Sun, Yin; Hu, Shuai; Luo, Jie; Li, Lei; Li, Xin; Yeh, Shuyuan; Jin, Jie; Chang, Chawnshang

    2016-01-01

    Prostatic neuroendocrine cells (NE) are an integral part of prostate cancer (PCa) that are associated with PCa progression. As the current androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) with anti-androgens may promote the neuroendocrine PCa (NEPCa) development, and few therapies can effectively suppress NEPCa, understanding the impact of NEPCa on PCa progression may help us to develop better therapies to battle PCa. Here we found NEPCa cells could increase the docetaxel-resistance of their neighboring PCa cells. Mechanism dissection revealed that through secretion of PTHrP, NEPCa cells could alter the p38/MAPK/Hsp27 signals in their neighboring PCa cells that resulted in increased androgen receptor (AR) activity via promoting AR nuclear translocation. The consequences of increased AR function might then increase docetaxel-resistance via increasing p21 expression. In vivo xenograft mice experiments also confirmed NEPCa could increase the docetaxel-resistance of neighboring PCa, and targeting this newly identified PTHrP/p38/Hsp27/AR/p21 signaling pathway with either p38 inhibitor (SB203580) or sh-PTHrP may result in improving/restoring the docetaxel sensitivity to better suppress PCa. PMID:27375022

  11. A Drosophila LexA Enhancer-Trap Resource for Developmental Biology and Neuroendocrine Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lutz Kockel

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Novel binary gene expression tools like the LexA-LexAop system could powerfully enhance studies of metabolism, development, and neurobiology in Drosophila. However, specific LexA drivers for neuroendocrine cells and many other developmentally relevant systems remain limited. In a unique high school biology course, we generated a LexA-based enhancer trap collection by transposon mobilization. The initial collection provides a source of novel LexA-based elements that permit targeted gene expression in the corpora cardiaca, cells central for metabolic homeostasis, and other neuroendocrine cell types. The collection further contains specific LexA drivers for stem cells and other enteric cells in the gut, and other developmentally relevant tissue types. We provide detailed analysis of nearly 100 new LexA lines, including molecular mapping of insertions, description of enhancer-driven reporter expression in larval tissues, and adult neuroendocrine cells, comparison with established enhancer trap collections and tissue specific RNAseq. Generation of this open-resource LexA collection facilitates neuroendocrine and developmental biology investigations, and shows how empowering secondary school science can achieve research and educational goals.

  12. The role of lysyl oxidase, the extracellular matrix and the pre-metastatic niche in bone metastasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alison Gartland

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Most deaths from solid cancers occur as a result of secondary metastasis to distant sites. Bone is the most frequent metastatic site for many cancer types and can account for up to 80% of cancer-related deaths in certain tumours. The progression from a discrete solid primary tumour to devastating and painful bone metastases is a complex process involving multiple cell types and steps. There is increasing evidence that modulation of the extracellular matrix plays an important role in the lethal transition from a primary to disseminated metastatic bone tumour. This review provides an overview of the current understanding on the role of role of lysyl oxidase, the extracellular matrix and the pre-metastatic niche in bone metastasis

  13. Comparison between 68Ga-DOTA-NOC and 18F-DOPA PET for the detection of gastro-entero-pancreatic and lung neuro-endocrine tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambrosini, Valentina; Tomassetti, Paola; Castellucci, Paolo; Campana, Davide; Montini, Giancarlo; Rubello, Domenico; Nanni, Cristina; Rizzello, Anna; Franchi, Roberto; Fanti, Stefano

    2008-01-01

    18 F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) value for the assessment of neuro-endocrine tumours (NET) is limited. Preliminary studies indicate that 18 F-DOPA and 68 Ga-DOTA-NOC are more accurate for disease assessment and 68 Ga-DOTA peptides provide additional data on receptor status that are crucial for targeted radionuclide therapy. At present, there are no comparative studies investigating their role in NET. The aim of this study was to compare 68 Ga-DOTA-NOC and 18 F-DOPA for the evaluation of gastro-entero-pancreatic and lung neuro-endocrine tumours. Thirteen patients with biopsy-proven NET (gastro-entero-pancreatic or pulmonary) were prospectively enrolled and scheduled for 18 F-DOPA and 68 Ga-DOTA-NOC PET. PET results obtained with both tracers were compared with each other, with other conventional diagnostic procedures (CT, ultrasound) and with follow-up (clinical, imaging). The most common primary tumour site was the pancreas (8/13) followed by the ileum (2/13), the lung (2/13) and the duodenum (1/13). The carcinoma was well differentiated in 10/13 and poorly differentiated in 3/13 cases. 68 Ga-DOTA-NOC PET was positive, showing at least one lesion, in 13/13 cases while 18 F-DOPA PET was positive in 9/13. On a lesions basis, 68 Ga-DOTA-NOC identified more lesions than 18 F-DOPA (71 vs 45), especially at liver, lung and lymph node level. 68 Ga-DOTA-NOC correctly identified the primary site in six of eight non-operated cases (in five cases, the primary was surgically removed before PET), while 18 F-DOPA identified the primary only in two of eight cases. Although the patients studied are few and heterogeneous, our data show that 68 Ga-DOTA-NOC is accurate for the detection of gastro-entero-pancreatic and lung neuro-endocrine tumours in either the primary or metastatic site and that it offers several advantages over 18 F-DOPA. (orig.)

  14. Comparison between 68Ga-DOTA-NOC and 18F-DOPA PET for the detection of gastro-entero-pancreatic and lung neuro-endocrine tumours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambrosini, Valentina; Tomassetti, Paola; Castellucci, Paolo; Campana, Davide; Montini, Giancarlo; Rubello, Domenico; Nanni, Cristina; Rizzello, Anna; Franchi, Roberto; Fanti, Stefano

    2008-08-01

    (18)F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) value for the assessment of neuro-endocrine tumours (NET) is limited. Preliminary studies indicate that (18)F-DOPA and (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC are more accurate for disease assessment and (68)Ga-DOTA peptides provide additional data on receptor status that are crucial for targeted radionuclide therapy. At present, there are no comparative studies investigating their role in NET. The aim of this study was to compare (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC and (18)F-DOPA for the evaluation of gastro-entero-pancreatic and lung neuro-endocrine tumours. Thirteen patients with biopsy-proven NET (gastro-entero-pancreatic or pulmonary) were prospectively enrolled and scheduled for (18)F-DOPA and (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC PET. PET results obtained with both tracers were compared with each other, with other conventional diagnostic procedures (CT, ultrasound) and with follow-up (clinical, imaging). The most common primary tumour site was the pancreas (8/13) followed by the ileum (2/13), the lung (2/13) and the duodenum (1/13). The carcinoma was well differentiated in 10/13 and poorly differentiated in 3/13 cases. (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC PET was positive, showing at least one lesion, in 13/13 cases while (18)F-DOPA PET was positive in 9/13. On a lesions basis, (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC identified more lesions than (18)F-DOPA (71 vs 45), especially at liver, lung and lymph node level. (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC correctly identified the primary site in six of eight non-operated cases (in five cases, the primary was surgically removed before PET), while (18)F-DOPA identified the primary only in two of eight cases. Although the patients studied are few and heterogeneous, our data show that (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC is accurate for the detection of gastro-entero-pancreatic and lung neuro-endocrine tumours in either the primary or metastatic site and that it offers several advantages over (18)F-DOPA.

  15. PSA response to cabazitaxel is associated with improved progression-free survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: the non-interventional QoLiTime study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammerer, Peter; Al-Batran, Salah-Eddin; Windemuth-Kieselbach, Christine; Keller, Martin; Hofheinz, Ralf-Dieter

    2018-03-01

    To evaluate the association between prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response and progression-free and overall survival in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with cabazitaxel. Men with mCRPC receiving cabazitaxel (25 mg/m 2 , every 3 weeks) plus oral prednis(ol)one (10 mg/day) were enrolled in the non-interventional, prospective QoLiTime study. Main outcome measures were progression-free survival and overall survival, in all patients and in those who showed a ≥ 50 or a ≥ 30% decrease in PSA relative to baseline after four cycles of cabazitaxel, as well as quality-of-life parameters. Of the 527 men (median age 72 years), 266 received ≥ 4 cycles of cabazitaxel and had PSA response data. After four cycles, 34.6% of men achieved a PSA decrease ≥ 50% and 49.6% a decrease ≥ 30%. Median progression-free survival was 7.7 (95% CI 6.2, 9.5) months, and overall survival was 19.5 (95% CI 16.0, 30.9) months, corresponding to 1-year event rates of 39.4 and 78.8%, respectively. Median progression-free survival was longer in PSA responders versus non-responders (15.7 vs 5.5 months at 50% cut-off; 15.7 vs 5.3 months for 30% cut-off; both P PSA response after four cycles of cabazitaxel is associated with improved progression-free survival in men with mCRPC treated with cabazitaxel plus prednis(ol)one.

  16. Imaging of Spinal Metastatic Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lubdha M. Shah

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Metastases to the spine can involve the bone, epidural space, leptomeninges, and spinal cord. The spine is the third most common site for metastatic disease, following the lung and the liver. Approximately 60–70% of patients with systemic cancer will have spinal metastasis. Materials/Methods. This is a review of the imaging techniques and typical imaging appearances of spinal metastatic disease. Conclusions. Awareness of the different manifestations of spinal metastatic disease is essential as the spine is the most common site of osseous metastatic disease. Imaging modalities have complimentary roles in the evaluation of spinal metastatic disease. CT best delineates osseous integrity, while MRI is better at assessing soft tissue involvement. Physiologic properties, particularly in treated disease, can be evaluated with other imaging modalities such as FDG PET and advanced MRI sequences. Imaging plays a fundamental role in not only diagnosis but also treatment planning of spinal metastatic disease.

  17. Clinical application of 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC SPECT/CT in diagnosing and monitoring of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Junyan; Li, Yi; Xu, Xiaoping; Zhang, Jiangang; Zhang, Yingjian; Yu, Xianjun; Huang, Dan

    2018-06-20

    Our aim of this research was to determine the value of SPECT/CT with 99m Tc-HYNIC-TOC for evaluation of the pancreatic masses which were suspected as neuroendocrine neoplasms and follow-up of patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. We retrospectively analyzed 184 patients who performed 99m Tc-HYNIC-TOC SPECT/CT. All the patients were divided into two groups: one for assessment of diagnostic efficiency for pancreatic suspected masses (n = 140) and another for monitoring recurrence after surgery (n = 44). The image findings acquired at 2 h postinjection were compared to final diagnoses from pathological results and clinical follow-up. Then, the correlation between ratios of tumor-to-background (TBR) and tumor grade was analyzed. In group 1, 95/140 (67.9%) patients were confirmed as neuroendocrine neoplasms including 85 neuroendocrine tumors and 10 neuroendocrine carcinomas. Patient-based analysis showed that the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of diagnosing neuroendocrine neoplasms with SPECT/CT were 81.1, 84.4 and 82.1%. There was significant difference of TBRs among G1, G2 and G3 (F = 3.175, P = 0.048). In group 2, 22/44 (50.0%) patients occurred metastasis mainly in liver. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of monitoring recurrence were 87.0, 100 and 93.2%. 99m Tc-HYNIC-TOC SPECT/CT is a reliable method of diagnosing and monitoring of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, especially neuroendocrine tumors.

  18. Prediction of treatment response and metastatic disease in soft tissue sarcoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farhidzadeh, Hamidreza; Zhou, Mu; Goldgof, Dmitry B.; Hall, Lawrence O.; Raghavan, Meera.; Gatenby, Robert A.

    2014-03-01

    Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogenous group of malignant tumors comprised of more than 50 histologic subtypes. Based on spatial variations of the tumor, predictions of the development of necrosis in response to therapy as well as eventual progression to metastatic disease are made. Optimization of treatment, as well as management of therapy-related side effects, may be improved using progression information earlier in the course of therapy. Multimodality pre- and post-gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance images (MRI) were taken before and after treatment for 30 patients. Regional variations in the tumor bed were measured quantitatively. The voxel values from the tumor region were used as features and a fuzzy clustering algorithm was used to segment the tumor into three spatial regions. The regions were given labels of high, intermediate and low based on the average signal intensity of pixels from the post-contrast T1 modality. These spatially distinct regions were viewed as essential meta-features to predict the response of the tumor to therapy based on necrosis (dead tissue in tumor bed) and metastatic disease (spread of tumor to sites other than primary). The best feature was the difference in the number of pixels in the highest intensity regions of tumors before and after treatment. This enabled prediction of patients with metastatic disease and lack of positive treatment response (i.e. less necrosis). The best accuracy, 73.33%, was achieved by a Support Vector Machine in a leave-one-out cross validation on 30 cases predicting necrosis treatment and metastasis.

  19. Super-resolution microscopy in studying neuroendocrine cell function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anneka eBost

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The last two decades have seen a tremendous development in high resolution microscopy techniques giving rise to acronyms such as TIRFM, SIM, PALM, STORM, and STED. The goal of all these techniques is to overcome the physical resolution barrier of light microscopy in order to resolve precise protein localization and possibly their interaction in cells. Neuroendocrine cell function is to secrete hormones and peptides on demand. This fine-tuned multi-step process is mediated by a large array of proteins. Here, we review the new microscopy techniques used to obtain high resolution and how they have been applied to increase our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in neuroendocrine cell secretion. Further the limitations of these methods are discussed and insights in possible new applications are provided.

  20. Cerebral relapse of metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor during treatment with imatinib mesylate: Case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hughes, Brett; Yip, Desmond; Goldstein, David; Waring, Paul; Beshay, Victoria; Chong, Guan

    2004-01-01

    The management of unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) has previously been difficult as they are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation. The development of imatinib mesylate has made a major impact on the management of advanced GISTs. It is apparent that there are sanctuary sites such as the central nervous system where imatinib does not achieve adequate concentrations. We describe the case of a man with metastatic GIST who experienced multiple cerebral relapses of disease while systemic disease progression appeared to be controlled by imatinib. A 47-year-old man presented in July 1999 with a jejunal GIST with multiple hepatic metastases. The jejunal primary was resected and after unsuccessful cytoreductive chemotherapy, the liver metastases were also resected in December 1999. The patient subsequently relapsed in August 2001 with symptomatic hepatic, subcutaneous gluteal, left choroidal and right ocular metastases all confirmed on CT and PET scanning. Biopsy confirmed recurrent GIST. MRI and lumbar puncture excluded central nervous system involvement. The patient was commenced on imatinib 400 mg bd in September 2001 through a clinical trial. The symptoms improved with objective PET and CT scan response until December 2002 when the patient developed a right-sided foot drop. MRI scan showed a left parasagittal tumor which was resected and confirmed histologically to be metastatic GIST. Imatinib was ceased pre-operatively due to the trial protocol but recommenced in February 2003 on a compassionate use program. The left parasagittal metastasis recurred and required subsequent re-excision in September 2003 and January 2004. Control of the systemic GIST was temporarily lost on reduction of the dose of imatinib (due to limited drug supply) but on increasing the dose back to 800 mg per day, systemic disease was stabilized for a period of time before generalised progression occurred. This case illustrates that the brain can be a

  1. Afatinib versus methotrexate as second-line treatment in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck progressing on or after platinum-based therapy (LUX-Head & Neck 1)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Machiels, Jean-Pascal H; Haddad, Robert I; Fayette, Jérôme

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) progressing after first-line platinum regimens have a poor prognosis and few treatment options. Afatinib, an irreversible ERBB family blocker, has shown efficacy in a phase 2 study in this setting......%]), and neutropenia (1 [... provide important new insights into the treatment of this patient population and support further investigations with irreversible ERBB family blockers in HNSCC. FUNDING: Boehringer Ingelheim....

  2. Intraarterial infusion chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic liver cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arai, Yasuaki; Kido, Choichiro

    1987-01-01

    Some techniques of the most recent interventional radiology are very useful for the treatment of metastatic liver cancer and changing the style of hepatic infusion chemotherapy. This report shows our latest results and methods of hepatic infusion chemotherapy for metastatic liver cancer. 1. For the catheter placement, a new catheterization route via the left subclavian artery into the hepatic artery was developed and performed in 132 cases. Superselective catheterization succeeded in 123 cases (93.2 %). This procedure is less invasive than laparotomy and less troublesome than other percutaneous routes. 2. For useful infusion system, an implantable injection port ''Reservoir'' was developed and it was used in 87 cases. This method makes arterial infusion chemotherapy easy, and imploves their quality of life. 3. To acquire adequate drug delivery, arterial redistribution by steel coils was done, and 109 arteries in 80 cases were occluded. This method is very useful to make multiple hepatic artery single and it is important to avoid gasroduodenal complications. 4. Now, using these techniques, the phase II study of 5FU, ADM, MMC combined hepatic infusion in patients with non-resectable metastatic liver cancer is done. Up to this time, such a phase study on arterial infusion chemotherapy was difficult because of technical problems, but these new techniques make it possible. In conclusion, these new methods change the style and conception of hepatic infusion, and these make much progress on the treatment of patients with metastatic liver cancer. (author)

  3. Metronomic Cyclophosphamide and Methotrexate Chemotherapy Combined with 1E10 Anti-Idiotype Vaccine in Metastatic Breast Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soriano, J.L.; Batista, N.; Lima, M.; Gonzalez, J.; Garcia, R.; Zarza, Y.; Lopez, M.V.; Rodriguez, M.; Loys, J.L.; Montejo, N.; Santiesteban, E.; Aguirre, F.; Macias, A.; Vazquez, A.M.

    2011-01-01

    The use of low doses of cytotoxic agents continuously for prolonged periods is an alternative for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer who have developed resistance to conventional chemotherapy. The combination of metronomic chemotherapy with therapeutic vaccines might increase the efficacy of the treatment. Twenty one patients with metastatic breast cancer in progression and a Karnosky index =60%, were treated with metronomic chemotherapy (50?mg of cyclophosphamide orally daily and 2.5 mg of methotrexate orally bi-daily), in combination with five bi-weekly subcutaneous injections of 1 mg of aluminum hydroxide-precipitated 1E10 anti-idiotype MAb (1E10-Alum), followed by re immunizations every 28 days. Five patients achieved objective response, eight showed stable disease and eight had disease progression. Median time to progression was 9,8 months, while median overall survival time was 12,93 months. The median duration of the response (CR+PR+SD) was 18,43 months (12,20-24,10 months), being higher than 12 months in 76,9% of the patients. Overall toxicity was generally mild. Metronomic chemotherapy combined with 1E10-Alum vaccine immunotherapy might be a useful therapeutic option for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer due to its potential impact on survival and patient quality of live, low toxicity and advantages of the administration.

  4. A pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor diagnosed during the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET) are increasingly being discovered. A case of PNET diagnosed and treated during the management of acute appendicitis is presented and discussed. The importance of imaging modalities in patients with acute abdominal pain is emphasized. To the best our knowledge, this is the ...

  5. The influence of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy during preoperative staging of non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jilesen, A.P.J.; Hoefnagel, S.J.M.; Busch, O.R.C.; Bennink, R.J.; Gouma, D.J.; Nieveen van Dijkum, E.J.M.

    2016-01-01

    Aim: To determine whether somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) influences the preoperative staging and clinical management of non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NF-pNETs). Materials and methods: All SRS examinations performed between 2002–2013 were selected. Patients with NF-pNET were included if both computed tomography (CT) and SRS was performed during preoperative staging. The diagnostic accuracy of CT and SRS for detecting NF-pNET metastases was analysed. Altered TNM classification and changed clinical management were calculated. Changed management was defined as a change from surgical resection into systemic treatment or vice versa. NF-pNETs were defined as tumours without clinical symptoms of hormonal hypersecretion. Results: Overall, 62 patients with NF-pNET were included with a mean age of 57 years (SD: 12.4) 2 . In 28 patients (45%), CT and SRS were correct and in agreement in the detection of primary tumour/metastases. In 34 patients (55%), one of the techniques was incorrect and therefore, there was no agreement. SRS altered the TNM classification in 14 patients (23%) and clinical management in nine patients (15%). In patients without metastases on CT, SRS detected lymph node metastases in one patient. The sensitivity to detect the primary tumour with CT was 95% and with SRS was 73%. In detecting metastases, the sensitivity and specificity were both 85% for CT versus 80% and 90% for SRS. Conclusion: Overall, CT and SRS were in agreement in the detection of NF-pNET. In NF-pNET without suspicious metastatic lesions on CT, SRS has limited value. SRS may be indicated to confirm lesions suspicious for neuroendocrine tumours metastases. - Highlights: • In 28 patients (45%), CT and SRS were correct and in agreement in the detection of primary tumor/metastases. • In 34 patients (55%) one of the modalities was incorrect and therefore, there was no agreement. • Sensitivity to detect the primary tumor with CT and SRS were 95% versus 73

  6. Neuroendocrine changes upon exposure to predator odors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hegab, Ibrahim M; Wei, Wanhong

    2014-05-28

    Predator odors are non-intrusive and naturalistic stressors of high ethological relevance in animals. Upon exposure to a predator or its associated cues, robust physiological and molecular anti-predator defensive strategies are elicited thereby allowing prey species to recognize, avoid and defend against a possible predation threat. In this review, we will discuss the nature of neuroendocrine stress responses upon exposure to predator odors. Predator odors can have a profound effect on the endocrine system, including activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and induction of stress hormones such as corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone. On a neural level, short-term exposure to predator odors leads to induction of the c-fos gene, while induction of ΔFosB in a different brain region is detected under chronic predation stress. Future research should aim to elucidate the relationships between neuroendocrine and behavioral outputs to gage the different levels of anti-predator responses in prey species. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Mechanical stress induces neuroendocrine and immune responses of sea cucumber ( Apostichopus japonicus)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Jie; Li, Fenghui; Sun, Huiling; Gao, Fei; Yan, Jingping; Gai, Chunlei; Chen, Aihua; Wang, Qingyin

    2015-04-01

    Grading procedure in routine sea cucumber hatchery production is thought to affect juvenile sea cucumber immunological response. The present study investigated the impact of a 3-min mechanical perturbation mimicking the grading procedure on neuroendocrine and immune parameters of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. During the application of stress, concentrations of noradrenaline and dopamine in coelomic fluid increased significantly, indicating that the mechanical perturbation resulted in a transient state of stress in sea cucumbers. Coelomocytes concentration in coelomic fluid increased transiently after the beginning of stressing, and reached the maximum in 1 h. Whereas, coelomocytes phagocytosis at 3 min, superoxide anion production from 3 min to 0.5 h, acid phosphatase activity at 0.5 h, and phenoloxidase activity from 3 min to 0.5 h were all significantly down-regulated. All of the immune parameters recovered to baseline levels after the experiment was conducted for 8 h, and an immunostimulation occurred after the stress considering the phagocytosis and acid phosphatase activity. The results suggested that, as in other marine invertebrates, neuroendocrine/immune connections exist in sea cucumber A. japonicus. Mechanical stress can elicit a profound influence on sea cucumber neuroendocrine system. Neuroendocrine messengers act in turn to modulate the immunity functions. Therefore, these effects should be considered for developing better husbandry procedures.

  8. Neuroendocrine tumor of vulva: A case report and review of literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheikh Zahoor

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Neuroendocrine tumor (Merkel cell carcinoma-MCC of the vulva is a very rare entity with less than 15 cases reported in the English literature. It is known for its aggressive behaviour and propensity for early dissemination. The actual cell of origin and etiology of this disease is controversial. In absence of any definite guidelines for management (due to its rarity, extrapolation of data from extra-vulvar MCC seems logical. We present a case of vulvar neuroendocrine tumor who presented at a locally advanced stage.

  9. A fatal case of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in a patient with myositis ossificans traumatica.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vlasveld, I N; Scheper, H; Stalenhoef, J; Baas, J M; van Dissel, J

    Myositis ossificans traumatica is a rare disease associated with chronic wounds and fistulae. Chronic ulcers, fistulae and wounds can transform into squamous cell carcinoma, the so-called Marjolin's ulcer. We describe a rapid, progressive and fulminant course of a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma

  10. Place of surgical resection in the treatment strategy of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaujoux, Sébastien; Sauvanet, Alain; Belghiti, Jacques

    2012-09-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are usually slow-growing neoplasms carrying an overall favorable prognosis. Surgery, from resection to transplantation, remains the only potential curative option for these patients, and should always be considered. Nevertheless, because of very few randomized controlled trials available, the optimal treatment for these patients remains controversial, especially regarding the place of surgery. We herein discuss the place of surgical resection in the treatment strategy in neuroendocrine tumors of the digestive tract.

  11. Metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes. Quantification and different distribution of iodine uptake assessed by dual-energy CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rizzo, Stefania [European Institute of Oncology, Department of Radiology, Milan (Italy); Radice, Davide [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Milan (Italy); Femia, Marco; Vigorito, Raffaella [Universita di Milano, Department of Health Sciences, Milan (Italy); De Marco, Paolo; Origgi, Daniela [Medical Physics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan (Italy); Preda, Lorenzo [Division of Radiology, National Centre of Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO Foundation), Pavia (Italy); University of Pavia, Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, Pavia (Italy); Barberis, Massimo [European Institute of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Milan (Italy); Mauri, Giovanni [European Institute of Oncology, Division of Interventional Radiology, Milan (Italy); Mauro, Alberto [GE Medical Systems Italia SpA, Milan (Italy); Bellomi, Massimo [European Institute of Oncology, Department of Radiology, Milan (Italy); Universita di Milano, Department of Oncology, Milan (Italy)

    2018-02-15

    To evaluate quantification of iodine uptake in metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) by dual-energy CT (DECT) and to assess if the distribution of iodine within LNs at DECT correlates with the pathological structure. Ninety LNs from 37 patients (23 with lung and 14 with gynaecological malignancies) were retrospectively selected. Information of LNs sent for statistical analysis included Hounsfield units (HU) at different energy levels; decomposition material densities fat-iodine, iodine-fat, iodine-water, water-iodine. Statistical analysis included evaluation of interobserver variability, material decomposition densities and spatial HU distribution within LNs. Interobserver agreement was excellent. There was a significant difference in iodine-fat and iodine-water decompositions comparing metastatic and non-metastatic LNs (p < 0.001); fat-iodine and water-iodine did not show significant differences. HU distribution showed a significant gradient from centre to periphery within non-metastatic LNs that was significant up to 20-30% from the centre, whereas metastatic LNs showed a more homogeneous distribution of HU, with no significant gradient. DECT demonstrated a lower iodine uptake in metastatic compared to non-metastatic LNs. Moreover, the internal iodine distribution showed an evident gradient of iodine distribution from centre to periphery in non-metastatic LNs, and a more homogeneous distribution within metastatic LNs, which corresponded to the pathological structure. (orig.)

  12. PALBOCICLIB IN COMBINATION WITH HORMONE THERAPY FOR LUMINAL HER2-NEGATIVE METASTATIC BREAST CANCER: NEW HIGHLY EFFECTIVE STRATEGY OF DRUG TREATMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. V. Artamonova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The review considers a new oral targeted drug palbociclib and its place in treatment of luminal (estrogen receptor-positive HER2– metastatic breast cancer. The results of randomized clinical trials have shown that inclusion of palbociclib in various hormone therapy regimens for treatment of HER2– metastatic breast cancer with expression of estrogen receptors allows to significantly improve clinical outcomes and increase survival, objective response rate and its duration, as well as clinical benefit rate (CBR. Addition of palbociclib to letrozole in the 1st line hormone therapy or to fulvestrant in patients with progression at/after previous endocrine therapy increased progression-free survival in all groups irrespective of clinical characteristics, tumor progression, or expression of molecular markers mediating development of hormone resistance. The main adverse events associated with palbociclib were neutropenia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, but overall hematological toxicity was manageable, and the therapy itself was safe. This strategy received a “breakthrough therapy designation” from the experts and combines proven effectiveness and satisfactory tolerability, allows to maintain high quality of life, and should be prescribed to patients with luminal HER2– metastatic breast cancer.

  13. Palliative Radiotherapy in the Presence of Well-Controlled Metastatic Disease after Initial Chemotherapy May Prolong Survival in Patients with Metastatic Esophageal and Gastric Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hingorani, Mohan; Dixit, Sanjay; Johnson, Miriam; Plested, Victoria; Alty, Kevin; Colley, Peter; Beavis, Andrew W; Roy, Rajarshi; Maraveyas, Anthony

    2015-10-01

    We report the outcomes of patients treated with palliative radiotherapy (pRT) to the primary tumour in the context of well-controlled metastatic disease after initial chemotherapy. Clinical records of 132 patients with metastatic esophago-gastric (OG) cancer treated with palliative chemotherapy (pCT) between January 2009 and June 2013 were reviewed. Ninetyseven patients had responding or stable disease after 3 months of chemotherapy, of whom 53 patients received pRT to the primary tumour after initial chemotherapy in the presence of well-controlled metastatic disease (group A, pCT-RT). The remaining 44 patients were treated with pCT alone (group B, pCT). Treatment-related outcomes were assessed in above groups including time to local progression (TTLP), progression-free and overall survival. The median overall survival for patients treated with pRT after initial chemotherapy (group A) was 23.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.70 to 28.89 months) and significantly higher than the 14 months (95% CI, 10.91 to 17.08 months) in patients treated with pCT alone (group B) (p < 0.001). The use of pCT-RT was an independent predictor of OS in multivariate analysis. Local recurrence was observed in 12/53 of patients (23%) in group A compared to 16/44 (36%) in group B. The median TTLP was significantly higher in patients after pCT-RT at 17.3 months (5.23 months to 44.50 months) compared to 8.3 months (range, 4.10 to 25.23 months) in patients treated with pCT alone (p=0.006). The possibility of pRT influencing systemic disease in advanced OG cancer has not been reported, and results from the present study present strong arguments for investigation of this therapeutic strategy in a randomized trial.

  14. Neuroendocrine Inflammatory Responses in Overweight/Obese Infants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Cristina Resende Camargos

    Full Text Available Childhood obesity is related to a cascade of neuroendocrine inflammatory changes. However, there remains a gap in the current literature regarding the possible occurrence of these changes in overweight/obese infants. The objective of this study was to evaluate adipokines, cortisol, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF and redox status in overweight/obese infants versus normal-weight peers. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 50 infants (25 in the overweight/obese group and 25 in the normal-weight group between 6 and 24 months. Plasma levels of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF receptors, chemokines, BDNF, serum cortisol and redox status were measured. Unpaired Student's t-test was used to analyze the results and a probability of p<0.05 was acceptable for rejection of the null hypothesis. The Pearson correlation was used to verify the association between the biomarkers analyzed in each group. Plasma levels of leptin (p = 0.0001, adiponectin (p = 0.0007 and BDNF (p = 0.003, and serum cortisol (p = 0.048 were significantly higher in overweight/obese infants than normal-weight infants. In contrast, the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS (p = 0.004, and catalase (p = 0.045 and superoxide dismutase activity (p = 0.02 were lower in overweight/obese infants than normal-weight peers. All the results together indicate neuroendocrine inflammatory response changes in overweight/obese infants between 6 and 24 months. Although there is already an environment that predisposes for a subsequent pro-inflammatory response, neuroendocrine secretion changes that permit the control of the inflammatory process in this age interval can be observed.

  15. Calcitonin-negative primary neuroendocrine tumor of the thyroid ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    nonmedullary" in humans is a rare tumor that arises primarily in the thyroid gland and may be mistaken for medullary thyroid carcinoma; it is characterized by the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of neuroendocrine markers and the absence of ...

  16. A case of giant prolactinoma, initially misdiagnosed as sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasaman Mohtasebi, M.D.

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Giant prolactinomas are defined as pituitary tumors greater than 4 cm, often associated with very high prolactin level (>1000 ng/mL. They are relatively rare tumors and can present differently from typical prolactinomas. They can be highly invasive, resulting in acute neurological complication at the time of presentation. We present a case of a young woman with giant prolactinoma initially misdiagnosed as sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma. The acute presentation of headache, ptosis and impending brain herniation, requiring emergent ventriculostomy and intubation, led to the clinical suspicion of a more sinister diagnosis. Transnasal biopsy of the mass was consistent with sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma, and chemotherapy was planned. Laboratory testing, however, revealed an elevated prolactin (27,400 ng/mL, after 1:100 dilution. Re-review of pathology with additional immunohistochemical staining was requested and confirmed the diagnosis of prolactinoma. After 5 months of cabergoline treatment, prolactin level has decreased to 118 ng/mL. There has been a marked reduction in tumor size and an almost complete resolution of neurological symptoms. Given their atypical presentation and potential for sharing common immunohistochemical stains with other neuroendocrine neoplasms, giant prolactinomas extending into the nasal cavity can be misdiagnosed as other neuroendocrine neoplasms which may develop at this site. Accurate diagnosis is imperative to prevent unnecessary surgery and/or radiation and to ensure implementation of dopamine agonist therapy.

  17. The nature of neuroendocrine abnormalities in depression: a controversial issue in contemporary psychiatry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Zerssen, D; Berger, M; Dose, M; Doerr, P; Krieg, C; Bossert, S; Riemann, D; Pirke, K M; Dolhofer, R; Müller, O A

    1986-01-01

    Neuroendocrine abnormalities in depression have been regarded, by many authors, as relatively specific markers of nosological subtypes of the disorder, e.g. primary vs. secondary, endogenous vs. non-endogenous or unipolar vs. bipolar depression. They should reflect the same changes in central neurotransmitters (e.g. noradrenergic insufficiency and/or cholinergic hyperactivity) that were hypothesized as the cause of clinical symptoms. This view is challenged on the basis of our own neuroendocrine investigations in 317 psychiatric patients and 103 normal controls. According to these studies the abnormalities are nosologically rather unspecific. They are induced by a large variety of factors, e.g. emotional stress associated with the clinical symptomatology, weight loss due to malnutrition as a consequence of reduced appetite, medication and drug withdrawal. Stress-induced hypercortisolism appears to be the most common abnormality that may trigger other neuroendocrine dysfunctions, such as a blunted TSH response to TRH. Differences in neuroendocrine abnormalities of depressives are probably due to variations in the manifold factors influencing the hormonal axes involved, to temporal changes in hormonal patterns (e.g. one abnormality triggering another) and to individual differences in the basic activity and the responsiveness of the various axes.

  18. [The drug of the month: everolimus (Afinitor) for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jerusalem, G; Rorive, A; Collignon, J

    2014-09-01

    Sequential endocrine treatments are recommended for estrogen receptor (ER) positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER 2) negative metastatic breast cancers except in the case of symptomatic visceral disease. However, patients who suffer from disease progression while receiving a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor (NSAI) have a very poor prognosis with standard endocrine therapy alone. Recently, based onthe results of the BOLERO 2 trial, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor everolimus, combined with exemestane, a steroidal aromatase inhibitor, has been approved in Europe and the US for patients suffering from ER positive HER2 negative advanced breast cancer previously treated by a NSAI. The median progression-free survival (PFS) increased from 3.2 to 7.8 months in patients receiving everolimus and exemestane compared to placebo and exemestane. The magnitude of benefit was consistent in all pre-specified subgroups. Side effects were manageable and the quality of life was at least maintained. Everolimus has also beenrecently studied in HER2 positive locally advanced or metastatic disease in heavily pretreated patients (BOLERO 3 trial). This trial met its primary endpoint. The median PFS was increased in patients receiving trastuzumab, vinorelbine and everolimus compared to patients receiving trastuzumab, vinorelbine and placebo. We review pharmacological data and side effects of the drug. We also review the most important clinical trials leading to reimbursement of everolimus in metastatic breast cancer.

  19. Perinatal programming of neuroendocrine mechanisms connecting feeding behavior and stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah J Spencer

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Feeding behavior is closely regulated by neuroendocrine mechanisms that can be influenced by stressful life events. However, the feeding response to stress varies among individuals with some increasing and others decreasing food intake after stress. In addition to the impact of acute lifestyle and genetic backgrounds, the early life environment can have a life-long influence on neuroendocrine mechanisms connecting stress to feeding behavior and may partially explain these opposing feeding responses to stress. In this review I will discuss the perinatal programming of adult hypothalamic stress and feeding circuitry. Specifically I will address how early life (prenatal and postnatal nutrition, early life stress, and the early life hormonal profile can program the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis, the endocrine arm of the body’s response to stress long-term and how these changes can, in turn, influence the hypothalamic circuitry responsible for regulating feeding behavior. Thus, over- or under-feeding and / or stressful events during critical windows of early development can alter glucocorticoid (GC regulation of the HPA axis, leading to changes in the GC influence on energy storage and changes in GC negative feedback on HPA axis-derived satiety signals such as corticotropin-releasing-hormone. Furthermore, peripheral hormones controlling satiety, such as leptin and insulin are altered by early life events, and can be influenced, in early life and adulthood, by stress. Importantly, these neuroendocrine signals act as trophic factors during development to stimulate connectivity throughout the hypothalamus. The interplay between these neuroendocrine signals, the perinatal environment, and activation of the stress circuitry in adulthood thus strongly influences feeding behavior and may explain why individuals have unique feeding responses to similar stressors.

  20. Semiquantitative morphology of human prostatic development and regional distribution of prostatic neuroendocrine cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aumüller, G; Leonhardt, M; Renneberg, H; von Rahden, B; Bjartell, A; Abrahamsson, P A

    2001-02-01

    The neuroendocrine cells of the human prostate have been related to proliferative disorders such as prostatic cancer. Their origin, distribution, and development have therefore been studied and discussed in terms of current stem cell concepts in the prostate. Prostatic tissue specimens (n = 20) from human fetuses (n = 8), prepubertal and pubertal children (n = 8) and mature men (n = 4) were studied immunohistochemically using antibodies directed against neuroendocrine, epithelial as well as secretory markers. Semiquantitative computer-assisted evaluation of different epithelial and stromal components based on stereological principles was performed on azan-stained sections representative of all developmental stages. By the end of gestational Week 9, neuroendocrine (NE) cells appear in the epithelium of the urogenital sinus and are subsequently closely associated with the formation of urethral prostatic buds. The fetal and postnatal distribution pattern of NE cells within the gland is characterized by a relatively constant number of cells per gland similar to prostatic smooth muscle cells. Likewise, a density gradient exists with the highest density in the large collicular ducts and almost no NE cells in subcapsular peripheral acini. In peripheral ducts, the distribution is random. Maturation of the NE cells precedes that of the secretory cells by about 10-16 years. A second prostatic stem cell lineage, different from the urogenital sinus (UGS)-lineage is hypothesized originating from immature neuroendocrine cells. Being morphologically indistinguishable from the UGS-derived prostatic secretory cell lineage, it gives rise to neuroendocrine cells. Their presence is apparently important for proliferation regulation of the UGS-derived lineage of the prostate. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  1. 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC imaging in the evaluation of pancreatic masses which are potential neuroendocrine tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Zhen; Zhang, Jingjing; Jin, Xiaona; Huo, Li; Zhu, Zhaohui; Xing, Haiqun; Li, Fang

    2015-05-01

    The aim of this investigation was to determine the accuracy of the findings and the diagnoses of Tc-hydrazinonicotinyl-Tyr3-octreotide scan (Tc-HYNIC-TOC imaging) in patients with pancreatic masses which were potential neuroendocrine tumors. Records of total 20 patients with pancreatic masses were retrospectively reviewed. All of the patients had been revealed by abdominal contrast CT and possibility of neuroendocrine tumors could not be excluded by CT imaging before Tc-HYNIC-TOC imaging. Tc-HYNIC-TOC imaging was performed at 1 and 4 hours post-tracer injection, and SPECT/CT images of the abdomen were also acquired. The image findings were compared to final diagnoses which were made from pathological examination. Among all 20 pancreatic masses evaluated, there were 16 malignant lesions which included 1 ductal adenocarcinoma and 15 neuroendocrine tumors. Tc-HYNIC-TOC imaging identified 14 of 15 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and excluded 4 of 5 lesions which were not neuroendocrine tumors. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy was therefore 93.3% (14 of 15), 80% (4 of 5), and 90.0% (18 of 20), respectively, in our patient population. Tc-HYNIC-TOC imaging provides reasonable accuracy in the evaluation pancreatic mass suspected to be neuroendocrine tumors.

  2. Transformation of alkylating regimen of thiotepa into tepa determines the disease progression through GSTP1 gene polymorphism for metastatic breast cancer patients receiving thiotepa containing salvage chemotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xinna; Wang, Xiaoli; Song, Qingkun; Yang, Huabing; Zhu, Xishan; Yu, Jing; Song, Guohong; Di, Lijun; Ren, Jun; Shao, Hong; Lyerly, Herbert Kim

    2015-11-01

    The shifts to second-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) were widely required based on pharmaceutical molecular profiles to reach out precision medicine. The emerging precise treatment of cancer requires the implementation of clarified pharmacogenetic profiles which are capable of elucidating the predictive responses to cancer chemotherapy. Therefore we were interested in the analysis of the roles of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of GSTP1 (glutathione S-transferase pi 1 gene) alleles to identify pharmacological links with predictors of clinical responses and toxicities. 93 MBC patients receiving thiotepa plus docetaxel chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. Optimized CYP3A5, CYP2B6, and GSTP1 were predominantly selected as candidate genes and their three SNPs (CYP2B6 G516T, CYP3A5 A6986G, and GSTP1 A313G) were genotyped by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate, and chemo-related toxicities were recorded. GSTP1 A313G (rs1695) was identified to be related with disease progression. In particular, patients harboring AG/GG genotype demonstrated a statistically longer PFS than those with AA. Multivariate analysis confirmed that AG/GG genotype was associated with both clinical responses and liver-localized metastatic lesions. No correlation was found between these three SNPs and chemotherapy-induced toxicity. These results suggest that the GSTP1 polymorphism is a novel prognostic marker for clinical response to thiotepa-containing chemotherapy regimens. Such evidence could provide insight into the role of pharmacogenetics to deprive of biases in shifting regimens solely by empirical choices.

  3. Neuroendocrine brake for the treatment of morbid obesity. Preliminary report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aureo Ludovico de Paula

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To demonstrate the preliminary results of a newtechnique named neuroendocrine brake, for surgical treatment ofmorbid obesity. Methods: In November 2003, three patientsunderwent the neuroendocrine brake operation performed by thelaparoscopic approach. The mean age was 46.4 years; all patientswere female. Mean BMI was 42.3 kg/m2. The patients selectedpresented some relative or absolute contraindications to the useof gastrointestinal bypass techniques, including gastric ulcer anda family history of gastric malignancy(1 and chronic anemia (2.All patients had associated diseases, including type II diabetesmellitus (2, hypertension (2, obstructive sleep apnea (1,dyslipidemia (3, cholecystolithiasis (1, gastric ulcer (1 andchronic anemia (2. The laparoscopic technique consisted of anileal interposition at the proximal jejunum and longitudinalgastrectomy. Results: There was no conversion to open surgery orpostoperative complications. Sixteen months later, the meanpercentage of initial body weight loss was 44.6% and the meanBMI was 24.3 kg/m2. Glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levelswere normalized, and sleep apnea showed remission. Conclusion:In spite of the reduced number of patients and short term followup, the good results suggest that the neuroendocrine brake maybecome an option for surgical treatment of morbid obesity in thenear future.

  4. [Neuroendocrine tumors of gastrointestinal tract: the paradigm that lasts].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjelović, Milos M; Babić, Tamara D

    2013-01-01

    Historically, the tumors that were morphologically different and clinically less agressive than the more common gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas were clasified under carcinoid tumors. However, the development of molecular biology tehniques revealed the heterogeneity of these tumors on cellular and subcellular level and ther different biological behaviour. Neuroendocrine tumors of gastrointestinal tract originated from neuroendocrine cells scaterred across the gastrointestinal mucosa. As a result these tumors were capable of secreting many different neurotransmiters, which may or may not be biologically active. The incidence of gastrointestinal NETs has been incresing over the last 2 to 3 decades. Patients often presented with vague, nonspecific symptoms which resulted in delayed diagnosis and adequate treatment. In this article, we discuss the nature of gastrointestinal NETs, clinical presentation, treatment options and prognosis.

  5. Long-Term Efficacy, Survival, and Safety of [177Lu-DOTA0,Tyr3]octreotate in Patients with Gastroenteropancreatic and Bronchial Neuroendocrine Tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brabander, Tessa; van der Zwan, Wouter A; Teunissen, Jaap J M; Kam, Boen L R; Feelders, Richard A; de Herder, Wouter W; van Eijck, Casper H J; Franssen, Gaston J H; Krenning, Eric P; Kwekkeboom, Dik J

    2017-08-15

    Purpose: Bronchial and gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are slow-growing tumors, which frequently express somatostatin receptors on their cell membranes. These receptors are targets for therapy with Lutetium-177-labeled somatostatin analogues. We have treated over 1,200 patients with peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with [ 177 Lu-DOTA 0 ,Tyr 3 ]octreotate ( 177 Lu-DOTATATE) since the year 2000 and present the results on efficacy, survival, and toxicity of this therapy. Experimental Design: For safety analysis, 610 patients treated with a cumulative dose of at least 100 mCi (3.7 GBq) 177 Lu-DOTATATE were included. A subgroup of 443 Dutch patients who were treated with a cumulative dose of at least 600 mCi (22.2 GBq) 177 Lu-DOTATATE before 2013 was further analyzed for efficacy and survival. Results: The objective response rate of the total group of patients was 39%. Stable disease was reached in 43% of patients. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for all NET patients were 29 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 26-33 months] and 63 months (95% CI, 55-72 months). Long-term toxicity included acute leukemia in four patients (0.7%) and myelodysplastic syndrome in nine patients (1.5%). No therapy-related long-term renal or hepatic failure occurred. Conclusions: PRRT with 177 Lu-DOTATATE is a favorable therapeutic option in patients with metastatic bronchial and gastroenteropancreatic NETs that express somatostatin receptors. PRRT with 177 Lu-DOTATATE is safe with few side-effects and shows good response rates with PFS of 29 months and OS of 63 months. Clin Cancer Res; 23(16); 4617-24. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  6. Evaluation of dual energy spectral CT in differentiating metastatic from non-metastatic lymph nodes in rectal cancer: Initial experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Huanhuan [Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Department of Radiology, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine (China); Yan, Fuhua; Pan, Zilai; Lin, Xiaozhu; Luo, Xianfu; Shi, Cen [Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Chen, Xiaoyan [Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Wang, Baisong [Department of Biomedical Statistics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Zhang, Huan, E-mail: huanzhangy@126.com [Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China)

    2015-02-15

    Highlights: • Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent cancer and the status of the regional lymph nodes in rectal cancer is considered to be one of the most powerful prognostic factor in the absence of distant metastatic disease. Detecting LNs metastasis is still a challenging problem due to the presence of microscopic metastasis or inflammatory swelling of LNs. • We investigated the value of dual energy spectral CT in differentiating metastatic from non-metastatic lymph nodes in rectal cancer. Our study demonstrated that the quantitative normalized iodine concentration (nIC) could be useful for differentiating metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes. The combination of nIC in portal venous phase and conventional size criterion could improve the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of rectal cancer. - Abstract: Objectives: To investigate the value of dual energy spectral CT (DEsCT) imaging in differentiating metastatic from non-metastatic lymph nodes in rectal cancer. Methods: Fifty-five patients with rectal cancer underwent the arterial phase (AP) and portal venous phase (PP) contrast-enhanced DEsCT imaging. The virtual monochromatic images and iodine-based material decomposition images derived from DEsCT imaging were interpreted for lymph nodes (LNs) measurement. The short axis diameter and the normalized iodine concentration (nIC) of metastatic and non-metastatic LNs were measured. The two-sample t test was used to compare the short axis diameters and nIC values of metastatic and non-metastatic LNs. ROC analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic performance. Results: One hundred and fifty two LNs including 92 non-metastatic LNs and 60 metastatic LNs were matched using the radiological-pathological correlation. The mean short axis diameter of metastatic LNs was significantly larger than that of the non-metastatic LNs (7.28 ± 2.28 mm vs. 4.90 ± 1.64 mm, P < 0.001). The mean n

  7. Biobehavioral Influences on Cancer Progression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costanzo, Erin S.; Sood, Anil K.; Lutgendorf, Susan K.

    2010-01-01

    Synopsis This review focuses on the contributions of stress-related behavioral factors to cancer growth and metastasis and the biobehavioral mechanisms underlying these relationships. We describe behavioral factors that are important in modulation of the stress response and the pivotal role of neuroendocrine regulation in the downstream alteration of physiological pathways relevant to cancer control, including the cellular immune response, inflammation, and tumor angiogenesis, invasion, and cell-signaling pathways. Consequences for cancer progression and metastasis, as well as quality of life, are delineated. Finally, behavioral and pharmacological interventions for cancer patients with the potential to alter these biobehavioral pathways are discussed. PMID:21094927

  8. Carcinoid crisis induced by receptor radionuclide therapy with 90Y-DOTATOC in a case of liver metastases from bronchial neuroendocrine tumor (atypical carcinoid).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davì, M V; Bodei, L; Francia, G; Bartolomei, M; Oliani, C; Scilanga, L; Reghellin, D; Falconi, M; Paganelli, G; Lo Cascio, V; Ferdeghini, M

    2006-06-01

    SS receptors are overexpressed in many tumors, mainly of neuroendocrine origin, thus enabling the treatment with SS analogs. The clinical experience of receptor radionuclide therapy with the new analog [90Y-DOTA0-Tyr3 ]-octreotide [90Y-DOTATOC] has been developed over the last decade and is gaining a pivotal role in the therapeutic workout of these tumors. It is well known that some procedures performed in diagnostic and therapeutic management of endocrine tumors, such as agobiopsy and hepatic chemoembolization, can be associated with the occurrence of symptoms related to the release of vasoactive amines and/or hormonal peptides from tumor cell lysis. This is the first report of a severe carcinoid crisis developed after receptor radionuclide therapy with 90Y-DOTATOC administered in a patient affected by liver metastases from bronchial neuroendocrine tumor (atypical carcinoid). Despite protection with H1 receptor antagonists, octreotide and corticosteroids, few days after the therapy the patient complained of persistent flushing of the face and upper trunk, severe labial and periocular oedema, diarrhoea and loss of appetite. These symptoms increased and required new hospitalisation. The patient received iv infusion of octreotide associated with H1 and H2 receptor antagonists and corticosteroid therapy, which induced symptom remission within few days. The case here reported confirms that radionuclide therapy is highly effective in determining early rupture of metastatic tissue and also suggests that pre-medication should be implemented before the radiopeptide administration associated with a close monitoring of the patient in the following days.

  9. Characterization of KRAS Rearrangements in Metastatic Prostate Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiao-Song; Shankar, Sunita; Dhanasekaran, Saravana M.; Ateeq, Bushra; Sasaki, Atsuo T.; Jing, Xiaojun; Robinson, Daniel; Cao, Qi; Prensner, John R.; Yocum, Anastasia K.; Wang, Rui; Fries, Daniel F.; Han, Bo; Asangani, Irfan A.; Cao, Xuhong; Li, Yong; Omenn, Gilbert S.; Pflueger, Dorothee; Gopalan, Anuradha; Reuter, Victor E.; Kahoud, Emily Rose; Cantley, Lewis C.; Rubin, Mark A.; Palanisamy, Nallasivam; Varambally, Sooryanarayana; Chinnaiyan, Arul M.

    2011-01-01

    Using an integrative genomics approach called Amplification Breakpoint Ranking and Assembly (ABRA) analysis, we nominated KRAS as a gene fusion with the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBE2L3 in the DU145 cell line, originally derived from prostate cancer metastasis to the brain. Interestingly, analysis of tissues revealed that 2 of 62 metastatic prostate cancers harbored aberrations at the KRAS locus. In DU145 cells, UBE2L3-KRAS produces a fusion protein, specific knock-down of which, attenuates cell invasion and xenograft growth. Ectopic expression of the UBE2L3-KRAS fusion protein exhibits transforming activity in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and RWPE prostate epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo. In NIH 3T3 cells, UBE2L3-KRAS attenuates MEK/ERK signaling, commonly engaged by oncogenic mutant KRAS, and instead signals via AKT and p38 MAPK pathways. This is the first report of a gene fusion involving Ras family suggesting that this aberration may drive metastatic progression in a rare subset of prostate cancers. PMID:22140652

  10. Safety of cabazitaxel in senior adults with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heidenreich, Axel; Bracarda, Sergio; Mason, Malcolm

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Cabazitaxel/prednisone has been shown to prolong survival versus mitoxantrone/prednisone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) that has progressed during or after docetaxel. Subsequently, compassionate-use programmes (CUPs) and expanded-access progra......-CSF, especially at cycle 1 and in men aged > or =75 years, is important and improves tolerability in senior adults treated with cabazitaxel....

  11. Neuroendocrine regulation of appetitive ingestive behavior

    OpenAIRE

    Keen-Rhinehart, Erin; Ondek, Katelynn; Schneider, Jill E.

    2013-01-01

    Food availability in nature is often irregular, and famine is commonplace. Increased motivation to engage in ingestive behaviors increases the chance of survival, providing additional potential opportunities for reproduction. Because of the advantages conferred by entraining ingestive behavior to environmental conditions, neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating the motivation to acquire and ingest food have evolved to be responsive to exogenous (i.e., food stored for future consumption) and endo...

  12. Molecular biology of prostate cancer progression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thompson, Timothy C.; Sehgal, I.; Timme, T.L.; Rn, C.; Yang, G.; Park, S.H.

    1996-01-01

    Prostate cancer is now the most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men (Boring C.C. et al, CA 44:7-26, 1994). As with other forms of cancer, prostate cancer is a multistep disease process that involves the acquisition of multiple genetic alternations (Armitage P and Doll K, Br J Cancer 8:1-12, 1954). For prostate cancer, alternations in specific dominantly acting oncogenes including ras and myc and tumor suppressor genes including p53 and Rb have been reported. However, a simple phenotype-genotype correlation for prostate cancer progression may not be readily accessible because prostate cancer demonstrates remarkable genetic heterogeneity. Recent clinical data indicate that this heterogeneity exists both among the multiple cancer foci as well as within individual cancer foci. Furthermore, based on chromosomal analysis, it has been suggested that metastases do not necessarily seed from the largest index cancer focus at the primary site. Such observations imply that abrupt changes in gene expression may trigger metastatic behavior in relatively small cohorts of malignant cells present at the local site. This pattern of progression may result from compromised function of specific 'control' genes which could affect the activity of multiple downstream genes involved in specific pathways of malignant progression. Such a mechanistic framework involving networks of gene expression could explain the acquisition of the complex metastatic phenotype. Using the mouse prostate reconstitution (MPR) model system (Thompson et al, Cell 56:917-930, 1989) we demonstrated that progression of experimental prostate cancer to metastasis was invariably associated with functional inactivation of p53 (Thompson el al, Oncogene 10:869-879, 1995). Southern blotting analyses revealed that metastases do not necessarily originate from the most abundant clone in the primary carcinoma. Furthermore, the role of p53 as a potential metastasis suppressor

  13. 60 YEARS OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY: The structure of the neuroendocrine hypothalamus: the neuroanatomical legacy of Geoffrey Harris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watts, Alan G

    2015-08-01

    In November 1955, Geoffrey Harris published a paper based on the Christian A Herter Lecture he had given earlier that year at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, USA. The paper reviewed the contemporary research that was starting to explain how the hypothalamus controlled the pituitary gland. In the process of doing so, Harris introduced a set of properties that helped define the neuroendocrine hypothalamus. They included: i) three criteria that putative releasing factors for adenohypophysial hormones would have to fulfill; ii) an analogy between the representation of body parts in the sensory and motor cortices and the spatial localization of neuroendocrine function in the hypothalamus; and iii) the idea that neuroendocrine neurons are motor neurons and the pituitary stalk functions as a Sherringtonian final common pathway through which the impact of sensory and emotional events on neuroendocrine neurons must pass in order to control pituitary hormone release. Were these properties a sign that the major neuroscientific discoveries that were being made in the early 1950s were beginning to influence neuroendocrinology? This Thematic Review discusses two main points: the context and significance of Harris's Herter Lecture for how our understanding of neuroendocrine anatomy (particularly as it relates to the control of the adenohypophysis) has developed since 1955; and, within this framework, how novel and powerful techniques are currently taking our understanding of the structure of the neuroendocrine hypothalamus to new levels. © 2015 Society for Endocrinology.

  14. Hearing loss as an unusual consequence of metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CE Owers

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available A sixty-one year old man was referred with a history of progressive dysphagia, vomiting and weight loss with some back pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsies revealed a gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Despite the absence of metastatic disease on computed tomography, positron emission tomography demonstrated multiple vertebral and sternal deposits. He was reviewed in an ENT clinic with a sudden onset of hearing loss accompanied by dizziness, but no focal neurology. Magnetic resonance imaging identified bilateral 2cm lesions at the internal auditory meatus, consistent with a diagnosis of bilateral acoustic neuromas. The patient subsequently died of carcinomatosis and, because of the potential familial significance of bilateral acoustic neuromas, a limited post-mortem examination was carried out. Unexpectedly, this revealed bilateral adenocarcinoma metastases infiltrating the internal auditory meatus affecting the acoustic nerves. The authors believe this a very rare presentation of metastatic gastric disease.

  15. Anxiety, Family Functioning and Neuroendocrine Biomarkers in Obese Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inês Pinto

    2017-04-01

    Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of taking into account family functioning, parental mental state and gender, when investigating neuroendocrine biomarkers in obese children associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

  16. Decline in peripheral blood NKG2D+CD3+CD56+ NKT cells in metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gharagozloo, M; Rezaei, A; Kalantari, H; Bahador, A; Hassannejad, N; Maracy, M; Nouri, N; Sedghi, M; Ghazanfari, H; Bayat, B

    2018-01-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the main causes of cancer deaths in the world. This cancer can be divided into non-metastatic and metastatic CRC stages. CD3+CD56+ NKT cell subsets are a minor T cell subset in peripheral blood and conduct the killing of tumor cells in direct manner. Little is obvious about levels and surface markers of these cells such as NKG2D in different cancers, especially in CRC. We included 15 non-metastatic (low-grade), 11 non-metastatic (high-grade), 10 metastatic colorectal cancer patients and 18 healthy controls. The percentages of CD3+CD56+ NKT cells and NKG2D+CD56+ NKT cells from samples were analyzed by flow cytometry in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of samples. We found that there was a significantly lower number of NKG2D+CD3+CD56+ cells in peripheral blood of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer compared with normal controls (77.53 ± 5.79 % vs 90.74 ± 9.84 %; pNKT cells was significantly lower in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer compared to healthy controls strengthens the hypothesis that NKT cells can play a substantial role in the protection against human colorectal cancer, and this opens up avenues for novel studies about elucidating the other aspects of tumor surveillance in CRC progression and immunotherapy (Tab. 2, Fig. 2, Ref. 46).

  17. Cost-Effectiveness of Everolimus for Second-Line Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma in Serbia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mihajlovic, Jovan; Pechlivanoglou, Petros; Sabo, Ana; Tomic, Zdenko; Postma, Maarten J.

    2013-01-01

    Background: New targeted therapeutics for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) enable an increment in progression-free survival (PFS) ranging from 2 to 6 months. Compared with best supportive care, everolimus demonstrated an additional PFS of 3 months in patients with mRCC whose disease had

  18. Specific efficacy of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with {sup 177}Lu-octreotate in advanced neuroendocrine tumours of the small intestine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sabet, Amir; Dautzenberg, Kristina; Haslerud, Torjan; Aouf, Anas; Sabet, Amin; Biersack, Hans-Juergen [University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Bonn (Germany); Simon, Birgit [University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Bonn (Germany); Mayer, Karin [University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Bonn (Germany); Ezziddin, Samer [University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Bonn (Germany); Saarland University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Homburg (Germany)

    2015-07-15

    Increasing evidence supports the value of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumours (NET), but there are limited data on its specific efficacy in NET of small intestinal (midgut) origin. This study aims to define the benefit of PRRT with {sup 177}Lu-octreotate for this circumscribed entity derived by a uniformly treated patient cohort. A total of 61 consecutive patients with unresectable, advanced small intestinal NET G1-2 stage IV treated with {sup 177}Lu-octreotate (4 intended cycles at 3-month intervals, mean activity per cycle 7.9 GBq) were analysed. Sufficient tumour uptake on baseline receptor imaging and either documented tumour progression (n = 46) or uncontrolled symptoms (n = 15) were prerequisites for treatment. Response was evaluated according to modified Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) criteria and additionally with Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1. Assessment of survival was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards model for uni- and multivariate analyses. Toxicity was assessed according to standardized follow-up laboratory work-up including blood counts, liver and renal function, supplemented with serial {sup 99m}Tc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) clearance measurements. The median follow-up period was 62 months. Reversible haematotoxicity (≥ grade 3) occurred in five patients (8.2 %). No significant nephrotoxicity (≥ grade 3) was observed. Treatment response according to modified SWOG criteria consisted of partial response in 8 (13.1 %), minor response in 19 (31.1 %), stable disease in 29 (47.5 %) and progressive disease in 5 (8.2 %) patients. The disease control rate was 91.8 %. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was 33 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 25-41] and 61 months (95 % CI NA), respectively. Objective response was associated with longer survival (p = 0.005). Independent predictors of shorter PFS were

  19. Diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of neuroendocrine tumor in stomach and duodenum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiang-yao WANG

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective  To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with neuroendocrine tumor in stomach and duodenum for early diagnosis. Methods  The clinical, endoscopic and pathological data of 20 patients admitted to the PLA General Hospital from Jan. 2012 to Jan. 2015 and diagnosed as gastric and duodenal neuroendocrine tumor were collected for retrospective analysis. The histopathological classification of the disease was made according to the WHO 2010 Classification of the Neuroendocrine Neoplasms. Result  Ten male and 10 female patients aged between 35 and 77 (mean 55.5±10.6 years old were recruited in the present study. Tumor located in the stomach in 13 cases, and in duodenum in 7 cases. The maximum diameter of the tumor was 0.2-2.5cm. Endoscopic features included polypoid protrusion, hemispheric submucosal protrusion, and mucosal erosion. All the patients were treated endoscopically, among them, four patients were treated with electrocoagulation and electrosection, 10 by endoscopic resection (EMR, and 6 by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD. In one patient, surgical excision was done after ESD. Biopsy under gastroscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography were conducive to the diagnosis and treatment. According to the histopathological classification, 19 cases were classified as NET grade 1, and another one as NET grade 2. The follow-up study showed no metastasis and recurrence. Conclusions  The early diagnosis and treatment for gastric and duodenal neuroendocrine tumor can lead to satisfactory results. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2016.03.12

  20. The Neuroendocrine Functions of the Parathyroid Hormone 2 Receptor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arpad eDobolyi

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The G-protein coupled parathyroid hormone 2 receptor (PTH2R is concentrated in endocrine and limbic regions in the forebrain. Its endogenous ligand,tuberoinfundibular peptide of 39 residues (TIP39, is synthesized in only 2 brain regions, within the posterior thalamus and the lateral pons. TIP39-expressing neurons have a widespread projection pattern, which matches the PTH2R distribution in the brain. Neuroendocrine centers including the preoptic area, the periventricular, paraventricular, and arcuate nuclei contain the highest density of PTH2R-positive networks. The administration of TIP39 and an antagonist of the PTH2R as well as the investigation of mice that lack functional TIP39 and PTH2R revealed the involvement of the PTH2R in a variety of neural and neuroendocrine functions. TIP39 acting via the PTH2R modulates several aspects of the stress response. It evokes corticosterone release by activating corticotropin-releasing hormone-containing neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Block of TIP39 signaling elevates the anxiety state of animals and their fear response, and increases stress-induced analgesia. TIP39 has also been suggested to affect the release of additional pituitary hormones including arginine vasopressin and growth hormone. A role of the TIP39-PTH2R system in thermoregulation was also identified. TIP39 may play a role in maintaining body temperature in a cold environment via descending excitatory pathways from the preoptic area. Anatomical and functional studies also implicated the TIP39-PTH2R system in nociceptive information processing. Finally, TIP39 induced in postpartum dams may play a role in the release of prolactin during lactation. Potential mechanisms leading to the activation of TIP39 neurons and how they influence the neuroendocrine system are also described. The unique TIP39-PTH2R neuromodulator system provides the possibility for developing drugs with a novel mechanism of action to control

  1. Combination of Ipilimumab and Adoptive Cell Therapy with Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes for Patients with Metastatic Melanoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John E. Mullinax

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available PurposeAdoptive cell therapy (ACT using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL for metastatic melanoma can be highly effective, but attrition due to progression before TIL administration (32% in prior institutional experience remains a limitation. We hypothesized that combining ACT with cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 blockade would decrease attrition and allow more patients to receive TIL.Experimental designThirteen patients with metastatic melanoma were enrolled. Patients received four doses of ipilimumab (3 mg/kg beginning 2 weeks prior to tumor resection for TIL generation, then 1 week after resection, and 2 and 5 weeks after preconditioning chemotherapy and TIL infusion followed by interleukin-2. The primary endpoint was safety and feasibility. Secondary endpoints included of clinical response at 12 weeks and at 1 year after TIL transfer, progression free survival (PFS, and overall survival (OS.ResultsAll patients received at least two doses of ipilimumab, and 12 of the 13 (92% received TIL. A median of 6.5 × 1010 (2.3 × 1010 to 1.0 × 1011 TIL were infused. At 12 weeks following infusion, there were five patients who experienced objective response (38.5%, four of whom continued in objective response at 1 year and one of which became a complete response at 52 months. Median progression-free survival was 7.3 months (95% CI 6.1–29.9 months. Grade ≥ 3 immune-related adverse events included hypothyroidism (3, hepatitis (2, uveitis (1, and colitis (1.ConclusionIpilimumab plus ACT for metastatic melanoma is feasible, well tolerated, and associated with a low rate of attrition due to progression during cell expansion. This combination approach serves as a model for future efforts to improve the efficacy of ACT.

  2. Combination of Ipilimumab and Adoptive Cell Therapy with Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes for Patients with Metastatic Melanoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullinax, John E; Hall, MacLean; Prabhakaran, Sangeetha; Weber, Jeffrey; Khushalani, Nikhil; Eroglu, Zeynep; Brohl, Andrew S; Markowitz, Joseph; Royster, Erica; Richards, Allison; Stark, Valerie; Zager, Jonathan S; Kelley, Linda; Cox, Cheryl; Sondak, Vernon K; Mulé, James J; Pilon-Thomas, Shari; Sarnaik, Amod A

    2018-01-01

    Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) for metastatic melanoma can be highly effective, but attrition due to progression before TIL administration (32% in prior institutional experience) remains a limitation. We hypothesized that combining ACT with cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 blockade would decrease attrition and allow more patients to receive TIL. Thirteen patients with metastatic melanoma were enrolled. Patients received four doses of ipilimumab (3 mg/kg) beginning 2 weeks prior to tumor resection for TIL generation, then 1 week after resection, and 2 and 5 weeks after preconditioning chemotherapy and TIL infusion followed by interleukin-2. The primary endpoint was safety and feasibility. Secondary endpoints included of clinical response at 12 weeks and at 1 year after TIL transfer, progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). All patients received at least two doses of ipilimumab, and 12 of the 13 (92%) received TIL. A median of 6.5 × 10 10 (2.3 × 10 10 to 1.0 × 10 11 ) TIL were infused. At 12 weeks following infusion, there were five patients who experienced objective response (38.5%), four of whom continued in objective response at 1 year and one of which became a complete response at 52 months. Median progression-free survival was 7.3 months (95% CI 6.1-29.9 months). Grade ≥ 3 immune-related adverse events included hypothyroidism (3), hepatitis (2), uveitis (1), and colitis (1). Ipilimumab plus ACT for metastatic melanoma is feasible, well tolerated, and associated with a low rate of attrition due to progression during cell expansion. This combination approach serves as a model for future efforts to improve the efficacy of ACT.

  3. The relation between work-induced neuroendocrine reactivity and recovery, subjective need for recovery, and health status

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sluiter, JK; Frings-Dresen, MHW; van der Beek, AJ; Meijman, TF

    Objectives: The purpose of this cross-sectional study with repeated measurements was to find out to what extent neuroendocrine reactivity during work and neuroendocrine recovery from work, and work characteristics, are related to subjective need for recovery and perceived health status. Methods:

  4. PTEN expression as a predictor for the response to trastuzumab-based therapy in Her-2 overexpressing metastatic breast cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daphne Gschwantler-Kaulich

    Full Text Available Even though trastuzumab is an effective therapy in early stage Her-2+ breast cancer, 40-50% of advanced Her-2+ breast cancer patients develop trastuzumab resistance. A potential resistance mechanism is aberrant downstream signal transmission due to loss of phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN. This study investigated the relationship between the expression of PTEN and trastuzumab response in Her-2 overexpressing metastatic breast cancer patients.Between 2000 and 2007, 164 patients with Her-2+ metastatic breast cancer received trastuzumab-based therapy in our institution. We analyzed PTEN status by immunohistochemistry of 115 available tumor tissues and analyzed associations with other histopathological parameters, response rate, progression free survival (PFS and overall survival (OS with a median follow-up of 60 months.Eighty patients were PTEN positive (69.6% and 35 patients PTEN negative (30.4%. We found a significant association of the expression of PTEN and p53 (p = 0.041, while there was no association with grading, hormone receptor status, IGFR or MIB. We found significantly more cases with progressive disease under trastuzumab-based therapy in patients with PTEN positive breast cancers (p = 0.018, while there was no significant correlation with PFS or OS.In Her-2-positive metastatic breast cancers, PTEN positivity was significantly associated with progressive disease, but not with PFS or OS.

  5. The prognostic values of CYP2B6 genetic polymorphisms and metastatic sites for advanced breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel and thiotepa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Qingkun; Zhou, Xinna; Yu, Jing; Dong, Ningning; Wang, Xiaoli; Yang, Huabing; Ren, Jun; Lyerly, H Kim

    2015-11-25

    This study investigated interactive effects of CYP2B6 genotypes and liver metastasis on the prognosis of metastatic breast cancer patients who received combined chemotherapy of docetaxel and thiotepa. Totally 153 patients were retrospectively genotyped rs8192719 (c.1294 + 53C > T) and rs2279343 (c.785A > G). Kaplan-Meier method and Cox Proportional Hazard Regression model were used to estimate the survival. Patients with liver metastasis had worsen prognosis, conferring a 2.26-fold high risk of progression and 1.93-fold high risk of death (p T) and AG genotype of rs2279343 (c.785A > G) prolonged survival (p G) was associated with a 47% reduced risk of death and a 6-month-longer overall survival (p T) were 0.45 for progression and 0.40 for death; and the corresponding survival was improved by 6 months and 16 months, respectively (p < 0.05). Genotypes of CYP2B6 had an interaction with clinical efficacy of docetaxel and thiotepa on metastatic breast cancer patients; and metastatic sites also affected clinical responses. Further therapies should take into account of chemotherapy regimen, genotypes of metabolizing enzymes and metastatic sites for the particular subpopulation.

  6. Covalent Targeting of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Inhibits Metastatic Breast Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Wells S; Tan, Li; Smith, Andrew; Gray, Nathanael S; Wendt, Michael K

    2016-09-01

    Therapeutic targeting of late-stage breast cancer is limited by an inadequate understanding of how tumor cell signaling evolves during metastatic progression and by the currently available small molecule inhibitors capable of targeting these processes. Herein, we demonstrate that both β3 integrin and fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 (FGFR1) are part of an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program that is required to facilitate metastatic outgrowth in response to fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2). Mechanistically, β3 integrin physically disrupts an interaction between FGFR1 and E-cadherin, leading to a dramatic redistribution of FGFR1 subcellular localization, enhanced FGF2 signaling and increased three-dimensional (3D) outgrowth of metastatic breast cancer cells. This ability of β3 integrin to drive FGFR signaling requires the enzymatic activity of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Consistent with these mechanistic data, we demonstrate that FGFR, β3 integrin, and FAK constitute a molecular signature capable of predicting decreased survival of patients with the basal-like subtype of breast cancer. Importantly, covalent targeting of a conserved cysteine in the P-loop of FGFR1-4 with our newly developed small molecule, FIIN-4, more effectively blocks 3D metastatic outgrowth as compared with currently available FGFR inhibitors. In vivo application of FIIN-4 potently inhibited the growth of metastatic, patient-derived breast cancer xenografts and murine-derived metastases growing within the pulmonary microenvironment. Overall, the current studies demonstrate that FGFR1 works in concert with other EMT effector molecules to drive aberrant downstream signaling, and that these events can be effectively targeted using our novel therapeutics for the treatment of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(9); 2096-106. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  7. Cerebral relapse of metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor during treatment with imatinib mesylate: Case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Waring Paul

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The management of unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs has previously been difficult as they are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation. The development of imatinib mesylate has made a major impact on the management of advanced GISTs. It is apparent that there are sanctuary sites such as the central nervous system where imatinib does not achieve adequate concentrations. We describe the case of a man with metastatic GIST who experienced multiple cerebral relapses of disease while systemic disease progression appeared to be controlled by imatinib. Case presentation A 47-year-old man presented in July 1999 with a jejunal GIST with multiple hepatic metastases. The jejunal primary was resected and after unsuccessful cytoreductive chemotherapy, the liver metastases were also resected in December 1999. The patient subsequently relapsed in August 2001 with symptomatic hepatic, subcutaneous gluteal, left choroidal and right ocular metastases all confirmed on CT and PET scanning. Biopsy confirmed recurrent GIST. MRI and lumbar puncture excluded central nervous system involvement. The patient was commenced on imatinib 400 mg bd in September 2001 through a clinical trial. The symptoms improved with objective PET and CT scan response until December 2002 when the patient developed a right-sided foot drop. MRI scan showed a left parasagittal tumor which was resected and confirmed histologically to be metastatic GIST. Imatinib was ceased pre-operatively due to the trial protocol but recommenced in February 2003 on a compassionate use program. The left parasagittal metastasis recurred and required subsequent re-excision in September 2003 and January 2004. Control of the systemic GIST was temporarily lost on reduction of the dose of imatinib (due to limited drug supply but on increasing the dose back to 800 mg per day, systemic disease was stabilized for a period of time before generalised progression

  8. A new semiquantitative method for evaluation of metastasis progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volarevic, A; Ljujic, B; Volarevic, V; Milovanovic, M; Kanjevac, T; Lukic, A; Arsenijevic, N

    2012-01-01

    Although recent technical advancements are directed toward developing novel assays and methods for detection of micro and macro metastasis, there are still no reports of reliable, simple to use imaging software that could be used for the detection and quantification of metastasis in tissue sections. We herein report a new semiquantitative method for evaluation of metastasis progression in a well established 4T1 orthotopic mouse model of breast cancer metastasis. The new semiquantitative method presented here was implemented by using the Autodesk AutoCAD 2012 program, a computer-aided design program used primarily for preparing technical drawings in 2 dimensions. By using the Autodesk AutoCAD 2012 software- aided graphical evaluation we managed to detect each metastatic lesion and we precisely calculated the average percentage of lung and liver tissue parenchyma with metastasis in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice. The data were highly specific and relevant to descriptive histological analysis, confirming reliability and accuracy of the AutoCAD 2012 software as new method for quantification of metastatic lesions. The new semiquantitative method using AutoCAD 2012 software provides a novel approach for the estimation of metastatic progression in histological tissue sections.

  9. Mena deficiency delays tumor progression and decreases metastasis in polyoma middle-T transgenic mouse mammary tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roussos, Evanthia T; Wang, Yarong; Wyckoff, Jeffrey B; Sellers, Rani S; Wang, Weigang; Li, Jiufeng; Pollard, Jeffrey W; Gertler, Frank B; Condeelis, John S

    2010-01-01

    The actin binding protein Mammalian enabled (Mena), has been implicated in the metastatic progression of solid tumors in humans. Mena expression level in primary tumors is correlated with metastasis in breast, cervical, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Cells expressing high Mena levels are part of the tumor microenvironment for metastasis (TMEM), an anatomical structure that is predictive for risk of breast cancer metastasis. Previously we have shown that forced expression of Mena adenocarcinoma cells enhances invasion and metastasis in xenograft mice. Whether Mena is required for tumor progression is still unknown. Here we report the effects of Mena deficiency on tumor progression, metastasis and on normal mammary gland development. To investigate the role of Mena in tumor progression and metastasis, Mena deficient mice were intercrossed with mice carrying a transgene expressing the polyoma middle T oncoprotein, driven by the mouse mammary tumor virus. The progeny were investigated for the effects of Mena deficiency on tumor progression via staging of primary mammary tumors and by evaluation of morbidity. Stages of metastatic progression were investigated using an in vivo invasion assay, intravital multiphoton microscopy, circulating tumor cell burden, and lung metastases. Mammary gland development was studied in whole mount mammary glands of wild type and Mena deficient mice. Mena deficiency decreased morbidity and metastatic dissemination. Loss of Mena increased mammary tumor latency but had no affect on mammary tumor burden or histologic progression to carcinoma. Elimination of Mena also significantly decreased epidermal growth factor (EGF) induced in vivo invasion, in vivo motility, intravasation and metastasis. Non-tumor bearing mice deficient for Mena also showed defects in mammary gland terminal end bud formation and branching. Deficiency of Mena decreases metastasis by slowing tumor progression and reducing tumor cell invasion and intravasation. Mena

  10. Neuroendocrine Tumor, Well Differentiated, of the Breast: A Relatively High-Grade Case in the Histological Subtype

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shogo Tajima

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast is a rare entity, comprising <1% of breast carcinomas. Described here is the case of a 78-year-old woman who developed an invasive tumor in the left breast measuring 2.0 cm x 1.5 cm x 1.2 cm. The tumor was composed of only endocrine elements in the invasive part. It infiltrated in a nested fashion with no tubular formation. Intraductal components were present both inside and outside of the invasive portion. Almost all carcinoma cells consisting of invasive and intraductal parts were positive for synaptophysin and neuron-specific enolase. According to the World Health Organization classification 2012, this tumor was subclassified as neuroendocrine tumor, well-differentiated. Among the subgroup, this tumor was relatively high-grade because it was grade 3 tumor with a few mitotic figures. Vascular and lymphatic permeation and lymph node metastases were noted. In the lymph nodes, the morphology of the tumor was similar to the primary site. No distant metastasis and no relapse was seen for one year after surgery. The prognosis of neuroendocrine carcinomas is thought to be worse than invasive mammary carcinomas, not otherwise specified. Therefore, immunohistochemistry for neuroendocrine markers is important in the routine practice to prevent overlooking neuroendocrine carcinomas.

  11. U.S. FDA Approval Summary: Nivolumab for Treatment of Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma Following Progression on Ipilimumab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazarika, Maitreyee; Chuk, Meredith K; Theoret, Marc R; Mushti, Sirisha; He, Kun; Weis, Shawna L; Putman, Alexander H; Helms, Whitney S; Cao, Xianhua; Li, Hongshan; Zhao, Hong; Zhao, Liang; Welch, Joel; Graham, Laurie; Libeg, Meredith; Sridhara, Rajeshwari; Keegan, Patricia; Pazdur, Richard

    2017-07-15

    On December 22, 2014, the FDA granted accelerated approval to nivolumab (OPDIVO; Bristol-Myers Squibb) for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma and disease progression following ipilimumab and, if BRAF V600 mutation positive, a BRAF inhibitor. Approval was based on a clinically meaningful, durable objective response rate (ORR) in a non-comparative analysis of 120 patients who received 3 mg/kg of nivolumab intravenously every 2 weeks with at least 6-month follow-up in an ongoing, randomized, open-label, active-controlled clinical trial. The ORR as assessed by a blinded independent review committee per RECIST v1.1 was 31.7% (95% confidence interval, 23.5-40.8). Ongoing responses were observed in 87% of responding patients, ranging from 2.6+ to 10+ months. In 13 patients, the response duration was 6 months or longer. The risks of nivolumab, including clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions (imARs), were assessed in 268 patients who received at least one dose of nivolumab. The FDA review considered whether the ORR and durations of responses were reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, the adequacy of the safety database, and systematic approaches to the identification, description, and patient management for imARs in product labeling. Clin Cancer Res; 23(14); 3484-8. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  12. Surviving at a distant site: The organotropism of metastatic breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Shi; Siegal, Gene P

    2018-03-01

    Many cancers demonstrate a non-random distribution of sites for distant relapse while others have the propensity to metastasize to multiple organ systems. One of the notable recent findings is that the breast cancer subtypes differ not only in their biological characteristics as primary tumors but also in their capacity for metastatic progression. This information could potentially be utilized in treatment decision making and surveillance strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Monocytic and granulocytic myeloid derived suppressor cells differentially regulate spatiotemporal tumour plasticity during metastatic cascade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouzounova, Maria; Lee, Eunmi; Piranlioglu, Raziye; El Andaloussi, Abdeljabar; Kolhe, Ravindra; Demirci, Mehmet F; Marasco, Daniela; Asm, Iskander; Chadli, Ahmed; Hassan, Khaled A; Thangaraju, Muthusamy; Zhou, Gang; Arbab, Ali S; Cowell, John K; Korkaya, Hasan

    2017-04-06

    It is widely accepted that dynamic and reversible tumour cell plasticity is required for metastasis, however, in vivo steps and molecular mechanisms are poorly elucidated. We demonstrate here that monocytic (mMDSC) and granulocytic (gMDSC) subsets of myeloid-derived suppressor cells infiltrate in the primary tumour and distant organs with different time kinetics and regulate spatiotemporal tumour plasticity. Using co-culture experiments and mouse transcriptome analyses in syngeneic mouse models, we provide evidence that tumour-infiltrated mMDSCs facilitate tumour cell dissemination from the primary site by inducing EMT/CSC phenotype. In contrast, pulmonary gMDSC infiltrates support the metastatic growth by reverting EMT/CSC phenotype and promoting tumour cell proliferation. Furthermore, lung-derived gMDSCs isolated from tumour-bearing animals enhance metastatic growth of already disseminated tumour cells. MDSC-induced 'metastatic gene signature' derived from murine syngeneic model predicts poor patient survival in the majority of human solid tumours. Thus spatiotemporal MDSC infiltration may have clinical implications in tumour progression.

  14. Vesicle capture, not delivery, scales up neuropeptide storage in neuroendocrine terminals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulgari, Dinara; Zhou, Chaoming; Hewes, Randall S; Deitcher, David L; Levitan, Edwin S

    2014-03-04

    Neurons vary in their capacity to produce, store, and release neuropeptides packaged in dense-core vesicles (DCVs). Specifically, neurons used for cotransmission have terminals that contain few DCVs and many small synaptic vesicles, whereas neuroendocrine neuron terminals contain many DCVs. Although the mechanistic basis for presynaptic variation is unknown, past research demonstrated transcriptional control of neuropeptide synthesis suggesting that supply from the soma limits presynaptic neuropeptide accumulation. Here neuropeptide release is shown to scale with presynaptic neuropeptide stores in identified Drosophila cotransmitting and neuroendocrine terminals. However, the dramatic difference in DCV number in these terminals occurs with similar anterograde axonal transport and DCV half-lives. Thus, differences in presynaptic neuropeptide stores are not explained by DCV delivery from the soma or turnover. Instead, greater neuropeptide accumulation in neuroendocrine terminals is promoted by dramatically more efficient presynaptic DCV capture. Greater capture comes with tradeoffs, however, as fewer uncaptured DCVs are available to populate distal boutons and replenish neuropeptide stores following release. Finally, expression of the Dimmed transcription factor in cotransmitting neurons increases presynaptic DCV capture. Therefore, DCV capture in the terminal is genetically controlled and determines neuron-specific variation in peptidergic function.

  15. Gastrointestinal Surgery of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Carsten Palnæs; Olsen, Ingrid Marie Holst; Knigge, Ulrich

    2015-01-01

    Surgery is the only treatment that may cure the patient with gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) and should always be considered as the first-line treatment if radical resection can be achieved. Even in cases where radical surgery is not possible, palliative resection may...... be performed to reduce local or hormone-induced symptoms and to improve quality of life. The surgical procedures for GEP-NENs are accordingly described below. In most patients life-long follow-up is required, even following radical surgery, as recurrence may occur several years later....

  16. HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer: new possibilities for therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. V. Artamonova

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This article is devoted to modern approaches in HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer therapy. Recently treatment algorithm for this type of cancer included trastuzumab plus cytostatic in first line, continuation of trastuzumab with another chemotherapy regimen in second line, further switch to lapatinib and eventual return to trastuzumab after progression. Nowadays our options are broader owing to new anti-HER-2 agents which are pertruzumab and T-DM1. Now the most effective therapy regimen in first line is double HER-2 blockade (trastuzumab + pertuzumab in combination with docetaxel. Benefit of new agent T-DM1 versus combination of lapatinib and capecitabin is proved in patients progressed on trastuzumab and taxanes. T-DM1 also showed high efficacy as salvage therapy in intensively pretreated patients with meta- static HER-2-positive breast cancer who progressed on taxanes, trastuzumab and lapatinib.

  17. Potential role of 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT in screening for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prasad, Vikas; Brenner, Winfried; Tiling, Nikolaus; Ploeckinger, Ursula; Denecke, Timm

    2016-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumours of the pancreas (pNET) are observed in 8 - 17 % of patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease (vHLD), and 11 - 20 % of these patients develop metastatic disease. MRI and CT have a very high resolution; however, their sensitivity and specificity for the detection of pNET amongst cystic lesions in the pancreas of vHLD patients are generally considered insufficient. In contrast, 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT demonstrates a high sensitivity for the diagnosis and staging of neuroendocrine tumours. In this study we investigated the potential role of 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT in screening of patients with vHLD. 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/three-phase contrast-enhanced CT was performed according to guidelines in all consecutive vHLD patients between January 2012 and November 2015. All patients underwent additional MRI imaging of the abdomen, spine, and head. Chromogranin A (CgA) was determined at the time of the PET/CT examination. A lesion seen on 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET in the pancreas was defined as positive if the uptake was visually higher than in the surrounding tissues. Lesions were quantified using maximum SUV. Overall, 20 patients (8 men, 12 women; mean age 44.7 ± 11.1 years) were prospectively examined. Genetically, 12 patients had type 1 vHLD and 8 had type 2 vHLD. 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT detected more pNET than morphological imaging (CT or MRI): 11 patients (55 %; 8 type 1, 3 type 2) vs. 9 patients (45 %; 6 type 1, 3 type 2). The concentration of CgA was mildly elevated in 2 of 11 patients with pNET. The mean SUVmax of the pancreatic lesions was 18.9 ± 21.9 (range 5.0 - 65.6). Four patients (36.4 %) had multiple pNETs. The mean size of the lesions on CT and/or MRI was 10.4 ± 8.3 mm (range 4 - 38 mm), and 41.1 % were larger than 10 mm. In addition, somatostatin receptor-positive cerebellar and spinal haemangioblastomas were detected in three patients (SUVmax 2.1 - 10.1). One patient presented with a solitary somatostatin receptor-positive lymph node metastasis. pNETs were

  18. TH and DCX mRNAs in peripheral blood and bone marrow predict outcome in metastatic neuroblastoma patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yáñez, Yania; Hervás, David; Grau, Elena; Oltra, Silvestre; Pérez, Gema; Palanca, Sarai; Bermúdez, Mar; Márquez, Catalina; Cañete, Adela; Castel, Victoria

    2016-03-01

    In metastatic neuroblastoma (NB) patients, accurate risk stratification and disease monitoring would reduce relapse probabilities. This study aims to evaluate the independent prognostic significance of detecting tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and doublecortin (DCX) mRNAs by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) samples from metastatic NB patients. RT-qPCR was performed on PB and BM samples from metastatic NB patients at diagnosis, post-induction therapy and at the end of treatment for TH and DCX mRNAs detection. High levels of TH and DCX mRNAs when detected in PB and BM at diagnosis independently predicted worse outcome in a cohort of 162 metastatic NB. In the subgroup of high-risk metastatic NB, TH mRNA detected in PB remained as independent predictor of EFS and OS at diagnosis. After the induction therapy, high levels of TH mRNA in PB and DCX mRNA in BM independently predicted poor EFS and OS. Furthermore TH mRNA when detected in BM predicted worse EFS. TH mRNA in PB samples at the end of treatment is an independent predictor of worse outcome. TH and DCX mRNAs levels in PB and BM assessed by RT-qPCR should be considered in new pre-treatment risk stratification strategies to reliable estimate outcome differences in metastatic NB patients. In those high-risk metastatic NB, TH and DCX mRNA quantification could be used for the assessment of response to treatment and for early detection of progressive disease or relapses.

  19. Evaluation of Tumor Viability for Primary and Bone Metastases in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Using Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiromichi Iwamura

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In contrast to bone scan and computed tomography (CT, which depend on osteoblastic response to detect bone metastasis, whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI may be able to directly detect viable tumors. A 75-year-old male who had progressive metastatic prostate cancer during primary androgen deprivation therapy was referred to our hospital. Although bone scan and CT showed multiple bone metastases, WB-MRI suggested nonviable bone metastasis and viable tumor of the primary lesion. Prostate needle biopsy demonstrated viable prostate cancer cells from 10 of 12 cores. In contrast, CT-guided needle biopsy from bone metastasis of the lumbar vertebra revealed no malignant cells. Based on these findings, we reasoned that viable tumor cells inducing disease progression may primarily exist in the primary lesions and not in the metastatic lesions, and combined prostate radiotherapy and systemic hormonal therapy resulted in successful clinical response and disease control. The use of WB-MRI to detect viable disease lesions may enable us to design optimal treatment strategies for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

  20. Avelumab: A Review of Its Application in Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joseph, Jocelyn; Zobniw, Chrystia; Davis, Jennifer; Anderson, Jaime; Trinh, Van Anh

    2018-04-01

    To summarize the clinical development of avelumab and its clinical relevance in metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). An English-language literature search using PubMed was performed using the terms avelumab, anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, and MCC from January of 1950 to March 2018. Data were also obtained from package inserts, meeting abstracts, and clinical registries. All relevant published articles of avelumab were reviewed. Clinical trial registries and meeting abstracts were used for information about ongoing trials. Avelumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits programmed death ligand-1, which reverses T-cell exhaustion and induces antitumor responses. Avelumab is safe and effective in previously treated metastatic MCC based on a phase II trial of previously treated patients with objective response rates in 28 of 88 patients, including 10 complete responses and 19 partial responses. Median overall survival (OS) was 12.9 months, and 1-year progression-free survival and OS were 30% and 52%, respectively. Grade 3 treatment-related side effects included lymphopenia (2 patients), serum creatine phosphokinase increase (1 patient), aminotransferase elevation (1 patient), and serum cholesterol increase (1 patient). Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: This review outlines the pharmacology and clinical trial data for avelumab in metastatic MCC and guides clinicians on avelumab's place in therapy. Avelumab is the first Food and Drug Administration-approved medication for metastatic MCC and provides an advantage of durable responses and possibly improved tolerability compared with traditional platinum-based chemotherapy. Clinical trials are under way to expand its utility into the adjuvant and frontline settings.

  1. Enhanced metastatic potential of murine fibrosarcomas treated in vitro with ultraviolet radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fisher, M.S.; Cifone, M.A.

    1981-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether repeated treatment of tumor cells in vitro with mutagenic doses of ultraviolet (UV) radiation could influence the metastatic behavior of these cells in vivo. Three cloned lines of UV-2237, a fibrosarcoma induced in a C3H- mouse by chronic irradiation with UV, and SF-19, a spontaneous C3H- fibrosarcoma, were grown in culture. These cell lines varied from low to high metastatic potential as determined by in vivo tests. The cultures were exposed to UV radiation from an FS40 sunlamp at a dose that killed 40% of the cells. These UV radiation exposures were repeated at 3- to 5-day intervals for a total of 5 treatments. The mutation frequency was analyzed by monitoring the appearance of ouabain-resistant colonies following UV irradiation. With all four tumor lines, the frequency of conversion to ouabain resistance was increased more than 10-fold. Tumor cells given 5 UV radiation treatments and control cultures carried in parallel without exposure to UV radiation were tested for metastatic potential in an in vivo lung colony assay. Cell lines treated in vitro with UV radiation produced more experimental metastases than the counterpart unirradiated cultures. We conclude that, in all four tumor lines, exposure of tumorigenic cells to mutagenic doses of UV radiation can alter their biological behavior and that this may contribute to the progression of tumors from low to high metastatic capability

  2. Vinorelbine as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, A; Rabinovich, M G; Vallejo, C T; Perez, J E; Rodriguez, R; Cuevas, M A; Machiavelli, M; Lacava, J A; Langhi, M; Romero Acuña, L

    1994-02-01

    A phase II trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of vinorelbine (VNB) as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast carcinoma. Between August 1991 and February 1993, 45 patients with metastatic breast cancer were entered onto the study. Therapy consisted of VNB 30 mg/m2 diluted in 500 mL of normal saline administered as a 1-hour intravenous infusion. Injections were repeated weekly until evidence of progressive disease (PD) or severe toxicity developed. One patient was considered not assessable for response. An objective response (OR) was observed in 18 of 44 patients (41%; 95% confidence interval, 26% to 56%). Three patients (7%) had a complete response (CR) and 15 (34%) had a partial response (PR). The median time to treatment failure for the entire group was 6 months (range, 1 to 15), and the median duration of response was 9 months (range, 1 to 15). The median survival duration has not been reached yet. There were no treatment-related deaths. The dose-limiting toxicity was myelosuppression. Leukopenia occurred in 35 patients (78%) and was grade 3 or 4 in 16 (36%). Phlebitis was observed in 19 of 29 patients (66%) who did not have central implantable venous systems. Fifteen patients (33%) developed peripheral neurotoxicity. Myalgia occurred in 20 patients (44%). VNB is an active drug against metastatic breast cancer with moderate toxicity, which justifies further evaluation in association with other agents.

  3. Treatment with Ipilimumab: A Case Report of Complete Response in a Metastatic Malignant Melanoma Patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfredo Addeo

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Over the past year, 3 agents have been approved for the treatment of melanoma by the Food and Drug Administration. These include pegylated interferon α-2b for stage III melanoma, vemurafenib for unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAF V600E mutation, and ipilimumab for unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Case Presentation: We present here the case of a 65-year-old Caucasian male diagnosed with advanced melanoma in April 2011 and treated with ipilimumab (Yervoy®, a monoclonal antibody targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4, as second-line treatment after progression with dacarbazine, for (wild-type BRAF metastatic melanoma. The patient was referred to us for several painful lumps on his right arm. A biopsy of one of them revealed melanoma. CT and PET scans did not show any other lesions or a primary site. The patient was started on first-line chemotherapy with dacarbazine 850 mg/m2 on day 1, every 3 weeks. After 3 cycles, the patient showed disease progression with an increase in size of the skin metastasis. Second-line treatment was started with ipilimumab 3 mg/kg on day 1, every 3 weeks. At the end of the treatment, after 4 cycles, we documented a complete clinical response with total resolution of the skin metastasis. At the time of writing this paper, our patient had finished his treatment more than 9 months earlier and is still in complete remission. Conclusion: This is a paradigmatic case where, despite extensive metastatic disease, treatment with ipilimumab has confirmed its efficacy. It is still an open question why only a minority of patients have such a remarkable response, and further trials are warranted to address this important question.

  4. The future of nuclear medicine imaging of neuroendocrine tumors: on a clear day one might see forever..

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bodei, Lisa; Kidd, Mark; Modlin, Irvin M.; Prasad, Vikas; Baum, Richard P.; Drozdov, Ignat

    2014-01-01

    Early identification of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is a critical prerequisite to establishing effective treatment. While substantial advances have occurred in the last two decades, there is little progress regarding the identification of small subcentimeter lesions and the determination of tumor proliferative rates and metabolic characteristics. At this time, delineation of lesions mainly utilizes various combinations of somatostatin receptor (SSR) density, glucose metabolism and Hounsfield units. This editorial addresses unmet needs in nuclear medicine (molecular) imaging with a view to identifying areas that require amplification. The principal goal is to amplify and extend the diagnostic and prognostic role of imaging. Specific focus is required to validate and standardize current techniques while introducing strategies that will resolve currently unmet needs.

  5. The future of nuclear medicine imaging of neuroendocrine tumors: on a clear day one might see forever..

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bodei, Lisa [European Institute of Oncology, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Milan (Italy); Yale School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, New Haven, CT (United States); Kidd, Mark; Modlin, Irvin M. [Yale School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, New Haven, CT (United States); Prasad, Vikas [Charite University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin (Germany); Baum, Richard P. [Zentralklinik Bad Berka, THERANOSTICS Center for Molecular Radiotherapy and Molecular Imaging (PET/CT), ENETS Center of Excellence, Bad Berka (Germany); Drozdov, Ignat [Bering Limited, Richmond (United Kingdom)

    2014-12-15

    Early identification of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is a critical prerequisite to establishing effective treatment. While substantial advances have occurred in the last two decades, there is little progress regarding the identification of small subcentimeter lesions and the determination of tumor proliferative rates and metabolic characteristics. At this time, delineation of lesions mainly utilizes various combinations of somatostatin receptor (SSR) density, glucose metabolism and Hounsfield units. This editorial addresses unmet needs in nuclear medicine (molecular) imaging with a view to identifying areas that require amplification. The principal goal is to amplify and extend the diagnostic and prognostic role of imaging. Specific focus is required to validate and standardize current techniques while introducing strategies that will resolve currently unmet needs.

  6. Optical imaging of metabolic adaptability in metastatic and non-metastatic breast cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rebello, Lisa; Rajaram, Narasimhan

    2018-02-01

    Accurate methods for determining metastatic risk from the primary tumor are crucial for patient survival. Cell metabolism could potentially be used as a marker of metastatic risk. Optical imaging of the endogenous fluorescent molecules nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) provides a non-destructive and label-free method for determining cell metabolism. The optical redox ratio (FAD/FAD+NADH) is sensitive to the balance between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). We have previously established that hypoxia-reoxygenation stress leads to metastatic potential-dependent changes in optical redox ratio. The objective of this study was to monitor the changes in optical redox ratio in breast cancer cells in response to different periods of hypoxic stress as well various levels of hypoxia to establish an optimal protocol. We measured the optical redox ratio of highly metastatic 4T1 murine breast cancer cells under normoxic conditions and after exposure to 30, 60, and 120 minutes of 0.5% O2. This was followed by an hour of reoxygenation. We found an increase in the optical redox ratio following reoxygenation from hypoxia for all durations. Statistically significant differences were observed at 60 and 120 minutes (p˂0.01) compared with normoxia, implying an ability to adapt to OXPHOS after reoxygenation. The switch to OXPHOS has been shown to be a key promoter of cell invasion. We will present our results from these investigations in human breast cancer cells as well as non-metastatic breast cancer cells exposed to various levels of hypoxia.

  7. EphA2 Is a Potential Player of Malignant Cellular Behavior in Non-Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells but Not in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Min Chul; Cho, Sung Yong; Yoon, Cheol Yong; Lee, Seung Bae; Kwak, Cheol; Kim, Hyeon Hoe; Jeong, Hyeon

    2015-01-01

    malignant progression of non-metastatic RCC.

  8. Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Tetsuhide; Hijioka, Susumu; Masui, Toshihiko; Kasajima, Atsuko; Nakamoto, Yuji; Kobayashi, Noritoshi; Komoto, Izumi; Hijioka, Masayuki; Lee, Lingaku; Igarashi, Hisato; Jensen, Robert Thomas; Imamura, Masayuki

    2017-01-01

    Several new developments have occurred in the field of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (PNEN) recently in Japan. First, the utility of chromogranin A (CgA), useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of the treatment response of neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN), has been demonstrated in Japan. For PNEN diagnosis and treatment, grading and correct histological diagnosis according to the WHO 2010 classification is important. Regarding the histological diagnosis, the advent of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has enabled correct pathological diagnosis and suitable treatment for the affected tissue. Furthermore, EUS-FNA has also facilitates the assessment of the presence or absence of gene mutations. In addition, patients who have a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor (NET) showing a Ki-67 index of higher than 20 % according to the WHO 2010 classification, have also been identified, and their responses to treatment were found to be different from those of patients with poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC). Therefore, the concept of NET G3 was proposed. Additionally, somatostatin receptor type 2 is expressed in several cases of NET, and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy ( 111 In-octreoscan) has also been approved in Japan. This advancement will undoubtedly contribute to the localization diagnosis, the identification of remote metastasis, and assessments of the treatment responses of PNEN. Finally, regarding the treatment strategy for PNEN, the management of liver metastasis is important. The advent of novel molecular-targeted agents has dramatically improved the prognosis of advanced PNEN. Multimodality therapy that accounts for the tumor stage, degree of tumor differentiation, tumor volume, and speed of tumor growth is required.

  9. Contribution of Human papillomavirus in neuroendocrine tumors from a series of 10,575 invasive cervical cancer cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alejo, Maria; Alemany, Laia; Clavero, Omar; Quiros, Beatriz; Vighi, Susana; Seoud, Muhieddine; Cheng-Yang, Chou; Garland, Suzanne M; Juanpere, Nuria; Lloreta, Josep; Tous, Sara; Klaustermeier, Jo Ellen; Quint, Wim; Bosch, F Xavier; de Sanjosé, Silvia; Lloveras, Belen

    2018-06-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) of the cervix are rare tumors with a very aggressive course. The human papillomavirus (HPV) has been linked to its etiology. The objective of this study is to describe HPV prevalence and genotype distribution of NET. Forty-nine tumors with histological neuroendocrine features were identified among 10,575 invasive cervical cancer (ICC) cases from an international study. HPV DNA detection was done using SPF10/DEIA /LiPA 25 system. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for neuroendocrine markers (chromogranin A, synaptophysin, CD56) and for p16 INK4a as a surrogate for HPV transforming infection was performed. In 13 samples with negative IHC for all 3 neuroendocrine markers studied, it was possible to conduct electron microscopy (EM). NET represented 0.5% of the total ICC series and HPV was detected in 42 out of 49 samples (85.7%, 95%CI:72.8%,94.1%). HPV16 was the predominant type (54.8%), followed by HPV18 (40.5%). p16 INK4a overexpression was observed in 38/44 cases (86.4%). Neuroendocrine IHC markers could be demonstrated in 24/37 (64.9%) cases. EM identified neuroendocrine granules in 8 samples with negative IHC markers. Our data confirms the association of cervical NET with HPV and p16 INK4a overexpression. Specifically, HPV16 and 18 accounted together for over 95% of the HPV positive cases. Current HPV vaccines could largely prevent these aggressive tumors. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. 18F-FDG PET predicts survival after pretargeted radioimmunotherapy in patients with progressive metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salaun, Pierre-Yves; Robin, Philippe; Campion, Loic; Ansquer, Catherine; Mathieu, Cedric; Frampas, Eric; Bournaud, Claire; Vuillez, Jean-Philippe; Taieb, David; Rousseau, Caroline; Drui, Delphine; Mirallie, Eric; Borson-Chazot, Francoise; Goldenberg, David M.; Chatal, Jean-Francois; Barbet, Jacques; Kraeber-Bodere, Francoise

    2014-01-01

    PET is a powerful tool for assessing targeted therapy. Since 18 F-FDG shows a potential prognostic value in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), this study evaluated 18 F-FDG PET alone and combined with morphological and biomarker evaluations as a surrogate marker of overall survival (OS) in patients with progressive metastatic MTC treated with pretargeted anti-CEA radioimmunotherapy (pRAIT) in a phase II clinical trial. Patients underwent PET associated with morphological imaging (CT and MRI) and biomarker evaluations, before and 3 and 6 months, and then every 6 months, after pRAIT for 36 months. A combined evaluation was performed using anatomic, metabolic and biomarker methods. The prognostic value of the PET response was compared with demographic parameters at inclusion including age, sex, RET mutation, time from initial diagnosis, calcitonin and CEA concentrations and doubling times (DT), SUV max , location of disease and bone marrow involvement, and with response using RECIST, biomarker concentration variation, impact on DT, and combined methods. Enrolled in the study were 25 men and 17 women with disease progression. The median OS from pRAIT was 3.7 years (0.2 to 6.5 years) and from MTC diagnosis 10.9 years (1.7 to 31.5 years). After pRAIT, PET/CT showed 1 patient with a complete response, 4 with a partial response and 24 with disease stabilization. The combined evaluation showed 20 responses. For OS from pRAIT, univariate analysis showed the prognostic value of biomarker DT (P = 0.011) and SUV max (P = 0.038) calculated before pRAIT and impact on DT (P = 0.034), RECIST (P = 0.009), PET (P = 0.009), and combined response (P = 0.004) measured after pRAIT. PET had the highest predictive value with the lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC 74.26) as compared to RECIST (AIC 78.06), biomarker variation (AIC 81.94) and impact on DT (AIC 79.22). No benefit was obtained by combining the methods (AIC 78.75). This result was confirmed by the analysis of OS from MTC

  11. Exosomes enriched in stemness/metastatic-related mRNAS promote oncogenic potential in breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez, Marta; Silva, Javier; Herrera, Alberto; Herrera, Mercedes; Peña, Cristina; Martín, Paloma; Gil-Calderón, Beatriz; Larriba, María Jesús; Coronado, M Josés; Soldevilla, Beatriz; Turrión, Víctor S; Provencio, Mariano; Sánchez, Antonio; Bonilla, Félix; García-Barberán, Vanesa

    2015-12-01

    Cancer cells efficiently transfer exosome contents (essentially mRNAs and microRNAs) to other cell types, modifying immune responses, cell growth, angiogenesis and metastasis. Here we analyzed the exosomes release by breast tumor cells with different capacities of stemness/metastasis based on CXCR4 expression, and evaluated their capacity to generate oncogenic features in recipient cells. Breast cancer cells overexpressing CXCR4 showed an increase in stemness-related markers, and in proliferation, migration and invasion capacities. Furthermore, recipient cells treated with exosomes from CXCR4-cells showed increased in the same abilities. Moreover, inoculation of CXCR4-cell-derived exosomes in immunocompromised mice stimulated primary tumor growth and metastatic potential. Comparison of nucleic acids contained into exosomes isolated from patients revealed a "stemness and metastatic" signature in exosomes of patients with worse prognosis. Finally, our data supported the view that cancer cells with stem-like properties show concomitant metastatic behavior, and their exosomes stimulate tumor progression and metastasis. Exosomes-derived nucleic acids from plasma of breast cancer patients are suitable markers in the prognosis of such patients.

  12. Prognostic value of 18F-FLT PET in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johnbeck, Camilla B.; Knigge, Ulrich; Langer, Seppo W.

    2016-01-01

    Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) constitute a heterogeneous group of tumors arising in various organs and with a large span of aggressiveness and survival rates. The Ki-67 proliferation index is presently used as the key marker of prognosis, and treatment guidelines are largely based on this index...... study was to investigate 18F-FLT PET as a prognostic marker for NENs in comparison with 18F-FDG PET and Ki-67 index. Methods: One hundred patients were PET-scanned with both 18F-FLT and 18F-FDG within the same week, and the prognostic value of a positive scan was examined in terms of progression...... prognostic value in NEN patients but when 18F-FDG PET and Ki-67 index are also available, a multivariate model revealed that 18F-FLT PET only adds information regarding PFS but not OS, whereas 18F-FDG PET remains predictive of both PFS and OS. However, a clinically robust algorithm including 18F...

  13. A Cross-Species Analysis in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Reveals Molecular Subtypes with Distinctive Clinical, Metastatic, Developmental, and Metabolic Characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadanandam, Anguraj; Wullschleger, Stephan; Lyssiotis, Costas A.; Grötzinger, Carsten; Barbi, Stefano; Bersani, Samantha; Körner, Jan; Wafy, Ismael; Mafficini, Andrea; Lawlor, Rita T.; Simbolo, Michele; Asara, John M.; Bläker, Hendrik; Cantley, Lewis C.; Wiedenmann, Bertram; Scarpa, Aldo; Hanahan, Douglas

    2016-01-01

    Seeking to assess the representative and instructive value of an engineered mouse model of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNET) for its cognate human cancer, we profiled and compared mRNA and miRNA transcriptomes of tumors from both. Mouse PanNET tumors could be classified into two distinctive subtypes, well-differentiated islet/insulinoma tumors (IT) and poorly differentiated tumors associated with liver metastases, dubbed metastasis-like primary (MLP). Human PanNETs were independently classified into these same two subtypes, along with a third, specific gene mutation–enriched subtype. The MLP subtypes in human and mouse were similar to liver metastases in terms of miRNA and mRNA transcriptome profiles and signature genes. The human/mouse MLP subtypes also similarly expressed genes known to regulate early pancreas development, whereas the IT subtypes expressed genes characteristic of mature islet cells, suggesting different tumorigenesis pathways. In addition, these subtypes exhibit distinct metabolic profiles marked by differential pyruvate metabolism, substantiating the significance of their separate identities. SIGNIFICANCE This study involves a comprehensive cross-species integrated analysis of multi-omics profiles and histology to stratify PanNETs into subtypes with distinctive characteristics. We provide support for the RIP1-TAG2 mouse model as representative of its cognate human cancer with prospects to better understand PanNET heterogeneity and consider future applications of personalized cancer therapy. PMID:26446169

  14. Group B streptococcal metastatic endophthalmitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagelberg, H P; Petashnick, D E; To, K W; Woodcome, H A

    1994-04-15

    Reports of invasive Group B Streptococcus infection in adults with underlying medical conditions have been increasing. Ocular infection with this organism is unusual. Metastatic endophthalmitis in adults caused by this organism has been reported rarely and has only been associated with endocarditis. We encountered two cases of Group B streptococcal metastatic endophthalmitis in adults who did not have endocarditis. These cases reflect the increasing incidence of invasive Group B Streptococcus infection with its varying manifestations. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of considering this pathogen as a cause of metastatic endophthalmitis in adults with predisposing illnesses.

  15. PI3K-AKT-mTOR-Signaling and beyond: the Complex Network in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briest, Franziska; Grabowski, Patricia

    2014-01-01

    Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms are heterogeneous in their clinical behavior and require therapies specially tailored according to staging, grading, origin and expression of peptide receptors. Despite extensive scientific efforts, the therapy options are still not satisfactory. The main reasons are due to the lack of a broad mechanistic knowledge, an insufficient classification of specific diagnostic sub-groups, and predictive markers. GEP-NEN tumors evade early diagnosis because of slow asymptomatic growth behavior and are frequently not detected until metastasized. How signaling networks contribute to tumor progression and how these networks interact remains unclear in large parts. In this review we summarize the knowledge on the growth factor responsive non-angiogenetic pathways in sporadic GEP-NENs, highlight promising mechanistic research approaches, and describe important therapy targets. PMID:24578720

  16. Ectopic Cushing' syndrome caused by a neuroendocrine carcinoma of the mesentery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petersenn Stephan

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background ACTH overproduction within the pituitary gland or ectopically leads to hypercortisolism. Here, we report the first case of Cushing' syndrome caused by an ectopic ACTH-secreting neuroendocrine carcinoma of the mesentery. Moreover, diagnostic procedures and pitfalls associated with ectopic ACTH-secreting tumors are demonstrated and discussed. Case presentation A 41 year-old man presented with clinical features and biochemical tests suggestive of ectopic Cushing's syndrome. First, subtotal thyroidectomy was performed without remission of hypercortisolism, because an octreotide scan showed increased activity in the left thyroid gland and an ultrasound revealed nodules in both thyroid lobes one of which was autonomous. In addition, the patient had a 3 mm hypoenhancing lesion of the neurohypophysis and a 1 cm large adrenal tumor. Surgical removal of the pituitary lesion within the posterior lobe did not improve hypercortisolism and we continued to treat the patient with metyrapone to block cortisol production. At 18-months follow-up from initial presentation, we detected an ACTH-producing neuroendocrine carcinoma of the mesentery by using a combination of octreotide scan, computed tomography scan, and positron emission tomography. Intraoperatively, use of a gamma probe after administration of radiolabeled 111In-pentetreotide helped identify the mesenteric neuroendocrine tumor. After removal of this carcinoma, the patient improved clinically. Laboratory testing confirmed remission of hypercortisolism. An octreotide scan 7 months after surgery showed normal results. Conclusion This case underscores the diagnostic challenge in identifying an ectopic ACTH-producing tumor and the pluripotency of cells, in this case of mesenteric cells that can start producing and secreting ACTH. It thereby helps elucidate the pathogenesis of neuroendocrine tumors. This case also suggests that patients with ectopic Cushing's syndrome and an octreotide

  17. Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the mammary gland in a dog.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakahira, R; Michishita, M; Yoshimura, H; Hatakeyama, H; Takahashi, K

    2015-01-01

    A 10-year-old female border collie was presented with a mass (2 cm diameter) in the fifth mammary gland. The mass was located in the subcutis and the cut surface was grey-white in colour. Microscopically, the mass was composed of tumour cells arranged in nests of various sizes separated by delicate fibrovascular stroma. The tumour cells had small, round hypochromatic nuclei and abundant cytoplasm. Metastases were observed in the inguinal lymph node. Immunohistochemically, most tumour cells expressed cytokeratin (CK) 20, chromogranin A, neuron-specific enolase, synaptophysin and oestrogen receptor-β, but not low molecular weight CK (CAM5.2), p63 and insulin. Ultrastructurally, the tumour cells contained a large number of electron-dense granules corresponding to neuroendocrine granules. Based on these findings, this case was diagnosed as a neuroendocrine carcinoma of the mammary gland. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. If you don't look, you won't see: intravital multiphoton imaging of primary and metastatic breast cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bonapace, L.; Wyckoff, J.; Oertner, T.; van Rheenen, J.; Junt, T.; Bentires-Alj, M.

    2012-01-01

    A fundamental hallmark of cancer is progression to metastasis and the growth of breast cancer metastases in lung, bone, liver and/or brain causes fatal complications. Unfortunately, the cellular and biochemical mechanisms of the metastatic process remain ill-defined. Recent application of intravital

  19. Multicenter retrospective analysis of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) with high-level microsatellite instability (MSI-H).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldstein, J; Tran, B; Ensor, J; Gibbs, P; Wong, H L; Wong, S F; Vilar, E; Tie, J; Broaddus, R; Kopetz, S; Desai, J; Overman, M J

    2014-05-01

    The microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) phenotype, present in 15% of early colorectal cancer (CRC), confers good prognosis. MSI-H metastatic CRC is rare and its impact on outcomes is unknown. We describe survival outcomes and the impact of chemotherapy, metastatectomy, and BRAF V600E mutation status in the largest reported cohort of MSI-H metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). A retrospective review of 55 MSI-H metastatic CRC patients from two institutions, Royal Melbourne Hospital (Australia) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (United States), was conducted. Statistical analyses utilized Kaplan-Meier method, Log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards models. Median age was 67 years (20-90), 58% had poor differentiation, and 45% had stage IV disease at presentation. Median overall survival (OS) from metastatic disease was 15.4 months. Thirteen patients underwent R0/R1 metastatectomies, with median OS from metastatectomy 33.8 months. Thirty-one patients received first-line systemic chemotherapy for metastatic disease with median OS from the start of chemotherapy 11.5 months. No statistically significant difference in progression-free survival or OS was seen between fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, or irinotecan based chemotherapy. BRAF V600E mutation was present in 14 of 47 patients (30%). BRAF V600E patients demonstrated significantly worse median OS; 10.1 versus 17.3 months, P = 0.03. In multivariate analyses, BRAF V600E mutants had worse OS (HR 4.04; P = 0.005), while patients undergoing metastatectomy (HR 0.11; P = CRC do not appear to have improved outcomes. BRAF V600E mutation is a poor prognostic factor in MSI-H metastatic CRC.

  20. Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia: Report of two cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Fontán, Eva; Blanco Ramos, Montserrat; García, Jose Soro; Carrasco, Rommel; Cañizares, Miguel Ángel; González Piñeiro, Ana

    2018-05-19

    Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH) is a rare disorder characterized by a proliferation of neuroendocrine cells within the lung. It is classically described as a disease with persistent cough, dyspnea and wheezing in non-smoker middle aged females. CT of the chest reveals diffuse air trapping with mosaic pattern. We present two cases of DIPNECH that were sent to our department to perform a lung biopsy with the diagnostic suspicion of diffuse interstitial disease. Both cases were women with a history of chronic cough and moderate effort dyspnea. The aim of this paper is that physicians take into account this diagnostic entity before treating as an asthmatic a patient with these characteristics, not forgetting that they are prenoplastic lesions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  1. Outcome of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with {sup 177}Lu-octreotate in advanced grade 1/2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ezziddin, Samer; Khalaf, Feras; Vanezi, Maria; Haslerud, Torjan; Zreiqat, Abdullah Al; Biersack, Hans-Juergen; Sabet, Amir [University Hospital Bonn, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Bonn (Germany); Mayer, Karin [University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Bonn (Germany); Willinek, Winfried [University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Bonn (Germany)

    2014-05-15

    The clinical benefit of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNET) has not yet been well described and defined in its full extent due to limited data in this tumour subgroup. This study was intended to obtain robust, comparative data on the outcome and toxicity of standardized PRRT with {sup 177}Lu-octreotate in a well-characterized population of patients with advanced pNET of grade 1/2 (G1/2). We retrospectively analysed a cohort of 68 pNET patients with inoperable metastatic disease consecutively treated with {sup 177}Lu-octreotate (four intended cycles at 3-monthly intervals; mean activity per cycle 8.0 GBq). Of these 68 patients, 46 (67.6 %) had documented morphological tumour progression during the 12 months before initiation of treatment, and PRRT was the first-line systemic therapy in 35 patients (51.5 %). Response was evaluated according to modified Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) criteria and additionally with Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1. Survival was analysed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards model for univariate and multivariate analyses. Toxicity was assessed by standard follow-up laboratory work-up including blood count, and liver and renal function, supplemented with serial {sup 99m}Tc-DTPA clearance measurements. The median follow-up period was 58 months (range 4 - 112). Reversible haematotoxicity (grade 3 or more) occurred in four patients (5.9 %). No significant nephrotoxicity (grade 3 or more) was observed. Treatment responses (SWOG criteria) consisted of a partial response in 41 patients (60.3 %), a minor response in 8 (11.8 %), stable disease in 9 (13.2 %), and progressive disease in 10 (14.7 %). Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 34 (95 % CI 26 - 42) and 53 months (95 % CI 46 - 60), respectively. A G1 proliferation status was associated with longer PFS (p = 0.04) and OS (p = 0.044) in the multivariate analysis

  2. Further insights into the natural history and management of primary cutaneous neuroendocrine (merkel cell) carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyle, Frances; Pendlebury, Susan; Bell, David

    1995-01-01

    Purpose: Primary cutaneous neuroendocrine (Merkel cell) carcinoma is a rare neoplasm with aggressive behavior but potential for response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Optimal treatment regimens are evolving based on reports of case series and a growing understanding of the natural history. Methods and Materials: A retrospective analysis of 34 cases treated at two Australian Institutions over 13 years is presented, focusing on clinical features and response to therapy. Results: The aggressive nature of this neoplasm is confirmed by the local recurrence rate of 22% following surgical excision, the development of regional node metastases in 76%, and of distant metastases in 70%. Overall median survival was 24 months with 65% of patients succumbing to metastatic disease. An association with B cell malignancies and immunosuppressive therapy is noted, with these patients having a poorer outcome, and one spontaneous remission was observed. Radiation therapy produced responses in 21 of 30 measurable sites (11 complete, 10 partial), and in 11 sites irradiated prophylactically there was only one infield relapse (9%). Responses to chemotherapy were observed in 8 of 20 applications (40%), particularly carboplatin and etoposide given in the setting of regional node disease. Conclusion: In this poor prognosis tumor, further investigation of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy is warranted, as responsiveness of recurrent disease is confirmed. Immunological factors appear important in the natural history, and their manipulation may offer additional therapeutic options

  3. Pleuropulmonary and Lymph Node Progression after Docetaxel - Benefits from Treatment with Cabazitaxel in Metastatic Prostate Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angel Segura Huerta

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: To date, there are no guidelines for a rational and more favourable sequence of treatment after docetaxel. Two drugs (cabazitaxel and abiraterone have recently been approved as second-line treatment after docetaxel failure in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC, but there are no studies comparing abiraterone versus cabazitaxel. The most suitable drug is chosen based on the physician's opinion and the patient's characteristics. In patients with a good performance status who are able to receive either treatment, it would be convenient to begin with cabazitaxel and to reserve abiraterone in case there is a worsening of the general status, in consideration of abiraterone's more favourable toxicity profile. Case Report: We describe the case of a 74-year-old male with mCRPC who presented with an interesting and uncommon tumour dissemination (pleuropulmonary occurring after the first standard treatment with docetaxel. Intravenous treatment with cabazitaxel 25 mg/m2 and oral prednisone 10 mg continuously was initiated. The patient received a total of 8 cycles of chemotherapy. A reduction of mediastinal adenopathies and infrarenal para-aortic stable bone involvement and an absence of pleural effusion were observed. No relevant toxicity was noted. Since February 2012, a progressive PSA increase without clinical deterioration has been noted. Conclusions: The selection criteria for second- and third-line systemic treatment and the excellent response obtained with cabazitaxel in an unusual disease setting are described. The results confirm the long duration and quality of response of cabazitaxel treatment. Further therapeutic options in this group of patients are suggested.

  4. Therapy of neuroendocrine carcinoma with Y-90 DOTA- preliminary results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artiko, V.; Obradovic, V.; Nadezda, N.; Djokic, D.; Jankovic, D.; Popovic, B.; Damjanovic, S.; Mikolajczak, R.; Pawlak, D.

    2007-01-01

    Full text: Aim: Cell membrane-specific somatostatin receptors are usually expressed by neuroendocrine tumors. Radiolabelled receptor-binding somatostatin analogues target tissues expressing these receptors and can be used for visualization and treatment. After the localization of tumors bearing somatostatin receptors with 111In or 99mTc labeled somatostatin analogues, in the case of high tumor uptake related to non target tissues, different radioisotopes have been used for their treatment. Thus, application of high doses of 111In- DTPA-octreotide had an impact on improvement of the clinical symptoms, without significant reduction of the tumor mass. However, 90Y somatostatin analogues (DOTA TOC, lanreotide) may be more effective for reduction of the tissue of the larger tumors while 177Lu labeled ones may be applied in smaller tumors. Combination of both of them seems to be the most effective therapy, particularly in tumors bearing both small and large lesions. The aim of this work is presentation of the preliminary results of the therapy of NETs with another octreotide analogue, 90Y DOTA TATE, which so far has been proved to have high therapeutic potential when labeled with 177Lu. Patients and methods: We investigated 7 patients with neuroendocrine tumors (two patients had neuroendocrine pancreatic carcinomas with liver metastases (one of them had metastases in peritoneal lymph nodes), one patient with operated (resected) bronchial carcinoid and liver metastases, three patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas of unknown origin and hepatic metastases (one with skeletal metastases) and one with pancreatic gastrinoma without metastases (surgery was impossible to perform). In all of them, together with other laboratory analyses and imaging methods, scintigraphy with somatostatin analogues was performed (in 3 with 111In Octreoscan and in the other 4 with 99mTc HYNIC TOC) and high tumor uptake was observed. The therapy was performed with 2- 4,5 GBq 90Y DOTA TATE per

  5. Neuroendocrine Tumour in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We report the case of an HIV-positive female patient with neurofibromatosis type 1 who was treated for recurrent peptic ulcer disease and later developed diabetes mellitus and chronic diarrhoea. A metastasising somatostatinoma was histologically proven and evidence of a concomitant gastrin-producing neuroendocrine ...

  6. Evaluation of neuroendocrine tumors with 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC TOC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Artiko, Vera; Afgan, Aida; Petrović, Jelena; Radović, Branislava; Petrović, Nebojša; Vlajković, Marina; Šobić-Šaranović, Dragana; Obradović, Vladimir

    2016-01-01

    This paper is the short review of our preliminary results obtained with 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC. The total of 495 patients with different neuroendocrine tumors were investigated during last few years. There have been 334 true positive (TP), 73 true negative (TN), 6 false positive (FP) and 82 false negative findings (FN). Diagnosis was made according to SPECT findings in 122 patients (25%). The mean T/NT ratio for TP cases was significantly higher (p < 0.01) on SPECT (3.12 ± 1.13) than on whole body scan (2.2 ± 0.75). According to our results, overall sensitivity of the method is 80%, specificity 92%, positive predictive value 98%, negative predictive value 47% and accuracy 82%. Fifteen TP patients underwent therapy with 90Y-DOTATATE. Scintigraphy of neuroendocrine tumors with 99mTc-Tektrotyd is a useful method for diagnosis, staging and follow up of the patients suspected to have neuroendocrine tumors. SPECT had important role in diagnosis. It is also helpful in the appropriate choice of the therapy, including the peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. In the absence of 68Ga-labeled peptides and PET/CT, the special emphasize should be given to application of SPECT/CT as well as to the radioguided surgery.

  7. Primary Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Breast: Histopathological Criteria, Prognostic Factors, and Review of the Literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marinova, Lena; Vicheva, Snezhinka

    2016-01-01

    We present here a case of a 42-year-old woman diagnosed with primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast (NECB). We discuss the importance of histological criteria for primary neuroendocrine mammary carcinoma, established by WHO in 2003 and 2012. After an overview of different cases of primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast published in the literature, we present information about differential diagnosis, prognostic factors, and surgical and adjuvant treatment. Prognosis of NECB is not different from that of other invasive breast carcinomas and the most important prognostic factor is tumor grade (G). There is no standard treatment and patients should be treated similarly to patients with invasive ductal carcinoma, NOS (not otherwise specified), whose choice of therapy depends on tumor's size, degree of differentiation, clinical stage, and hormonal status. PMID:27840759

  8. Pathological characteristics and clinical specifications in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: a study of 68 cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoica-Mustafa, Elena; Pechianu, C; Iorgescu, Andreea; Hortopan, Monica; Dima, Simona Olimpia; Tomulescu, V; Dumitraşcu, T; Ungureanu, C; Andronesi, D; Popescu, I; Herlea, V

    2012-01-01

    Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) represent a group of tumors, having their origin in cells of diffuse endocrine system, with particular clinical course, diagnosis and treatment. In our study, were included 68 patients with neuroendocrine digestive tumors admitted, diagnosed and treated in Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, in the last ten years--2000-2010 (retrospective study). Thirty-three (49%) patients were males, 35 (51%) females, and the main age was 58.9 years. In 62 (90.3%) cases was possible to find the primary tumor. The examined tumors had different localizations: pancreas--32 (47.04%) cases (head--17 (24.99%) cases, and body and tail--15 (22.05%) cases), stomach--7 (10.29%) cases, small intestine--7 (10.29%) cases, 6 (8.82%) cases--unknown primary site (diagnosis was established on metastases), right colon--6 (8.82%) cases, liver--6 (8.82%) cases, rectum--2 (2.94%) cases, and retroperitoneum--2 (2.94%) cases. Microscopic examination revealed 59 (86.8%) malignant tumors and 9 (13.2%) benign tumors. Using WHO 2000 Classification, 28 cases of malignant tumors were well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas, and 31 cases were poor differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas. From malignant cases, 25 (42.3%) have distant metastases and 15 (25.9%) lymph node metastases. Cases of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors included in our study had clinical and histopathological features in correspondence with data from literature--slight predominance in women, predominance in 5th and 6th decades of life, the most frequent localizations were at pancreatic level--both head and body and tail, but the rarest were in colon and retroperitoneum. Most of the cases studied, were malignant tumors, from these more than a half were poor differentiated, and a quarter of them having lymph node or distant metastases.

  9. Enzalutamide in Men with Chemotherapy-naive Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer: Extended Analysis of the Phase 3 PREVAIL Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beer, T.M.; Armstrong, A.J.; Rathkopf, D.; Loriot, Y.; Sternberg, C.N.; Higano, C.S.; Iversen, P.; Evans, C.P.; Kim, C.S.; Kimura, G.; Miller, K.; Saad, F.; Bjartell, A.S.; Borre, M.; Mulders, P.; Tammela, T.L.; Parli, T.; Sari, S.; Os, S. van; Theeuwes, A.; Tombal, B.

    2017-01-01

    Enzalutamide significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) and overall survival (OS) among men with chemotherapy-naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer at the prespecified interim analysis of PREVAIL, a phase 3, double-blind, randomized study. We evaluated the

  10. Genomic alterations in neuroendocrine cancers of the ovary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaghmour, George; Prouet, Philippe; Wiedower, Eric; Jamy, Omer Hassan; Feldman, Rebecca; Chandler, Jason C; Pandey, Manjari; Martin, Mike G

    2016-08-26

    As we have previously reported, small cell carcinoma of the ovary (SCCO) is a rare, aggressive form of ovarian cancer associated with poor outcomes. In an effort to identify new treatment options, we utilized comprehensive genomic profiling to assess the potential for novel therapies in SCCO. Patients with SCCO, SCCO-HT (hypercalcemic type), neuroendocrine tumors of the ovary (NET-O), and small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCLC) profiled by Caris Life Sciences between 2007-2015 were identified. Tumors were assessed with up to 21 IHC stains, in situ hybridization of cMET, EGFR, HER2 and PIK3CA, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) as well as Sanger sequencing of selected genes. Forty-six patients with SCCO (10 SCCO, 18 SCCO-HT, 18 NET-O) were identified as well as 58 patients with SCLC for comparison. Patients with SCCO and SCCO-HT were younger (median 42 years [range 12-75] and 26 years [range 8-40], respectively) than patients with NET-O 62 [range 13-76] or SCLC 66 [range 36-86]. SCCO patients were more likely to be metastatic (70 %) than SCCO-HT (50 %) or NET-O (33 %) patients, but at a similar rate to SCLC patients (65 %). PD1 expression varied across tumor type with SCCO (100 %), SCCO-HT (60 %), NET-O (33 %) vs SCLC (42 %). PDL1 expression also varied with SCCO (50 %), SCCO-HT (20 %), NET-O (33 %) and SCLC (0 %). No amplifications were identified in cMET, EGFR, or HER2 and only 1 was found in PIK3CA (NET-O). Actionable mutations were rare with 1 patient with SCCO having a BRCA2 mutation and 1 patient with NET-O having a PIK3CA mutation. No other actionable mutations were identified. No recurrent actionable mutations or rearrangements were identified using this platform in SCCO. IHC patterns may help guide the use of chemotherapy in these rare tumors.

  11. Fulvestrant plus palbociclib versus fulvestrant plus placebo for treatment of hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer that progressed on previous endocrine therapy (PALOMA-3): final analysis of the multicentre, double-blind, phase 3 randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cristofanilli, Massimo; Turner, Nicholas C; Bondarenko, Igor; Ro, Jungsil; Im, Seock-Ah; Masuda, Norikazu; Colleoni, Marco; DeMichele, Angela; Loi, Sherene; Verma, Sunil; Iwata, Hiroji; Harbeck, Nadia; Zhang, Ke; Theall, Kathy Puyana; Jiang, Yuqiu; Bartlett, Cynthia Huang; Koehler, Maria; Slamon, Dennis

    2016-04-01

    In the PALOMA-3 study, the combination of the CDK4 and CDK6 inhibitor palbociclib and fulvestrant was associated with significant improvements in progression-free survival compared with fulvestrant plus placebo in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Identification of patients most suitable for the addition of palbociclib to endocrine therapy after tumour recurrence is crucial for treatment optimisation in metastatic breast cancer. We aimed to confirm our earlier findings with this extended follow-up and show our results for subgroup and biomarker analyses. In this multicentre, double-blind, randomised phase 3 study, women aged 18 years or older with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer that had progressed on previous endocrine therapy were stratified by sensitivity to previous hormonal therapy, menopausal status, and presence of visceral metastasis at 144 centres in 17 countries. Eligible patients-ie, any menopausal status, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1, measurable disease or bone disease only, and disease relapse or progression after previous endocrine therapy for advanced disease during treatment or within 12 months of completion of adjuvant therapy-were randomly assigned (2:1) via a centralised interactive web-based and voice-based randomisation system to receive oral palbociclib (125 mg daily for 3 weeks followed by a week off over 28-day cycles) plus 500 mg fulvestrant (intramuscular injection on days 1 and 15 of cycle 1; then on day 1 of subsequent 28-day cycles) or placebo plus fulvestrant. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival. Analysis was by intention to treat. We also assessed endocrine therapy resistance by clinical parameters, quantitative hormone-receptor expression, and tumour PIK3CA mutational status in circulating DNA at baseline. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01942135. Between Oct 7, 2013, and Aug 26, 2014, 521 patients were

  12. Intracardiac Metastatic Rhabdomyosarcoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tae Ho Kim

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A 70-year-old man who visited Samsung Medical Center reported experiencing palpitation for 2 weeks. He had undergone excision of a mass in the right buttock due to rhabdomyosarcoma 7 years prior to this visit. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a pedunculated mass in the left ventricle, which was thought to be a vegetation of infective endocarditis, metastasis of the primary tumor, or thrombus. He underwent removal of the cardiac tumor, and the pathologic report was metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma. Thus, here, we report a rare case of metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma in the left ventricle.

  13. The Use of Re-irradiation in Locally Recurrent, Non-metastatic Rectal Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Susko, Matthew; Lee, Jason; Salama, Joseph; Thomas, Samantha; Uronis, Hope; Hsu, David; Migaly, John; Willett, Christopher; Czito, Brian; Palta, Manisha

    2016-10-01

    The optimal approach to patients with locally recurrent, non-metastatic rectal cancer is unclear. This study evaluates the outcomes and toxicity associated with pelvic re-irradiation. Patients undergoing re-irradiation for locally recurrent, non-metastatic, rectal cancer between 2000 and 2014 were identified. Acute and late toxicities were assessed using common terminology criteria for adverse events version 4.0. Disease-related endpoints included palliation of local symptoms, surgical outcomes, and local progression-free survival (PFS), distant PFS and overall survival (OS) using the Kaplan-Meier method. Thirty-three patients met the criteria for inclusion in this study. Two (6 %) experienced early grade 3+ toxicity and seven (21 %) experienced late grade 3+ toxicity. Twenty-three patients presented with symptomatic local recurrence and 18 (78 %) reported symptomatic relief. Median local PFS was 8.7 (95 % CI 3.8-15.2) months, with a 2-year rate of 15.7 % (4.1-34.2), and median time to distant progression was 4.4 (2.2-33.3) months, with a 2-year distant PFS rate of 38.9 % (20.1-57.3). Median OS time for patients was 23.1 (11.1-33.0) months. Of the 14 patients who underwent surgery, median survival was 32.3 (13.8-48.0) months compared with 13.3 (2.2-33.0) months in patients not undergoing surgery (p = 0.10). A margin-negative (R0) resection was achieved in 10 (71 %) of the surgeries. Radiation treatment modality (intensity-modulated radiation therapy, three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, intraoperative radiation therapy) did not influence local or distant PFS or OS. Re-irradiation is a beneficial treatment modality for the management of locally recurrent, non-metastatic rectal cancer. It is associated with symptom improvement, low rates of toxicity, and similar benefits among radiation modalities.

  14. Approaches to radiotherapy in metastatic spinal cord compression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suppl, Morten Hiul

    2018-04-01

    Metastatic spinal cord compression is caused by the progression of metastatic lesions within the vicinity of the spinal cord. The consequences are very severe with loss of neurological function and severe pain. The standard treatment is surgical intervention followed by radiotherapy or radiotherapy alone. However, the majority of patients are treated with radiotherapy only due to contraindications to surgery and technical inoperability. Stereotactic body radiotherapy is a technology to deliver higher radiation dose to the radiotherapy target with the use of spatial coordinates. This modality has shown positive results in treating lesions in brain and lungs. Hence, it could prove beneficial in metastatic spinal cord compression. We designed and planned a trial to investigate this method in patients with metastatic spinal cord compression. The method was usable but the trial was stopped prematurely due to low accrual that made comparison with surgery impossible. Low accrual is a known problem for trials evaluating new approaches in radiotherapy. Target definition in radiotherapy of metastatic spinal cord compression is defined by patient history, examination and imaging. Functional imaging could provide information to guide target definition with the sparring of normal tissue e.g. spinal cord and hematopoietic tissue of the bone marrow. In future trials this may be used for dose escalation of spinal metastases. The trial showed that PET/MRI was feasible in this group of patients but did not change the radiotherapy target in the included patients. Neurological outcome is similar irrespective of course length and therefore single fraction radiotherapy is recommended for the majority of patients. In-field recurrence is a risk factor of both short and long fractionation schemes and re-irradiation have the potential risk of radiation-induced myelopathy. In a retrospective study of re-irradiation, we investigated the incidence of radiation-induced myelopathy. In our study

  15. Computed tomography scans of metastatic hepatic tumors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takemoto, Kazumasa; Fukuda, Haruyuki; Nemoto, Yutaka [Osaka City Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

    1984-01-01

    Computed tomography scans of 114 metastatic hepatic tumors were reviewed. Central low density was found in 82 cases (71.9%) and seems to be characteristic to metastatic hepatic tumors. Dynamic CT was performed on 34 cases, and 21 (61.8%) of these had ring enhancement at the arterial phase. Most of metastatic hepatic tumors could be differentiated from hepatocellular carcinoma. However, metastatic hepatic tumors from renal cell carcinoma, renal rhabdomyosarcoma, malignant melanoma and leiomyosarcoma could not be differentiated from hepatocellular carcinoma, even with use of dynamic study.

  16. Abiraterone in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mostaghel, Elahe A

    2014-01-01

    Androgen deprivation therapy remains the single most effective treatment for the initial therapy of advanced prostate cancer, but is uniformly marked by progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Residual tumor androgens and androgen axis activation are now recognized to play a prominent role in mediating CRPC progression. Despite suppression of circulating testosterone to castrate levels, castration does not eliminate androgens from the prostate tumor microenvironment and residual androgen levels are well within the range capable of activating the androgen receptor (AR) and AR-mediated gene expression. Accordingly, therapeutic strategies that more effectively target production of intratumoral androgens are necessary. The introduction of abiraterone, a potent suppressor of cytochrome P450 17 α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-mediated androgen production, has heralded a new era in the hormonal treatment of men with metastatic CRPC. Herein, the androgen and AR-mediated mechanisms that contribute to CRPC progression and establish cytochrome P450 17 α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase as a critical therapeutic target are briefly reviewed. The mechanism of action and pharmacokinetics of abiraterone are reviewed and its recently described activity against AR and 3-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase is discussed. The Phase I and II data initially demonstrating the efficacy of abiraterone and Phase III data supporting its approval for patients with metastatic CRPC are reviewed. The safety and tolerability of abiraterone, including the incidence and management of side effects and potential drug interactions, are discussed. The current place of abiraterone in CRPC therapy is reviewed and early evidence regarding cross-resistance of abiraterone with taxane therapy, mechanisms of resistance to abiraterone, and observations of an abiraterone withdrawal response are presented. Future directions in the use of abiraterone, including optimal dosing strategies, the role of

  17. Neuroendocrine control in social relationships in non-human primates: Field based evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziegler, Toni E; Crockford, Catherine

    2017-05-01

    Primates maintain a variety of social relationships and these can have fitness consequences. Research has established that different types of social relationships are unpinned by different or interacting hormonal systems, for example, the neuropeptide oxytocin influences social bonding, the steroid hormone testosterone influences dominance relationships, and paternal care is characterized by high oxytocin and low testosterone. Although the oxytocinergic system influences social bonding, it can support different types of social bonds in different species, whether pair bonds, parent-offspring bonds or friendships. It seems that selection processes shape social and mating systems and their interactions with neuroendocrine pathways. Within species, there are individual differences in the development of the neuroendocrine system: the social environment individuals are exposed to during ontogeny alters their neuroendocrine and socio-cognitive development, and later, their social interactions as adults. Within individuals, neuroendocrine systems can also have short-term effects, impacting on social interactions, such as those during hunting, intergroup encounters or food sharing, or the likelihood of cooperating, winning or losing. To understand these highly dynamic processes, extending research beyond animals in laboratory settings to wild animals living within their natural social and ecological setting may bring insights that are otherwise unreachable. Field endocrinology with neuropeptides is still emerging. We review the current status of this research, informed by laboratory studies, and identify questions particularly suited to future field studies. We focus on primate social relationships, specifically social bonds (mother-offspring, father-offspring, cooperative breeders, pair bonds and adult platonic friendships), dominance, cooperation and in-group/out-group relationships, and examine evidence with respect to the 'tend and defend' hypothesis. Copyright © 2017

  18. Hepatocellular carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation: clinical and imaging findings in five patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Seong Hoon; Kang, Myeong Jin; Cho, Jin Han

    2008-01-01

    To describe the clinical and imaging findings of hepatocellular carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation, which is an extremely rare variant of hepatocellular carcinoma. We collected five patients who had histopathologically proven hepatocellular carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation, and described morphologic feature, enhancement pattern of tumors, extrahepatic manifestation and clinical findings. At CT, the tumor size ranged from 8 to 17 cm (mean: 12 cm) in maximum diameter. The tumor margin was well-defined and smooth in four patients and all tumors were heterogeneously hypoattenuating. Four tumor showed rim enhancement on arterial and portal phases. Local invasion to the portal vein, intrahepatic duct and gallbladder were seen. Extrahepatic manifestations included hepatic metastases, lymph node metastasis. At ultrasonography, the tumor showed heterogeneously hyperechoic in all patients and hypoechoic rim was found in four patients. Of four patients who were followed up, one survived for 16 months after initial diagnosis, while the other three died within 3 months after initial diagnosis. As described above, clinical and imaging findings of hepatocellular carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation were not specific. However, this rare variant of hepatocellular carcinoma could be considered when hepatic tumor is found in an advanced stage and shows persistent rim enhancement at CT

  19. Randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III trial of sunitinib plus prednisone versus prednisone alone in progressive, metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michaelson, M Dror; Oudard, Stephane; Ou, Yen-Chuan; Sengeløv, Lisa; Saad, Fred; Houede, Nadine; Ostler, Peter; Stenzl, Arnulf; Daugaard, Gedske; Jones, Robert; Laestadius, Fredrik; Ullèn, Anders; Bahl, Amit; Castellano, Daniel; Gschwend, Juergen; Maurina, Tristan; Chow Maneval, Edna; Wang, Shaw-Ling; Lechuga, Maria Jose; Paolini, Jolanda; Chen, Isan

    2014-01-10

    We evaluated angiogenesis-targeted sunitinib therapy in a randomized, double-blind trial of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Men with progressive mCRPC after docetaxel-based chemotherapy were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive sunitinib 37.5 mg/d continuously or placebo. Patients also received oral prednisone 5 mg twice daily. The primary end point was overall survival (OS); secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS). Two interim analyses were planned. Overall, 873 patients were randomly assigned to receive sunitinib (n = 584) or placebo (n = 289). The independent data monitoring committee stopped the study for futility after the second interim analysis. After a median overall follow-up of 8.7 months, median OS was 13.1 months and 11.8 months for sunitinib and placebo, respectively (hazard ratio [HR], 0.914; 95% CI, 0.762 to 1.097; stratified log-rank test, P = .168). PFS was significantly improved in the sunitinib arm (median 5.6 v 4.1 months; HR, 0.725; 95% CI, 0.591 to 0.890; stratified log-rank test, P < .001). Toxicity and rates of discontinuations because of adverse events (AEs; 27% v 7%) were greater with sunitinib than placebo. The most common treatment-related grade 3/4 AEs were fatigue (9% v 1%), asthenia (8% v 2%), and hand-foot syndrome (7% v 0%). Frequent treatment-emergent grade 3/4 hematologic abnormalities were lymphopenia (20% v 11%), anemia (9% v 8%), and neutropenia (6% v < 1%). The addition of sunitinib to prednisone did not improve OS compared with placebo in docetaxel-refractory mCRPC. The role of antiangiogenic therapy in mCRPC remains investigational.

  20. A marked response to icotinib in a patient with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma harboring an EGFR mutation: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yuehong; Shen, Yi Hong; Ma, Shanni; Zhou, Jianying

    2015-09-01

    The present study reports the case of an 84-year-old male with primary pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) harboring an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation that exhibited a long-lasting response to the EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) icotinib. The patient had an extensive smoking history, a poor performance status, and presented with an irregular mass in the middle lobe of the right lung on computed tomography (CT) and an enlarged left supraclavicular lymph node on physical examination. Right middle lobe bronchial brushing during fiberoptic bronchoscopy identified poorly-differentiated cancer cells. The left supraclavicular lymph node was biopsied and a diagnosis of metastatic LCNEC was determined. Furthermore, an EGFR exon 19 deletion was identified by DNA sequencing. Following diagnosis, icotinib was administered at a dose of 125 mg three times a day. Chest CT scans were performed after 1 month of treatment, which indicated that the tumor was in partial remission. This marked response to icotinib lasted for 8 months. Thus, the present case illustrates the possibility of identifying EGFR mutations in LCNEC and indicates that EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be an alternative treatment strategy for patients with LCNEC harboring activating EGFR mutations.

  1. CT imaging findings of neuroendocrine tumor arising from tailgut cyst: a case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aydin, N.; Kara, T.; Kebapci, M.

    2012-01-01

    Full text: Introduction: We present a case of neuroendocrine tumor which is arisen from a tailgut cyst in a middle aged woman with its computed tomography (CT) imaging findings. Objective and tasks:The tailgut normally involutes by the eighth week of gestational age. If a tailgut rest proceeds, it may give rise to a tailgut cyst in the presacral space. Malign transformation of the tailgut cyst is very rare. Material and methods: A 35-year-old woman with a history of endometriosis admitted to our hospital for her routine control.An ultrasonography examination and contrast medium enhanced tomography of the abdomen and pelvis were performed. Results: CT showed multiple well-defined solid heterogen masses in presacral space. The patient underwent surgery. Pathology was reported as neuroendocrine tumor arising within tailgut cyst. Conclusion: Adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma, and sarcoma developing within the tailgut cyst has been reported. CT shows well-marginated presacral mass.If concurrent malignant transformation occurs, CT shows loss of margins and involvement of adjacent structures.Diagnosis of tailgut cyst is important because of it's malignant potential

  2. Quality and Timing of Stressors Differentially Impact on Brain Plasticity and Neuroendocrine-Immune Function in Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Capoccia

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A growing body of evidence suggests that psychological stress is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders. The basic mechanisms are still under investigation but involve changes in neuroendocrine-immune interactions, ultimately affecting brain plasticity. In this study we characterized central and peripheral effects of different stressors, applied for different time lengths, in adult male C57BL/6J mice. We compared the effects of repeated (7 versus 21 days restraint stress (RS and chronic disruption of social hierarchy (SS on neuroendocrine (corticosterone and immune function (cytokines and splenic apoptosis and on a marker of brain plasticity (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF . Neuroendocrine activation did not differ between SS and control subjects; by contrast, the RS group showed a strong neuroendocrine response characterized by a specific time-dependent profile. Immune function and hippocampal BDNF levels were inversely related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation. These data show a fine modulation of the crosstalk between central and peripheral pathways of adaptation and plasticity and suggest that the length of stress exposure is crucial to determine its final outcome on health or disease.

  3. MET Activation and Physical Dynamics of the Metastatic Process: The Paradigm of Cancers of Unknown Primary Origin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giulia M. Stella

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The molecular and cellular mechanisms which drive metastatic spread are the topic of constant debate and scientific research due to the potential implications for cancer patients' prognosis. In addition to genetics and environmental factors, mechanics of single cells and physical interaction with the surrounding environment play relevant role in defining invasive phenotype. Reconstructing the physical properties of metastatic clones may help to clarify still open issues in disease progression as well as to lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In this perspective cancer of unknown primary origin (CUP identify the ideal model to study physical interactions and forces involved in the metastatic process. We have previously demonstrated that MET oncogene is mutated with unexpected high frequency in CUPs. We here analyze and discuss how the MET activation by somatic mutation may affect physical properties in giving rise to such a highly malignant syndrome, as that defined by CUP.

  4. Paraneoplastic antigen Ma2 autoantibodies as specific blood biomarkers for detection of early recurrence of small intestine neuroendocrine tumors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Cui

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Small intestine neuroendocrine tumors (SI-NETs belong to a rare group of cancers. Most patients have developed metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, for which there is currently no cure. The delay in diagnosis is a major issue in the clinical management of the patients and new markers are urgently needed. We have previously identified paraneoplastic antigen Ma2 (PNMA2 as a novel SI-NET tissue biomarker. Therefore, we evaluated whether Ma2 autoantibodies detection in the blood stream is useful for the clinical diagnosis and recurrence of SI-NETs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A novel indirect ELISA was set up to detect Ma2 autoantibodies in blood samples of patients with SI-NET at different stages of disease. The analysis was extended to include typical and atypical lung carcinoids (TLC and ALC, to evaluate whether Ma2 autoantibodies in the blood stream become a general biomarker for NETs. In total, 124 blood samples of SI-NET patients at different stages of disease were included in the study. The novel Ma2 autoantibody ELISA showed high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy with ROC curve analysis underlying an area between 0.734 and 0.816. Ma2 autoantibodies in the blood from SI-NET patients were verified by western blot and sequential immunoprecipitation. Serum antibodies of patients stain Ma2 in the tumor tissue and neurons. We observed that SI-NET patients expressing Ma2 autoantibody levels below the cutoff had a longer progression and recurrence-free survival compared to those with higher titer. We also detected higher levels of Ma2 autoantibodies in blood samples from TLC and ALC patients than from healthy controls, as previously shown in small cell lung carcinoma samples. CONCLUSION: Here we show that high Ma2 autoantibody titer in the blood of SI-NET patients is a sensitive and specific biomarker, superior to chromogranin A (CgA for the risk of recurrence after radical operation of these tumors.

  5. Paraneoplastic antigen Ma2 autoantibodies as specific blood biomarkers for detection of early recurrence of small intestine neuroendocrine tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Tao; Hurtig, Monica; Elgue, Graciela; Li, Su-Chen; Veronesi, Giulia; Essaghir, Ahmed; Demoulin, Jean-Baptiste; Pelosi, Giuseppe; Alimohammadi, Mohammad; Öberg, Kjell; Giandomenico, Valeria

    2010-12-30

    Small intestine neuroendocrine tumors (SI-NETs) belong to a rare group of cancers. Most patients have developed metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, for which there is currently no cure. The delay in diagnosis is a major issue in the clinical management of the patients and new markers are urgently needed. We have previously identified paraneoplastic antigen Ma2 (PNMA2) as a novel SI-NET tissue biomarker. Therefore, we evaluated whether Ma2 autoantibodies detection in the blood stream is useful for the clinical diagnosis and recurrence of SI-NETs. A novel indirect ELISA was set up to detect Ma2 autoantibodies in blood samples of patients with SI-NET at different stages of disease. The analysis was extended to include typical and atypical lung carcinoids (TLC and ALC), to evaluate whether Ma2 autoantibodies in the blood stream become a general biomarker for NETs. In total, 124 blood samples of SI-NET patients at different stages of disease were included in the study. The novel Ma2 autoantibody ELISA showed high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy with ROC curve analysis underlying an area between 0.734 and 0.816. Ma2 autoantibodies in the blood from SI-NET patients were verified by western blot and sequential immunoprecipitation. Serum antibodies of patients stain Ma2 in the tumor tissue and neurons. We observed that SI-NET patients expressing Ma2 autoantibody levels below the cutoff had a longer progression and recurrence-free survival compared to those with higher titer. We also detected higher levels of Ma2 autoantibodies in blood samples from TLC and ALC patients than from healthy controls, as previously shown in small cell lung carcinoma samples. Here we show that high Ma2 autoantibody titer in the blood of SI-NET patients is a sensitive and specific biomarker, superior to chromogranin A (CgA) for the risk of recurrence after radical operation of these tumors.

  6. Dietary sodium modulation of aldosterone activation and renal function during the progression of experimental heart failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Wayne L; Borgeson, Daniel D; Grantham, J Aaron; Luchner, Andreas; Redfield, Margaret M; Burnett, John C

    2015-02-01

    Aldosterone activation is central to the sodium–fluid retention that marks the progression of heart failure (HF). The actions of dietary sodium restriction, a mainstay in HF management, on cardiorenal and neuroendocrine adaptations during the progression of HF are poorly understood. The study aim was to assess the role of dietary sodium during the progression of experimental HF. Experimental HF was produced in a canine model by rapid right ventricular pacing which evolves from early mild HF to overt, severe HF. Dogs were fed one of three diets: (i) high sodium [250 mEq (5.8 g) per day, n =6]; (ii) standard sodium [58 mEq (1.3 g) per day, n =6]; and (iii) sodium restriction [11 mEq (0.25 g) per day, n =6]. During the 38-day study, haemodynamics, renal function, plasma renin activity (PRA), and aldosterone were measured. Changes in haemodynamics at 38 days were similar in all three groups, as were changes in renal function. Aldosterone activation was demonstrated in all three groups; however, dietary sodium restriction, in contrast to high sodium, resulted in early (10 days) activation of PRA and aldosterone. High sodium demonstrated significant suppression of aldosterone activation over the course of HF progression. Excessive dietary sodium restriction particularly in early stage HF results in early aldosterone activation, while normal and excess sodium intake are associated with delayed or suppressed activation. These findings warrant evaluation in humans to determine if dietary sodium manipulation, particularly during early stage HF, may have a significant impact on neuroendocrine disease progression.

  7. Cutaneous metastatic adenocarcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshi Arun

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available A 5.5-year-old male presented with asymptomatic nodules and plaques on his scalp and pubic region of 2 months′ duration. He was having productive cough, haemoptysis, chest pain, anorexia and weight loss and receiving antitubercular treatment for these symptoms for last 3 months. Clinical diagnosis of cutaneous metastatic disease was made. Chest x-ray revealed multiple coin shaped shadows on both sides with pleural effusion. Routine investigations were normal except for anemia and hyperuricemia. Biopsy of skin nodules showed features of metastatic adenocarcinoma. Features and significance of cutaneous metastases are discussed.

  8. Feasibility and clinical value of CT-guided {sup 125}I brachytherapy for metastatic soft tissue sarcoma after first-line chemotherapy failure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mo, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Yanling; Xiang, Zhanwang; Yan, Huzhen; Zhong, Zhihui; Gao, Fei; Zhang, Fujun [Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Centre, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou (China); Zhang, Tao [Guangzhou Medical University, Department of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Anomalies, Guangzhou Women and Children' s Medical Centre, Guangzhou (China)

    2018-03-15

    To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of computed tomography (CT)-guided iodine{sup 125} ({sup 125}I) brachytherapy for patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) after first-line chemotherapy failure. We recruited 93 patients with metastatic STS who had received first-line chemotherapy 4-6 times but developed progressive disease, from January 2010 to July 2015; 45 patients who had combined {sup 125}I brachytherapy and second-line chemotherapy (Group A), and 48 patients who received second-line CT only (Group B). In Group A, 49 {sup 125}I seed implantation procedures were performed in 45 patients with 116 metastatic lesions; the primary success rate was 91.1% (41/45), without life-threatening complications. Local control rates at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months were 71.1%, 62.2%, 46.7%, 28.9% and 11.1% for Group A, and 72.9%, 54.2%, 18.8%, 6.3% and 0% for Group B. Mean progression-free survival differed significantly (Group A: 7.1±1.3 months; Group B: 3.6 ±1.1 months; P<0.001; Cox proportional hazards regression analysis), but overall survival did not significantly differ (Group A: 16.9 ±5.1 months; Group B: 12.1 ± 4.8 months). Group A showed better symptom relief and quality of life than Group B. CT-guided {sup 125}I brachytherapy is a feasible and valuable treatment for patients with metastatic STS. (orig.)

  9. Isoform 1 of TPD52 (PC-1) promotes neuroendocrine transdifferentiation in prostate cancer cells

    KAUST Repository

    Moritz, Tom

    2016-02-05

    The tumour protein D52 isoform 1 (PC-1), a member of the tumour protein D52 (TPD52) protein family, is androgen-regulated and prostate-specific expressed. Previous studies confirmed that PC-1 contributes to malignant progression in prostate cancer with an important role in castration-resistant stage. In the present work, we identified its impact in mechanisms leading to neuroendocrine (NE) transdifferentiation. We established for long-term PC-1 overexpression an inducible expression system derived from the prostate carcinoma cell line LNCaP. We observed that PC-1 overexpression itself initiates characteristics of neuroendocrine cells, but the effect was much more pronounced in the presence of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). Moreover, to our knowledge, this is the first report that treatment with IL-6 leads to a significant upregulation of PC-1 in LNCaP cells. Other TPD52 isoforms were not affected. Proceeding from this result, we conclude that PC-1 overexpression enhances the IL-6-mediated differentiation of LNCaP cells into a NE-like phenotype, noticeable by morphological changes and increased expression of typical NE markers, like chromogranin A, synaptophysin or beta-3 tubulin. Immunofluorescent staining of IL-6-treated PC-1-overexpressing LNCaP cells indicates a considerable PC-1 accumulation at the end of the long-branched neuron-like cell processes, which are typically formed by NE cells. Additionally, the experimentally initiated NE transdifferentiation correlates with the androgen receptor status, which was upregulated additively. In summary, our data provide evidence for an involvement of PC-1 in NE transdifferentiation, frequently associated with castration resistance, which is a major therapeutic challenge in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

  10. Phase I/II study on docetaxel, gemcitabine and prednisone in castrate refractory metastatic prostate cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buch-Hansen, Trine Zeeberg; Bentzen, Lise Nørgaard; Hansen, Steinbjoern

    2010-01-01

    DGP, maximum of eight courses, until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) was administered intravenously day 1, gemcitabine was given day 1 and 8 in doses increasing from 600 to 1,000 mg/m(2) every third week. Patients had castrate refractory metastatic prostate cancer (CRMPC......), adequate function of liver, kidney and bone marrow; ECOG performance status...

  11. Hemodynamic and neuroendocrine responses to changes in sodium intake in compensated heart failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Damgaard, Morten; Norsk, Peter; Gustafsson, Finn

    2005-01-01

    inhibitors and beta-adrenoreceptor blockers. Therefore, we determined the hemodynamic and neuroendocrine responses to 1 wk of a low-sodium diet (70 mmol/day) and 1 wk of a high-sodium diet (250 mmol/day) in 12 HF patients and 12 age-matched controls in a randomized, balanced fashion. During steady......-state conditions, hemodynamic and neuroendocrine examinations were performed at rest and during bicycle exercise. In seated HF patients, high sodium intake increased body weight (1.6 +/- 0.4%), plasma volume (9 +/- 2%), cardiac index (14 +/- 6%), and stroke volume index (21 +/- 5%), whereas mean arterial pressure...

  12. Neuro-endocrine carcinoma of lung

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castillo P, Luis Fernando; Restrepo Uribe, Santiago

    1996-01-01

    Review of a case of pathologically proven neuroendocrine tumour of the lung, with clinical and radiological correlation. The case of a young patient is presented that in the first month, it presents two episodes of pneumonitis of the superior lobe from the left lung to the one who after the imagenologic studies and pathological practiced, it was made the diagnose definitive of tumor carcinoid of the lung. Due to the drop incidence in the presentation of this type of tumors in the lung, a revision of the general aspects so much is made clinical as pathological, as well as of the discoveries but important from the imagenologic point of view

  13. {sup 18}F-FDG PET predicts survival after pretargeted radioimmunotherapy in patients with progressive metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salaun, Pierre-Yves; Robin, Philippe [University Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Department, Brest (France); Campion, Loic [ICO-Gauducheau Cancer Institute, Statistical Department, Nantes (France); Ansquer, Catherine; Mathieu, Cedric [University Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Department, Nantes (France); Frampas, Eric [University Hospital, Radiology Department, Nantes (France); Universite de Nantes, Nantes-Angers Cancer Research Center, Inserm, U 892, CNRS, UMR 6299, Nantes (France); Bournaud, Claire [University Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Department, Lyon (France); Vuillez, Jean-Philippe [University Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Department, Grenoble (France); Taieb, David [University Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Department, Marseille (France); Rousseau, Caroline [Universite de Nantes, Nantes-Angers Cancer Research Center, Inserm, U 892, CNRS, UMR 6299, Nantes (France); ICO-Rene Gauducheau, Nuclear Medicine Department, Nantes (France); Drui, Delphine [University Hospital, Endocrinology Department, Nantes (France); Mirallie, Eric [University Hospital, Surgery Department, Nantes (France); Borson-Chazot, Francoise [University Hospital, Endocrinology Department, Lyon (France); Goldenberg, David M. [IBC Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Immunomedics, Inc., Morris Plains, NJ (United States); Center for Molecular Medicine and Immunology, Garden State Cancer Center, Morris Plains, NJ (United States); Chatal, Jean-Francois [GIP ARRONAX, Saint-Herblain (France); Barbet, Jacques [Universite de Nantes, Nantes-Angers Cancer Research Center, Inserm, U 892, CNRS, UMR 6299, Nantes (France); GIP ARRONAX, Saint-Herblain (France); Kraeber-Bodere, Francoise [University Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Department, Nantes (France); Universite de Nantes, Nantes-Angers Cancer Research Center, Inserm, U 892, CNRS, UMR 6299, Nantes (France); ICO-Rene Gauducheau, Nuclear Medicine Department, Nantes (France); Hotel Dieu University Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Department, Nantes (France)

    2014-08-15

    PET is a powerful tool for assessing targeted therapy. Since {sup 18}F-FDG shows a potential prognostic value in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), this study evaluated {sup 18}F-FDG PET alone and combined with morphological and biomarker evaluations as a surrogate marker of overall survival (OS) in patients with progressive metastatic MTC treated with pretargeted anti-CEA radioimmunotherapy (pRAIT) in a phase II clinical trial. Patients underwent PET associated with morphological imaging (CT and MRI) and biomarker evaluations, before and 3 and 6 months, and then every 6 months, after pRAIT for 36 months. A combined evaluation was performed using anatomic, metabolic and biomarker methods. The prognostic value of the PET response was compared with demographic parameters at inclusion including age, sex, RET mutation, time from initial diagnosis, calcitonin and CEA concentrations and doubling times (DT), SUV{sub max}, location of disease and bone marrow involvement, and with response using RECIST, biomarker concentration variation, impact on DT, and combined methods. Enrolled in the study were 25 men and 17 women with disease progression. The median OS from pRAIT was 3.7 years (0.2 to 6.5 years) and from MTC diagnosis 10.9 years (1.7 to 31.5 years). After pRAIT, PET/CT showed 1 patient with a complete response, 4 with a partial response and 24 with disease stabilization. The combined evaluation showed 20 responses. For OS from pRAIT, univariate analysis showed the prognostic value of biomarker DT (P = 0.011) and SUV{sub max} (P = 0.038) calculated before pRAIT and impact on DT (P = 0.034), RECIST (P = 0.009), PET (P = 0.009), and combined response (P = 0.004) measured after pRAIT. PET had the highest predictive value with the lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC 74.26) as compared to RECIST (AIC 78.06), biomarker variation (AIC 81.94) and impact on DT (AIC 79.22). No benefit was obtained by combining the methods (AIC 78.75). This result was confirmed by the

  14. Ectopic Cushing' syndrome caused by a neuroendocrine carcinoma of the mesentery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fasshauer, Mathias; Paschke, Ralf; Koch, Christian A; Lincke, Thomas; Witzigmann, Helmut; Kluge, Regine; Tannapfel, Andrea; Moche, Michael; Buchfelder, Michael; Petersenn, Stephan; Kratzsch, Juergen

    2006-01-01

    ACTH overproduction within the pituitary gland or ectopically leads to hypercortisolism. Here, we report the first case of Cushing' syndrome caused by an ectopic ACTH-secreting neuroendocrine carcinoma of the mesentery. Moreover, diagnostic procedures and pitfalls associated with ectopic ACTH-secreting tumors are demonstrated and discussed. A 41 year-old man presented with clinical features and biochemical tests suggestive of ectopic Cushing's syndrome. First, subtotal thyroidectomy was performed without remission of hypercortisolism, because an octreotide scan showed increased activity in the left thyroid gland and an ultrasound revealed nodules in both thyroid lobes one of which was autonomous. In addition, the patient had a 3 mm hypoenhancing lesion of the neurohypophysis and a 1 cm large adrenal tumor. Surgical removal of the pituitary lesion within the posterior lobe did not improve hypercortisolism and we continued to treat the patient with metyrapone to block cortisol production. At 18-months follow-up from initial presentation, we detected an ACTH-producing neuroendocrine carcinoma of the mesentery by using a combination of octreotide scan, computed tomography scan, and positron emission tomography. Intraoperatively, use of a gamma probe after administration of radiolabeled 111 In-pentetreotide helped identify the mesenteric neuroendocrine tumor. After removal of this carcinoma, the patient improved clinically. Laboratory testing confirmed remission of hypercortisolism. An octreotide scan 7 months after surgery showed normal results. This case underscores the diagnostic challenge in identifying an ectopic ACTH-producing tumor and the pluripotency of cells, in this case of mesenteric cells that can start producing and secreting ACTH. It thereby helps elucidate the pathogenesis of neuroendocrine tumors. This case also suggests that patients with ectopic Cushing's syndrome and an octreotide scan positive in atypical locations may benefit from

  15. Phase I/II Study of Metastatic Melanoma Patients Treated with Nivolumab Who Had Progressed after Ipilimumab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Jeffrey; Gibney, Geoffrey; Kudchadkar, Ragini; Yu, Bin; Cheng, Pingyan; Martinez, Alberto J; Kroeger, Jodie; Richards, Allison; McCormick, Lori; Moberg, Valerie; Cronin, Heather; Zhao, Xiuhua; Schell, Michael; Chen, Yian Ann

    2016-04-01

    The checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab is active in patients with metastatic melanoma who have failed ipilimumab. In this phase I/II study, we assessed nivolumab's safety in 92 ipilimumab-refractory patients with unresectable stage III or IV melanoma, including those who experienced grade 3-4 drug-related toxicity to ipilimumab. We report long-term survival, response duration, and biomarkers in these patients after nivolumab treatment (3 mg/kg) every 2 weeks for 24 weeks, then every 12 weeks for up to 2 years, with or without a multipeptide vaccine. The response rate for ipilimumab-refractory patients was 30% (95% CI, 21%-41%). The median duration of response was 14.6 months, median progression-free survival was 5.3 months, and median overall survival was 20.6 months, when patients were followed up for a median of 16 months. One- and 2-year survival rates were 68.4% and 31.2%, respectively. Ipilimumab-naïve and ipilimumab-refractory patients showed no significant difference in survival. The 21 patients with prior grade 3-4 toxicity to ipilimumab that was managed with steroids tolerated nivolumab well, with 62% (95% CI, 38%-82%) having complete or partial responses or stabilized disease at 24 weeks. High numbers of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) were associated with poor survival. Thus, survival and long-term safety were excellent in ipilimumab-refractory patients treated with nivolumab. Prior grade 3-4 immune-related adverse effects from ipilimumab were not indicative of nivolumab toxicities, and patients had a high overall rate of remission or stability at 24 weeks. Prospectively evaluating MDSC numbers before treatment could help assess the expected benefit of nivolumab. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  16. Radioembolization for Neuroendocrine Liver Metastases: Safety, Imaging, and Long-Term Outcomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Memon, Khairuddin; Lewandowski, Robert J. [Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (United States); Mulcahy, Mary F. [Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (United States); Riaz, Ahsun; Ryu, Robert K.; Sato, Kent T.; Gupta, Ramona; Nikolaidis, Paul; Miller, Frank H.; Yaghmai, Vahid; Gates, Vanessa L.; Atassi, Bassel [Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (United States); Newman, Steven [Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (United States); Omary, Reed A. [Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (United States); Benson, Al B. [Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (United States); Salem, Riad, E-mail: r-salem@northwestern.edu [Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (United States); Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (United States)

    2012-07-01

    Purpose: To present long-term outcomes on the safety and efficacy of Yttrium-90 radioembolization in the treatment of unresectable hepatic neuroendocrine metastases refractory to standard-of-care therapy. Methods and Materials: This study was approved by our institutional review board and was compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Forty patients with hepatic neuroendocrine metastases were treated with {sup 90}Y radioembolization at a single center. Toxicity was assessed using National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria v3.0. Response to therapy was assessed by World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for size and European Association for the Study of the Liver disease (EASL) guidelines for necrosis. Time to response and overall survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results: The median dose was 113 Gy (29-299 Gy). Clinical toxicities included fatigue (63%), nausea/vomiting (40%), abdominal pain (18%), fever (8%), diarrhea and weight loss (5%); Grade 3 and 4 bilirubin toxicities were experienced by 2 patients and 1 patient, respectively. Different responses were noted by WHO (complete response, 1.2%; partial response, 62.7%) and EASL (complete response, 20.5%; partial response, 43.4%). Median time to response was 4 and 4.9 months by lesion and patient, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 72.5%, 62.5%, and 45%, respectively. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score 0 (p < 0.0001), tumor burden {<=}25% (p = 0.0019), albumin {>=}3.5 g/dL (p = 0.017), and bilirubin {<=}1.2 mg/dL (p = 0.002) prognosticated survival on univariate analysis; only ECOG performance score 0 and bilirubin {<=}1.2 mg/dL prognosticated better survival outcome on multivariate analysis (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.02). Conclusion: Yttrium-90 therapy for hepatic neuroendocrine metastases leads to satisfactory tumor response and patient survival

  17. Long-term neuro-endocrine sequelae after treatment for childhood medulloblastoma

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heikens, J.; Michiels, E. M.; Behrendt, H.; Endert, E.; Bakker, P. J.; Fliers, E.

    1998-01-01

    The occurrence of neuro-endocrine deficiencies following craniospinal irradiation for medulloblastoma is well known, but data concerning the spectrum and prevalence of endocrine abnormalities in adulthood are scarce. We studied endocrine function in 20 (median age 25 years) adult subjects, 8-25

  18. Metastatic pattern and DNA ploidy in stage IV breast cancer at initial diagnosis. Relation to response and survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Lena, M; Romero, A; Rabinovich, M; Leone, B; Vallejo, C; Machiavelli, M; Cuevas, M; Rodriguez, R; Lacava, J; Perez, J

    1993-06-01

    Sixty-nine patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) at initial diagnosis were analyzed to verify if metastatic pattern and clinical outcome are related to DNA ploidy determined by flow cytometry (FCM). Characteristics of 55 fully evaluable patients were as follows: median age: 61 years; postmenopausal: 75%; bone-only metastases (BM): 60%; extraosseous-only metastases (EM): 40%. Overall response rates (CR + PR) obtained with different chemotherapies and/or hormonal therapies were 58% and 68% for patients with BM and EM, respectively. Sixty percent of specimens resulted aneuploid, and the mean coefficient of variation of the complete series was 5.1%. In the whole group of patients DNA ploidy of primary tumor did not predict the metastatic pattern and had no influence upon response to treatment, duration of response, time to progression, and overall survival. When analyses were carried out according to metastatic pattern, those patients with BM showed similar results. However, within the group with EM, those with diploid tumors presented a significantly better survival (median 18 vs 13 months, p = .04). FCM-DNA analysis seems to identify a subgroup of patients with poor prognosis constituted by those who had aneuploid primary tumors and metastases to extraosseous sites.

  19. Long survival in a patient with metastatic colorrectal carcinoma: reality or utopia?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Illán, Andrea; Aires, Jonathan; Quintana, Laura

    2017-09-01

    We report the case of a 42-year-old male patient with mucinous-type metastatic colorectal carcinoma of eight years of evolution. He has received multiple lines of cytostatic treatment with acceptable tolerance and without significant impairment in his quality of life. At present, it is estimated that the overall survival of metastatic colon cancer in cytostatic treatment is around 24 months. However, a small subset of patients may present prolonged survivals of 5 to 10 years after diagnosis, revealing heterogeneity of tumor behavior and response to treatment. Our clinical case represents a long survivor patient despite the advanced stage of his oncological mucinous-colorrectal disease, endorsed in the scientific literature as having worse rates of objective response and less survival. There are different therapeutic approaches that can achieve a significant overall survival. It is essential in clinical practice to use all drugs available to achieve increase of progression-free survival and overall survival, with maintenance of an adequate quality of life.

  20. Metastatic Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metastatic cancer is cancer that spreads from its site of origin to another part of the body. Learn how cancer spreads, possible symptoms, common sites where cancer spreads, and how to find out about treatment options.

  1. [Neuroendocrine immunomodulation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchakin, P N; Uchakina, O N; Tobin, B V; Ershov, F I

    2007-01-01

    Close interaction between the immune and nervous systems is well documented. The ability of immunocompetent cells to express receptors to neuroendocrine mediators as well as secrete many of them is proved. The current literature suggests that the hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonodal axes play the most significant role in the regulation of immune responsiveness. On the other hand, the immune system communicates with the CNS directly through the cytokines that are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, or directly via the nervus vagus, as well as via secondary messengers. Receptors to a number of cytokines have been found in the nervous tissue. Moreover, glial cells are able to secrete cytokines in the amount significant enough for at least autocrine action. In this article, the authors review the role of the "major" stress hormones such as cortisol, DHEA, growth hormone in the regulation of immune response, as well as neuro- and psychotropic properties of two major groups of cytokines that support cell-mediated (Type 1) and humoral (Type 2) immune reactions. This review emphasizes neuro-endocrine-immune interactions in response to infection both under laboratory and clinical conditions.

  2. Imaging findings of neuroendocrine neoplasm in biliary duct with liver metastasis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oh, Jung Hwa; Chung, Dong Jin; Hahn, Sung Tae; Lee, Jae Moon [Dept. of Radiology, Yeouido St. Mary' s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-09-15

    A 64-year-old man was transferred to our hospital because of indigestion and jaundice. The initial abdominal CT and MRI revealed a 2.0 cm enhancing mass in the proximal common bile duct (CBD) with several enlarged lymph nodes. The mass was presumed to be a cholangiocarcinoma, and a CBD segmental resection and choledochojejunostomy was performed. However, the final diagnosis was that of a mixed endocrine-exocrine carcinoma, a high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasm. Seven months after the operation, a follow-up abdominal CT study revealed multiple small arterial enhancing nodules in both hepatic lobes. A sono-guided liver biopsy confirmed these as metastastic mixed endocrine-exocrine carcinoma. This case is unique in that the imaging study regarding the neuroendocrine neoplasm of biliary duct has not been previously reported.

  3. Neuroendocrine tumors: a review of the clinical aspects, diagnosis and treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez Fernandez, Lisbet; Hernandez Yero, Arturo; Pina Rivera, Yordanka; Yanes Quesada, Marelys

    2008-01-01

    The study of neuroendocrine tumors has been object of interests by medical science. Different methods have been developed for their diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, each of them with its advantages and inconveniences. The published results are based on the experience of other countries, and it would be very useful to apply them in our country to get closer to the real incidence of these tumors in our environment and to have an adequate treatment of the patients affected with this disease. The objective of this paper is to offer a view of the current trends as regards the clinical aspects, the diagnosis and treatment of the neuroendocrine tumors that serves as a working tool for medical practice and for the teaching activity of the physicians related to this topic

  4. Review article: the investigation and management of gastric neuroendocrine tumours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basuroy, R; Srirajaskanthan, R; Prachalias, A; Quaglia, A; Ramage, J K

    2014-05-01

    Gastric carcinoids (GCs) or neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are increasingly identified at endoscopy, and account for 0.6-2% of all gastric polyps identified. The SEER database in the US has demonstrated a rising incidence of gastric NETs amongst all NETs; from 2.2% between 1950 and 1969 to 6.0% between 2000 and 2007. To review the literature and assist clinicians in managing patients with GCs. A literature search was conducted through MEDLINE using search terms: gastric, carcinoid, neuroendocrine tumour, therapy, endoscopy, mucosal resection, submucosal dissection. Relevant articles were identified through manual review. The reference lists of these articles were reviewed to include further appropriate articles. There are three types of GCs with important epidemiological, pathophysiological, histological and endoscopic differences that affect prognosis and management. Type 1 and 2 GCs develop in the context of hypergastrinaemia that originates from achlorhydria in atrophic gastritis and a gastrinoma, respectively. Type 3 GCs occur sporadically and independent of gastrin. The histological type, grade and Ki67 index are used to determine prognosis and direct clinical management. Type 1 GCs >1 cm in size and type 2 GCs should be assessed for invasion beyond the submucosa with EUS prior to endoscopic resection with EMR or ESD. Type 3 GCs should be managed as per recommendations for gastric adenocarcinoma. The treatment of advanced disease is multimodal. Patients with gastric carcinoids should be discussed in a specialist neuroendocrine tumour multidisciplinary meeting to ensure all treatment options are explored in localised and advanced disease. Areas of controversy exist that need further research. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Dramatic Clinical Response of Relapsed Metastatic Extramammary Paget’s Disease to Trastuzumab Monotherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Wakabayashi

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We report the first case of 68-year-old Japanese woman with metastatic HER2-positive extramammary Paget’s disease that showed the validity of trastuzumab monotherapy. We administered trastuzumab at a loading dose of 8 mg/kg i.v., followed by a 6 mg/kg maintenance dose every three weeks according to a protocol for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancers and a near-complete response was achieved after the tenth infusion. The patient experienced a moderate headache and flushing during the first infusion, but had no advanced effects during subsequent infusions with ibuprofen and d-chlorpheniramine maleate. Given the dramatic response, the patient has had 17 infusions of trastuzumab with no disease progression. Thus, trastuzumab has few side effects and is well tolerated for elderly patients. It may become a new choice of the adjubant therapy of this disease.

  6. Trifluridine/Tipiracil (TAS-102) in Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Multicenter Register in the Frame of the Italian Compassionate Use Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremolini, Chiara; Rossini, Daniele; Martinelli, Erika; Pietrantonio, Filippo; Lonardi, Sara; Noventa, Silvia; Tamburini, Emiliano; Frassineti, Giovanni Luca; Mosconi, Stefania; Nichetti, Federico; Murgioni, Sabina; Troiani, Teresa; Borelli, Beatrice; Zucchelli, Gemma; Dal Maso, Alessandro; Sforza, Vincenzo; Masi, Gianluca; Antoniotti, Carlotta; Di Bartolomeo, Maria; Miceli, Rosalba; Ciardiello, Fortunato; Falcone, Alfredo

    2018-05-08

    TAS-102 is indicated for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) previously treated with, or not considered candidates for, available therapies. Given the complete inefficacy in half of patients, the lack of predictive factors, the palliative setting, and the financial and clinical toxicity, optimizing the cost-benefit ratio is crucial. The "ColonLife" nomogram allows an estimate of the 12-week life expectancy of patients with refractory mCRC. We collected data from patients treated at eight Italian centers in the compassionate use program. Baseline characteristics of patients who were or were not progression free at 6 months were compared. The discriminative ability of the ColonLife nomogram was assessed. Among patients who received both TAS-102 and regorafenib, clinical outcomes of the two sequences were compared. This study included 341 patients. Six (2%) and 93 (27%) patients achieved response and disease stabilization, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.4 months with an estimated 6-month PFS rate of 19%; the median overall survival (OS) was 6.2 months. An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) of 0, normal lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and a time from the diagnosis of metastatic disease of >18 months were independently associated with higher chances of a patient being progression free at 6 months. The discriminative ability of ColonLife was confirmed. Among 121 patients who received both regorafenib and TAS-102, no differences in first or second PFS or OS were reported between the two sequences. One out of five patients achieves clinical benefit with TAS-102. ECOG PS, LDH, and time from diagnosis of metastatic disease may help to identify these patients. Excluding patients with very short life expectancy appears a reasonable approach. Improving the cost-efficacy ratio of TAS-102 in metastatic colorectal cancer is needed to spare useless toxicities in a definitely palliative setting. Eastern

  7. Working after a metastatic cancer diagnosis: Factors affecting employment in the metastatic setting from ECOG-ACRIN's Symptom Outcomes and Practice Patterns study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tevaarwerk, Amye J; Lee, Ju-Whei; Terhaar, Abigail; Sesto, Mary E; Smith, Mary Lou; Cleeland, Charles S; Fisch, Michael J

    2016-02-01

    Improved survival for individuals with metastatic cancer accentuates the importance of employment for cancer survivors. A better understanding of how metastatic cancer affects employment is a necessary step toward the development of tools for assisting survivors in this important realm. The ECOG-ACRIN Symptom Outcomes and Practice Patterns study was analyzed to investigate what factors were associated with the employment of 680 metastatic cancer patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare patients stably working with patients no longer working. There were 668 metastatic working-age participants in the analysis: 236 (35%) worked full- or part-time, whereas 302 (45%) had stopped working because of illness. Overall, 58% reported some change in employment due to illness. A better performance status and non-Hispanic white ethnicity/race were significantly associated with continuing to work despite a metastatic cancer diagnosis in the multivariate analysis. The disease type, time since metastatic diagnosis, number of metastatic sites, location of metastatic disease, and treatment status had no significant impact. Among the potentially modifiable factors, receiving hormonal treatment (if a viable option) and decreasing symptom interference were associated with continuing to work. A significant percentage of the metastatic patients remained employed; increased symptom burden was associated with a change to no longer working. Modifiable factors resulting in work interference should be minimized so that patients with metastatic disease may continue working if this is desired. Improvements in symptom control and strategies developed to help address workplace difficulties have promise for improving this aspect of survivorship. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

  8. 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT-PET Imaging for Monitoring Everolimus Effect on Tumor-Growth in Neuroendocrine Tumors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johnbeck, Camilla Bardram; Munk Jensen, Mette; Nielsen, Carsten Haagen

    2014-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: The mTOR inhibitor everolimus has shown promising results in some but not all neuroendocrine tumors. Therefore, early assessment of treatment response would be beneficial. In this study, we investigated the in vivo and in vitro treatment effect of everolimus in neuroendocrine tumors...

  9. Validation of the EORTC QLQ-GINET21 questionnaire for assessing quality of life of patients with gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumours

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yadegarfar, G; Friend, L; Jones, Leigh Robert

    2013-01-01

    Quality of life is an important end point in clinical trials, yet there are few quality of life questionnaires for neuroendocrine tumours.......Quality of life is an important end point in clinical trials, yet there are few quality of life questionnaires for neuroendocrine tumours....

  10. Importance of Metastatic Lymph Node Ratio in Non-Metastatic, Lymph Node-Invaded Colon Cancer: A Clinical Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isik, Arda; Peker, Kemal; Firat, Deniz; Yilmaz, Bahri; Sayar, Ilyas; Idiz, Oguz; Cakir, Coskun; Demiryilmaz, Ismail; Yilmaz, Ismayil

    2014-01-01

    Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic importance of the metastatic lymph node ratio for stage III colon cancer patients and to find a cut-off value at which the overall survival and disease-free survival change. Material/Methods Patients with pathological stage III colon cancer were retrospectively evaluated for: age; preoperative values of Crp, Cea, Ca 19-9, and Afp; pathologic situation of vascular, perineural, lymphatic, and serosal involvement; and metastatic lymph node ratio values were calculated. Results The study included 58 stage III colon cancer patients: 20 (34.5%) females and 38 (65.5%) males were involved in the study. Multivariate analysis was applied to the following variables to evaluate significance for overall survival and disease-free survival: age, Crp, Cea, perineural invasion, and metastatic lymph node ratio. The metastatic lymph node ratio (<0.25 or ≥0.25) is the only independent variable significant for overall and disease-free survival. Conclusions Metastatic lymph node ratio is an ideal prognostic marker for stage III colon cancer patients, and 0.25 is the cut-off value for prognosis. PMID:25087904

  11. Severe Unresponsive Hypoglycemia Associated with Neuroendocrine Tumor of Unknown Primary Site - 18 Years after Rectal Cancer Surgery. Case Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rusu, Octavia Cristina; Costea, Radu Virgil; Popa, Cristian Constantin; Iliesiu, Andreea; Dumitru, Adrian; Becheanu, Gabriel; Neagu, Stefan Ilie

    2015-09-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors are derived from cells that have the unique ability to synthesize, store and secrete a variety of metabolically active substances, peptides and amines, characteristic of the tissue of origin, which can cause distinct clinical syndromes. We present the case of a 58-year-old patient diagnosed and surgically treated in January 1996 for stage III inferior rectal cancer, who was readmitted after 18 years presenting persistent diarrheic syndrome and asthenia. Investigations performed (abdominal CT) showed multiple liver metastases, initially suspected as being related to the rectal cancer. Biopsy of liver metastases and pathological and immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the neuroendocrine origin (moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumor). Seven months after the identification of liver metastases and after initiation of oncological therapy with Interferon and Somatostatin, the patient presented severe hypoglycemia (serum glucose 13-70 mg/dl) proved to be due to insulin-like factors (serum insulin level 64.9 ìU/ml) secreted by metastases. Due to the aggressive evolution of neuroendocrine tumor, with multiple episodes of severe hypoglycemia, resistant to treatment, the patient died approximately one month after the occurrence of hypoglycemic episodes. Despite comprehensive tests (abdominal CT scan, colonoscopy, bone scintigraphy and PET/CT), the primary site of the neuroendocrine tumors remained unknown.

  12. Response, survival, and long-term toxicity after therapy with the radiolabeled somatostatin analogue [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in metastasized neuroendocrine cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imhof, Anna; Brunner, Philippe; Marincek, Nicolas; Briel, Matthias; Schindler, Christian; Rasch, Helmut; Mäcke, Helmut R; Rochlitz, Christoph; Müller-Brand, Jan; Walter, Martin A

    2011-06-10

    To investigate response, survival, and safety profile of the somatostatin-based radiopeptide (90)yttrium-labeled tetraazacyclododecane-tetraacetic acid modified Tyr-octreotide ([(90)Y-DOTA]-TOC) in neuroendocrine cancers. In a clinical phase II single-center open-label trial, patients with neuroendocrine cancers were treated with repeated cycles of [(90)Y-DOTA]-TOC. Each cycle consisted of a single intravenous injection of 3.7GBq/m(2) body-surface [(90)Y-DOTA]-TOC. Additional cycles were withheld in case of tumor progression and/or permanent toxicity. Overall, 1,109 patients received 2,472 cycles of [(90)Y-DOTA]-TOC (median, two; range, one to 10 cycles per patient). Of the 1,109 patients, 378 (34.1%) experienced morphologic response; 172 (15.5%), biochemical response; and 329 (29.7%), clinical response. During a median follow-up of 23 months, 491 patients (44.3%) died. Longer survival was correlated with each: morphologic (hazard ratio [HR], 0.46; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.56; median survival, 44.7 v 18.3 months; P TOC treatment in a large cohort. Response to [(90)Y-DOTA]-TOC is associated with longer survival. Somatostatin receptor imaging is predictive for both survival after [(90)Y-DOTA]-TOC treatment and occurrence of renal toxicity.

  13. Minichromosome Maintenance Expression Defines Slow-Growing Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Schimmack

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Small intestinal neuroendocrine neoplasm (SI-NEN proliferation is quantified by Ki67 measurements which capture G1-G2M phases of the cell cycle. G0 and early G1 phases, typical of slow-growing cells, can be detected by minichromosome maintenance protein (MCM expression. We hypothesized that these replication licensing markers may provide clinically relevant information to augment Ki67 in low-grade neuroendocrine neoplasia. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining (IHC, Western blot analysis, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and copy number variations of MCM2, MCM3, and Ki67 were undertaken in SI-NENs (n = 22. MCM and Ki67 expression was compared by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (tissue microarray, independent set [n = 55]. Forty-three pancreatic NENs and 14 normal tissues were included as controls. RESULTS: In SI-NENs, MCM2 (mean: 21.2%: range: 16%-25% and MCM3 (28.7%: 22%-34% were detected in significantly more cells than Ki67 (2.3%: 0%-7%, P < .01. MCM2 mRNA correlated with Ki67 IHC (P < .05. MCM3 protein expression was higher in metastases (38-fold than in normal small intestine (P = .06 and was largely absent in normal neuroendocrine cells. There was considerable variation at the MCM copy number level (0-4 copies. MCM3 expression in proliferating cells significantly predicted overall survival (P < .002. Combinations of Ki67 and MCM2/3 in algorithms differentiated low and higher proliferative lesions (overall survival: 12 vs 6.1 years, P = .06. MCM expression was not informative in pancreatic NENs. CONCLUSION: MCMs are expressed in a higher proportion of NEN cells than Ki67 in slow-growing small intestinal lesions and correlate with survival. Assessment can be used to augment Ki67 to improve prognostic classification in these low-grade tumors.

  14. The Genetic Landscape of Breast Carcinomas with Neuroendocrine Differentiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchiò, Caterina; Geyer, Felipe C; Ng, Charlotte KY; Piscuoglio, Salvatore; De Filippo, Maria R; Cupo, Marco; Schultheis, Anne M; Lim, Raymond S; Burke, Kathleen A; Guerini-Rocco, Elena; Papotti, Mauro; Norton, Larry; Sapino, Anna; Weigelt, Britta; Reis-Filho, Jorge S

    2016-01-01

    Neuroendocrine breast carcinomas (NBCs) account for 2–5% of all invasive breast cancers and are histologically similar to neuroendocrine tumours from other sites. They typically express oestrogen receptor (ER), are HER2-negative and of luminal 'intrinsic' subtype. Here we sought to define the mutational profile of NBCs, and to investigate whether NBCs and common forms of luminal (ER+/HER2-) breast cancer display distinct repertoires of somatic mutations. Eighteen ER+/HER2- NBCs, defined as harbouring >50% of tumour cells expressing chromogranin A and/or synaptophysin, and matched normal tissue were microdissected and subjected to massively parallel sequencing targeting all exons of 254 genes most frequently mutated in breast cancer and/or related to DNA repair. Their mutational repertoire was compared to that of ER+/HER2- (n=240), PAM50-defined luminal breast cancers (n=209 luminal A; n=111 luminal B) and invasive lobular carcinomas (n=127) from The Cancer Genome Atlas. NBCs were found to harbour a median of 4.5 (range 1-11) somatic mutations, similar to that of luminal B breast cancers (median=3, range 0-17) but significantly higher than that of luminal A breast cancers (median=3, range 0-18, p=0.02). The most frequently mutated genes were GATA3, FOXA1, TBX3, ARID1A (3/18, 17%), and PIK3CA, AKT1, CDH1 (2/18, 11%). NBCs less frequently harboured PIK3CA mutations than common forms of ER+/HER2, luminal A and invasive lobular carcinomas (pcancers. No TP53 somatic mutations were detected in NBCs. Compared to common forms of luminal breast cancers, NBCs display a distinctive repertoire of somatic mutations featuring lower frequency of TP53 and PIK3CA mutations, and enrichment for FOXA1, TBX3 mutations, and akin to neuroendocrine tumours from other sites, ARID1A mutations. PMID:27925203

  15. Effect of two tumors (metastatic and non-metastatic) on tissue distribution of Ga-67 citrate in the rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durakovic, A.

    1985-01-01

    The effect of metastatic and non-metastatic mammary adenocarcinoma on tissue distribution of Ga-67 citrate in Fischer female rats was studied. The homogenate (0.1 ml) of each tumor was injected subcutaneously in separate groups of rats and the animals were studied from day 2-30 after tumor homogenate implantation. All animals were injected with 30 μCi of Ga-67 citrate and sacrificed by halothane anethesia 48 hours later. Tissue samples of blood, lung, heart, liver, spleen, kidney, adrenal, stomach, small and large intestine, ovaries, and lymph nodes (popliteal, lumbar, and mediastinal) were obtained and counted in a gamma well counter. The control group consisted of four animals and tumor bearing groups of seven to eight animals at each time. Ga-67 uptake was increased in the liver (24 days) and in the popliteal lymph nodes on days 7, 10, and 18 in the metastatic tumor group (P<0.05). This probably represents Ga-67 uptake in the metastatic deposits in these organs. No difference was observed in non-metastatic tumor group

  16. Salmonella Typhi sense host neuroendocrine stress hormones and release the toxin haemolysin E

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karavolos, Michail H; Bulmer, David M; Spencer, Hannah; Rampioni, Giordano; Schmalen, Ira; Baker, Stephen; Pickard, Derek; Gray, Joe; Fookes, Maria; Winzer, Klaus; Ivens, Alasdair; Dougan, Gordon; Williams, Paul; Khan, C M Anjam

    2011-01-01

    Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. typhi) causes typhoid fever. We show that exposure of S. typhi to neuroendocrine stress hormones results in haemolysis, which is associated with the release of haemolysin E in membrane vesicles. This effect is attributed to increased expression of the small RNA micA and RNA chaperone Hfq, with concomitant downregulation of outer membrane protein A. Deletion of micA or the two-component signal-transduction system, CpxAR, abolishes the phenotype. The hormone response is inhibited by the β-blocker propranolol. We provide mechanistic insights into the basis of neuroendocrine hormone-mediated haemolysis by S. typhi, increasing our understanding of inter-kingdom signalling. PMID:21331094

  17. Frequent Loss of Cystatin E/M Expression Implicated in the Progression of Prostate Cancer

    OpenAIRE

    Pulukuri, Sai Murali Krishna; Gorantla, Bharathi; Knost, James A.; Rao, Jasti S.

    2009-01-01

    Cystatin E/M (CST6) is a natural inhibitor of lysosomal cysteine proteases. Recent studies have shown that experimental manipulation of CST6 expression alters the metastatic behavior of human breast cancer cells. However, the association of CST6 with prostate cancer invasion and progression is remains unclear. Here, we show that CST6 is robustly expressed in normal human prostate epithelium while its expression is downregulated in metastatic prostate cell lines and prostate tumor tissues. Tre...

  18. Docetaxel, Carboplatin, and Rucaparib Camsylate in Treating Patients With Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer With Homologous Recombination DNA Repair Deficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-02-20

    ATM Gene Mutation; BRCA1 Gene Mutation; BRCA2 Gene Mutation; Castration Levels of Testosterone; Castration-Resistant Prostate Carcinoma; Homologous Recombination Deficiency; Prostate Carcinoma Metastatic in the Bone; PSA Level Greater Than or Equal to Two; PSA Progression; Stage IV Prostate Adenocarcinoma AJCC v7

  19. Effect of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery and Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor Antagonists on Metastatic Melanoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubbard, Molly; Nordmann, Tyler; Sperduto, Paul W; Clark, H. Brent; Hunt, Matthew A

    2017-01-01

    Learning objectives To evaluate radiation-induced changes in patients with brain metastasis secondary to malignant melanoma who received treatment with Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) and programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) receptor antagonists. Introduction  Stereotactic radiosurgery and chemotherapeutics are used together for treatment of metastatic melanoma and have been linked to delayed radiation-induced vasculitic leukoencephalopathy (DRIVL). There have been reports of more intense interactions with new immunotherapeutics targeting PD-1 receptors, but their interactions have not been well described and may result in an accelerated response to GKRS. Here we present data on subjects treated with this combination from a single institution. Methods Records from patients who underwent treatment for metastatic melanoma to the brain with GKRS from 2011 to 2016 were reviewed. Demographics, date of brain metastasis diagnosis, cause of death when applicable, immunotherapeutics, and imaging findings were recorded. The timing of radiation therapy and medications were also documented.  Results A total of 79 subjects were treated with GKRS, and 66 underwent treatment with both GKRS and immunotherapy. Regarding the 30 patients treated with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, 21 patients received pembrolizumab, seven patients received nivolumab, and two patients received pembrolizumab and nivolumab. Serial imaging was available for interpretation in 25 patients, with 13 subjects who received GKRS and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy less than six weeks of each other. While four subjects had indeterminate/mixed findings on subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nine subjects were noted to have progression. Two of these patients showed progression but subsequent imaging revealed a decrease in progression or improvement on MRI to previously targeted lesions by GKRS. None of the 13 subjects had surgery following their combined therapies. Conclusions This data suggests that there is need for

  20. Targeting metastatic colorectal cancer – present and emerging treatment options

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ciombor KK

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Kristen K Ciombor,1 Jordan Berlin21Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA; 2Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USAAbstract: Metastatic colorectal cancer is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the US and around the world. While several novel cytotoxic and biologic therapies have been developed and proven efficacious in the past two decades, their optimal use in terms of patient selection, drug combinations, and regimen sequences has yet to be defined. Recent investigations regarding anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapies include the comparison of single-agent panitumumab and cetuximab, the benefit of adding cetuximab to chemotherapy in the conversion therapy setting, the comparison of cetuximab and bevacizumab when added to first-line chemotherapy, and predictive biomarkers beyond KRAS exon 2 (codons 12 and 13 mutations. With respect to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies, new data on continuing bevacizumab beyond disease progression on a bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy regimen, the addition of bevacizumab to triplet chemotherapy in the first-line setting, maintenance therapy with bevacizumab plus either capecitabine or erlotinib, the addition of aflibercept to chemotherapy, and regorafenib as monotherapy have emerged. Recent scientific and technologic advances in the field of metastatic colorectal cancer promise to elucidate the biological underpinnings of this disease and its therapies for the goal of improving personalized treatments for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.Keywords: cetuximab, panitumumab, bevacizumab, aflibercept, regorafenib, biomarker

  1. Metastatic prostate cancer in the modern era of PSA screening

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip A. Fontenot Jr

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Introduction To characterize initial presentation and PSA screening status in a contemporary cohort of men treated for metastatic prostate cancer at our institution. Materials and methods We reviewed records of 160 men treated for metastatic prostate cancer between 2008-2014 and assessed initial presentation, categorizing patients into four groups. Groups 1 and 2 presented with localized disease and received treatment. These men suffered biochemical recurrence late (>1 year or earlier (<1 year, respectively, and developed metastases. Groups 3 and 4 had asymptomatic and symptomatic metastases at the outset of their diagnosis. Patients with a first PSA at age 55 or younger were considered to have guideline-directed screening. Results Complete records were available on 157 men for initial presentation and 155 men for PSA screening. Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 included 27 (17%, 7 (5%, 69 (44% and 54 (34% patients, respectively. Twenty (13% patients received guideline-directed PSA screening, 5/155 (3% patients presented with metastases prior to age 55 with their first PSA, and 130/155 (84% had their first PSA after age 55, of which 122/130 (94% had metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Conclusion Despite widespread screening, most men treated for metastatic prostate cancer at our institution presented with metastases rather than progressed after definitive treatment. Furthermore, 25 (16% patients received guideline-directed PSA screening at or before age 55. These data highlight that, despite mass screening efforts, patients treated for incurable disease at our institution may not have been a result of a failed screening test, but a failure to be screened.

  2. Metastatic prostate cancer in the modern era of PSA screening

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fontenot, Philip A.; Nehra, Avinash; Parker, William; Wyre, Hadley; Mirza, Moben; Duchene, David A.; Holzbeierlein, Jeffrey; Thrasher, James Brantley; Veldhuizen, Peter Van; Lee, Eugene K.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Introduction To characterize initial presentation and PSA screening status in a contemporary cohort of men treated for metastatic prostate cancer at our institution. Materials and methods We reviewed records of 160 men treated for metastatic prostate cancer between 2008-2014 and assessed initial presentation, categorizing patients into four groups. Groups 1 and 2 presented with localized disease and received treatment. These men suffered biochemical recurrence late (>1 year) or earlier (<1 year), respectively, and developed metastases. Groups 3 and 4 had asymptomatic and symptomatic metastases at the outset of their diagnosis. Patients with a first PSA at age 55 or younger were considered to have guideline-directed screening. Results Complete records were available on 157 men for initial presentation and 155 men for PSA screening. Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 included 27 (17%), 7 (5%), 69 (44%) and 54 (34%) patients, respectively. Twenty (13%) patients received guideline-directed PSA screening, 5/155 (3%) patients presented with metastases prior to age 55 with their first PSA, and 130/155 (84%) had their first PSA after age 55, of which 122/130 (94%) had metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Conclusion Despite widespread screening, most men treated for metastatic prostate cancer at our institution presented with metastases rather than progressed after definitive treatment. Furthermore, 25 (16%) patients received guideline-directed PSA screening at or before age 55. These data highlight that, despite mass screening efforts, patients treated for incurable disease at our institution may not have been a result of a failed screening test, but a failure to be screened. PMID:28338310

  3. BRAF Gene Copy Number and Mutant Allele Frequency Correlate with Time to Progression in Metastatic Melanoma Patients Treated with MAPK Inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stagni, Camilla; Zamuner, Carolina; Elefanti, Lisa; Zanin, Tiziana; Bianco, Paola Del; Sommariva, Antonio; Fabozzi, Alessio; Pigozzo, Jacopo; Mocellin, Simone; Montesco, Maria Cristina; Chiarion-Sileni, Vanna; De Nicolo, Arcangela; Menin, Chiara

    2018-06-01

    Metastatic melanoma is characterized by complex genomic alterations, including a high rate of mutations in driver genes and widespread deletions and amplifications encompassing various chromosome regions. Among them, chromosome 7 is frequently gained in BRAF -mutant melanoma, inducing a mutant allele-specific imbalance. Although BRAF amplification is a known mechanism of acquired resistance to therapy with MAPK inhibitors, it is still unclear if BRAF copy-number variation and BRAF mutant allele imbalance at baseline can be associated with response to treatment. In this study, we used a multimodal approach to assess BRAF copy number and mutant allele frequency in pretreatment melanoma samples from 46 patients who received MAPK inhibitor-based therapy, and we analyzed the association with progression-free survival. We found that 65% patients displayed BRAF gains, often supported by chromosome 7 polysomy. In addition, we observed that 64% patients had a balanced BRAF -mutant/wild-type allele ratio, whereas 14% and 23% patients had low and high BRAF mutant allele frequency, respectively. Notably, a significantly higher risk of progression was observed in patients with a diploid BRAF status versus those with BRAF gains [HR, 2.86; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.29-6.35; P = 0.01] and in patients with low percentage versus those with a balanced BRAF mutant allele percentage (HR, 4.54; 95% CI, 1.33-15.53; P = 0.016). Our data suggest that quantitative analysis of the BRAF gene could be useful to select the melanoma patients who are most likely to benefit from therapy with MAPK inhibitors. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(6); 1332-40. ©2018 AACR . ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

  4. A polymorphism of EGFR extracellular domain is associated with progression free-survival in metastatic colorectal cancer patients receiving cetuximab-based treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonçalves, Anthony; Turrini, Olivier; Lelong, Bernard; Viens, Patrice; Borg, Jean-Paul; Birnbaum, Daniel; Olschwang, Sylviane; Viret, Frédéric; Esteyries, Séverine; Taylor-Smedra, Brynn; Lagarde, Arnaud; Ayadi, Mounay; Monges, Geneviève; Bertucci, François; Esterni, Benjamin; Delpero, Jean-Robert

    2008-01-01

    Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), is currently used in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), but predictive factors for therapeutic response are lacking. Mutational status of KRAS and EGFR, and EGFR copy number are potential determinants of cetuximab activity. We analyzed tumor tissues from 32 EGFR-positive mCRC patients receiving cetuximab/irinotecan combination and evaluable for treatment response. EGFR copy number was quantified by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). KRAS exon 1 and EGFR exons coding for extracellular regions were sequenced. Nine patients experienced an objective response (partial response) and 23 were considered as nonresponders (12 with stable disease and 11 with progressive disease). There was no EGFR amplification found, but high polysomy was noted in 2 patients, both of which were cetuximab responders. No EGFR mutations were found but a variant of exon 13 (R521K) was observed in 12 patients, 11 of which achieved objective response or stable disease. Progression-free and overall survivals were significantly better in patients with this EGFR exon 13 variant. KRAS mutations were found in 14 cases. While there was a trend for an increased KRAS mutation frequency in nonresponder patients (12 mutations out of 23, 52%) as compared to responder patients (2 out of 9, 22%), authentic tumor response or long-term disease stabilization was found in KRAS mutated patients. This preliminary study suggests that: an increase in EGFR copy number may be associated with cetuximab response but is a rare event in CRC, KRAS mutations are associated with low response rate but do not preclude any cetuximab-based combination efficacy and EGFR exon 13 variant (R521K) may predict for cetuximab benefit

  5. Novel near-diploid ovarian cancer cell line derived from a highly aneuploid metastatic ovarian tumor.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ester Rozenblum

    Full Text Available A new ovarian near-diploid cell line, OVDM1, was derived from a highly aneuploid serous ovarian metastatic adenocarcinoma. A metastatic tumor was obtained from a 47-year-old Ashkenazi Jewish patient three years after the first surgery removed the primary tumor, both ovaries, and the remaining reproductive organs. OVDM1 was characterized by cell morphology, genotyping, tumorigenic assay, mycoplasma testing, spectral karyotyping (SKY, and molecular profiling of the whole genome by aCGH and gene expression microarray. Targeted sequencing of a panel of cancer-related genes was also performed. Hierarchical clustering of gene expression data clearly confirmed the ovarian origin of the cell line. OVDM1 has a near-diploid karyotype with a low-level aneuploidy, but samples of the original metastatic tumor were grossly aneuploid. A number of single nucleotide variations (SNVs/mutations were detected in OVDM1 and the metastatic tumor samples. Some of them were cancer-related according to COSMIC and HGMD databases (no founder mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 have been found. A large number of focal copy number alterations (FCNAs were detected, including homozygous deletions (HDs targeting WWOX and GATA4. Progression of OVDM1 from early to late passages was accompanied by preservation of the near-diploid status, acquisition of only few additional large chromosomal rearrangements and more than 100 new small FCNAs. Most of newly acquired FCNAs seem to be related to localized but massive DNA fragmentation (chromothripsis-like rearrangements. Newly developed near-diploid OVDM1 cell line offers an opportunity to evaluate tumorigenesis pathways/events in a minor clone of metastatic ovarian adenocarcinoma as well as mechanisms of chromothripsis.

  6. Heterogeneity of estrogen receptor expression in circulating tumor cells from metastatic breast cancer patients.

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    Anna Babayan

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Endocrine treatment is the most preferable systemic treatment in metastatic breast cancer patients that have had an estrogen receptor (ER positive primary tumor or metastatic lesions, however, approximately 20% of these patients do not benefit from the therapy and demonstrate further metastatic progress. One reason for failure of endocrine therapy might be the heterogeneity of ER expression in tumor cells spreading from the primary tumor to distant sites which is reflected in detectable circulating tumor cells (CTCs. METHODS: A sensitive and specific staining protocol for ER, keratin 8/18/19, CD45 was established. Peripheral blood from 35 metastatic breast cancer patients with ER-positive primary tumors was tested for the presence of CTCs. Keratin 8/18/19 and DAPI positive but CD45 negative cells were classified as CTCs and evaluated for ER staining. Subsequently, eight individual CTCs from four index patients (2 CTCs per patient were isolated and underwent whole genome amplification and ESR1 gene mutation analysis. RESULTS: CTCs were detected in blood of 16 from 35 analyzed patients (46%, with a median of 3 CTCs/7.5 ml. In total, ER-negative CTCs were detected in 11/16 (69% of the CTC positive cases, including blood samples with only ER-negative CTCs (19% and samples with both ER-positive and ER-negative CTCs (50%. No correlation was found between the intensity and/or percentage of ER staining in the primary tumor with the number and ER status of CTCs of the same patient. ESR1 gene mutations were not found. CONCLUSION: CTCs frequently lack ER expression in metastatic breast cancer patients with ER-positive primary tumors and show a considerable intra-patient heterogeneity, which may reflect a mechanism to escape endocrine therapy. Provided single cell analysis did not support a role of ESR1 mutations in this process.

  7. Heterogeneity of Estrogen Receptor Expression in Circulating Tumor Cells from Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babayan, Anna; Hannemann, Juliane; Spötter, Julia; Müller, Volkmar

    2013-01-01

    Background Endocrine treatment is the most preferable systemic treatment in metastatic breast cancer patients that have had an estrogen receptor (ER) positive primary tumor or metastatic lesions, however, approximately 20% of these patients do not benefit from the therapy and demonstrate further metastatic progress. One reason for failure of endocrine therapy might be the heterogeneity of ER expression in tumor cells spreading from the primary tumor to distant sites which is reflected in detectable circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Methods A sensitive and specific staining protocol for ER, keratin 8/18/19, CD45 was established. Peripheral blood from 35 metastatic breast cancer patients with ER-positive primary tumors was tested for the presence of CTCs. Keratin 8/18/19 and DAPI positive but CD45 negative cells were classified as CTCs and evaluated for ER staining. Subsequently, eight individual CTCs from four index patients (2 CTCs per patient) were isolated and underwent whole genome amplification and ESR1 gene mutation analysis. Results CTCs were detected in blood of 16 from 35 analyzed patients (46%), with a median of 3 CTCs/7.5 ml. In total, ER-negative CTCs were detected in 11/16 (69%) of the CTC positive cases, including blood samples with only ER-negative CTCs (19%) and samples with both ER-positive and ER-negative CTCs (50%). No correlation was found between the intensity and/or percentage of ER staining in the primary tumor with the number and ER status of CTCs of the same patient. ESR1 gene mutations were not found. Conclusion CTCs frequently lack ER expression in metastatic breast cancer patients with ER-positive primary tumors and show a considerable intra-patient heterogeneity, which may reflect a mechanism to escape endocrine therapy. Provided single cell analysis did not support a role of ESR1 mutations in this process. PMID:24058649

  8. Resected Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: Patterns of Failure and Disease-Related Outcomes With or Without Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zagar, Timothy M.; White, Rebekah R.; Willett, Christopher G.; Tyler, Douglas S.; Papavassiliou, Paulie; Papalezova, Katia T.; Guy, Cynthia D.; Broadwater, Gloria; Clough, Robert W.; Czito, Brian G.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are rare and have better disease-related outcomes compared with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Surgical resection remains the standard of care, although many patients present with locally advanced or metastatic disease. Little is known regarding the use of radiotherapy in the prevention of local recurrence after resection. To better define the role of radiotherapy, we performed an analysis of resected patients at our institution. Methods: Between 1994 and 2009, 33 patients with NET of the pancreatic head and neck underwent treatment with curative intent at Duke University Medical Center. Sixteen patients were treated with surgical resection alone while an additional 17 underwent resection with adjuvant or neoadjuvant radiation therapy, usually with concurrent fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy (CMT). Median radiation dose was 50.4 Gy and median follow-up 28 months. Results: Thirteen patients (39%) experienced treatment failure. Eleven of the initial failures were distant, one was local only and one was local and distant. Two-year overall survival was 77% for all patients. Two-year local control for all patients was 87%: 85% for the CMT group and 90% for the surgery alone group (p = 0.38). Two-year distant metastasis-free survival was 56% for all patients: 46% and 69% for the CMT and surgery patients, respectively (p = 0.10). Conclusions: The primary mode of failure is distant which often results in mortality, with local failure occurring much less commonly. The role of radiotherapy in the adjuvant management of NET remains unclear.

  9. Mixed Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma with Spindle Cell and Clear Cell Features in the Extrahepatic Bile Duct

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Wysocki

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas, spindle cell carcinomas, and clear cell carcinomas are all rare tumors in the biliary tract. We present the first case, to our knowledge, of an extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma composed of all three types. A 65-year-old man with prior cholecystectomy presented with painless jaundice, vomiting, and weight loss. CA19-9 and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP were elevated. Cholangioscopy revealed a friable mass extending from the middle of the common bile duct to the common hepatic duct. A bile duct excision was performed. Gross examination revealed a 3.6 cm intraluminal polypoid tumor. Microscopically, the tumor had foci of conventional adenocarcinoma (CK7-positive and CA19-9-postive surrounded by malignant-appearing spindle cells that were positive for cytokeratins and vimentin. Additionally, there were separate areas of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC. Foci of clear cell carcinoma merged into both the LCNEC and the adenocarcinoma. Tumor invaded through the bile duct wall with extensive perineural and vascular invasion. Circumferential margins were positive. The patient’s poor performance status precluded adjuvant therapy and he died with recurrent and metastatic disease 5 months after surgery. This is consistent with the reported poor survival rates of biliary mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas.

  10. Palbociclib: A Review in HR-Positive, HER2-Negative, Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Esther S; Scott, Lesley J

    2017-06-01

    Oral palbociclib (Ibrance®) is a first-in-class, highly selective inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (i.e. a CDK4/6 inhibitor). It is indicated for the treatment of women with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer, in combination with an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine-based therapy, and in combination with fulvestrant (with or without a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist) in those previously treated with endocrine therapy. In clinical trials, palbociclib in combination with letrozole as initial endocrine-based therapy in postmenopausal women (PALOMA-1 and PALOMA-2), or in combination with fulvestrant in pre-, peri-, or postmenopausal women with disease progression after endocrine therapy (PALOMA-3), significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) and improved clinical benefit response (CBR) rates. Neutropenia was the most commonly reported any-grade and grade ≥ 3 adverse event. It was infrequently associated with febrile neutropenia (<2%) and generally manageable with a palbociclib dose delay, interruption or reduction, without the routine use of growth factors, and without affecting efficacy. In conclusion, oral palbociclib combination therapy is a valuable emerging option for use in patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

  11. Menadione inhibits MIBG uptake in two neuroendocrine cell lines

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cornelissen, J.; Tytgat, G. A.; van den Brug, M.; van Kuilenburg, A. B.; Voûte, P. A.; van Gennip, A. H.

    1997-01-01

    In this paper we report on our studies of the effect of menadione on the uptake of MIBG in the neuroendocrine cell lines PC12 and SK-N-SH. Menadione inhibits the uptake of MIBG in both cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of MIBG uptake is most pronounced in the PC12 cell line.

  12. Air pollution and neuroendocrine stress-mediated systemic metabolic and inflammatory response

    Science.gov (United States)

    New experimental evidence involving the role of neuroendocrine activation challenges an accepted mechanistic paradigm of how irritant air pollutants induce systemic metabolic impairment and lung injury/inflammation. We focus on recent air pollution studies highlighting how the re...

  13. Neuroendocrine and renal effects of intravascular volume expansion in compensated heart failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gabrielsen, A; Bie, P; Holstein-Rathlou, N H

    2001-01-01

    To examine if the neuroendocrine link between volume sensing and renal function is preserved in compensated chronic heart failure [HF, ejection fraction 0.29 +/- 0.03 (mean +/- SE)] we tested the hypothesis that intravascular and central blood volume expansion by 3 h of water immersion (WI) elicits...... sustained angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy, n = 9) absolute and fractional sodium excretion increased (P Renal free water clearance increased during WI in control subjects but not in HF......, albeit plasma vasopressin concentrations were similar in the two groups. In conclusion, the neuroendocrine link between volume sensing and renal sodium excretion is preserved in compensated HF. The natriuresis of WI is, however, modulated by the prevailing ANG II and Aldo concentrations. In contrast...

  14. Nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel combined with cisplatin as the first-line treatment for metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shi Y

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Yan Shi, Rui Qin, Zhi-Kuan Wang, Guang-Hai DaiDepartment of Multimodality Therapy of Oncology, General Hospital of CPLA, Beijing, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: Esophageal cancer is a major health hazard in many parts of the world and is often diagnosed late. The objective of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (Nab-PTX combined with cisplatin (DDP in patients with metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC. Patients with histologically confirmed ESCC were treated with Nab-PTX 250 mg/m2 and DDP 75 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1, every 21 days. Evaluation was performed after every two cycles of therapy and the therapy was continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. From April 2010 to December 2012, 33 patients were enrolled. Ten patients had recurrent and metastatic tumors after surgery and 23 patients were diagnosed with unresectable metastatic disease. Patients received a median of four cycles of therapy (ranging from two to six cycles. Twenty patients achieved partial response and nine patients achieved stable disease; no complete response was observed. The objective response rate was 60.6% and the disease control rate was 87.9%. The median progression-free survival was 6.2 months (95% confidence interval: 4.0 to 8.4 months and the median overall survival was 15.5 months (95% CI: 7.6 to 23.4 months. Only four patients experienced grade 3 adverse events, including vomiting, neutropenia, and sensory neuropathy. The most common adverse events were nausea/vomiting (81.8%, neutropenia (63.6%, leucopenia (48.5%, anemia (24.2% and sensory neuropathy (24.2%. In conclusion, the combination of Nab-PTX and DDP is a highly effective and well-tolerated first-line treatment in metastatic ESCC.Keywords: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel, chemotherapy, metastasis

  15. Neuroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract: Case reports and literature review

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    William; J; Salyers; Kenneth; J; Vega; Juan; Carlos; Munoz; Bruce; W; Trotman; Silvio; S; Tanev

    2014-01-01

    Neuroendocrine tumors(NET)previously called carcinoid tumors are neoplasms of enterochromaffin/neuroendocrine cell origin which display neurosecretory capacity that may result in the carcinoid syndrome.The annual incidence of patients with NET is 8.4 per 100000;yet many NET remain asymptomatic and clinically undetected.A majority of NET follows a benign course;however,some will display malignant characteristics.NET most commonly occur in the gastrointestinal tract(67%)and bronchopulmonary system(25%).Gastrointestinal NET occur within the stomach,small intestine,liver,and rectum.We report a retrospective study of 11 subjects:Eight with benign carcinoid tumors:duodenal bulb(n=2),terminal ileum(n=1),sigmoid colon(n=2),and rectum(n=3);three with malignant carcinoid:liver(n=1)and intra-abdominal site(n=2).The diagnosis,endoscopic images,outcome,treatment and review of the literature are presented.

  16. Identification of metastasis driver genes by massive parallel sequencing of successive steps of breast cancer progression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krøigård, Anne Bruun; Larsen, Martin Jakob; Lænkholm, Anne-Vibeke

    2018-01-01

    Cancer results from alterations at essential genomic sites and is characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Identification of driver genes of metastatic progression is essential, as metastases, not primary tumors, are fatal. To gain insight into the mutational......-synonymous to synonymous mutations, a surprisingly large number of cancer driver genes, ranging between 3 and 145, were estimated to confer a selective advantage in the studied primary tumors. We report a substantial amount of metastasis specific mutations and a number of novel putative metastasis driver genes. Most...... notable are the DCC, ABCA13, TIAM2, CREBBP, BCL6B and ZNF185 genes, mainly mutated exclusively in metastases and highly likely driver genes of metastatic progression. We find different genes and pathways to be affected at different steps of malignant progression. The Adherens junction pathway is affected...

  17. Epigenetic Regulation in Prostate Cancer Progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruggero, Katia; Farran-Matas, Sonia; Martinez-Tebar, Adrian; Aytes, Alvaro

    2018-01-01

    An important number of newly identified molecular alterations in prostate cancer affect gene encoding master regulators of chromatin biology epigenetic regulation. This review will provide an updated view of the key epigenetic mechanisms underlying prostate cancer progression, therapy resistance, and potential actionable mechanisms and biomarkers. Key players in chromatin biology and epigenetic master regulators has been recently described to be crucially altered in metastatic CRPC and tumors that progress to AR independency. As such, epigenetic dysregulation represents a driving mechanism in the reprograming of prostate cancer cells as they lose AR-imposed identity. Chromatin integrity and accessibility for transcriptional regulation are key features altered in cancer progression, and particularly relevant in nuclear hormone receptor-driven tumors like prostate cancer. Understanding how chromatin remodeling dictates prostate development and how its deregulation contributes to prostate cancer onset and progression may improve risk stratification and treatment selection for prostate cancer patients.

  18. Working after a metastatic cancer diagnosis: factors affecting employment in the metastatic setting from ECOG’s Symptom Outcomes and Practice Patterns (SOAPP) study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tevaarwerk, Amye; Lee, Ju-Whei; Terhaar, Abigail; Sesto, Mary; Smith, Mary Lou; Cleeland, Charles; Fisch, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Background Improved survival for individuals with metastatic cancer accentuates the importance of employment for cancer survivors. Better understanding of how metastatic cancer affects employment is a necessary step towards the development of tools to assist survivors in this important realm. Methods We analyzed the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group’s “Symptom Outcomes and Practice Patterns (SOAPP)” study to investigate what factors were associated with employment of 680 metastatic cancer patients. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare patients stably working (Group A) to patients no longer working (Group B). Results There were 668 metastatic working-age participants in our analysis; 236 (35%) worked full or part-time while 302 (45%) stopped working due to illness. Overall, 58% reported some change in employment due to illness. Better performance status and non-Hispanic White ethnicity/race were significantly associated with continuing to work despite a metastatic cancer diagnosis on multivariable analysis. Disease type, time since metastatic diagnosis, number of metastatic sites, location of metastatic disease, and treatment status had no significant impact. Among the potentially modifiable factors, receiving hormonal treatment (if a viable option) and decreasing symptom interference were associated with continuing to work. Conclusions A significant percentage of metastatic patients remain employed; symptom burden was associated with change to no longer working. Modifiable factors resulting in work interference should be minimized so that patients with metastatic disease may continue working, if desired. Improvements in symptom control and strategies developed to help address work place difficulties have promise to improve this aspect of survivorship. PMID:26687819

  19. The Janus-faced role of ezrin in "linking" cells to either normal or metastatic phenotype.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brambilla, Daria; Fais, Stefano

    2009-11-15

    In the majority of eukaryotic cells, the ezrin, radixin and moesin (ERM) proteins are involved in many physiologic functions including regulation of actin cytoskeleton, control of cell shape, adhesion, motility and modulation of signal transduction pathways. In a previous study, we used a dominant negative ezrin-mutant to address ezrin involvement in remodeling of actin cytoskeleton and subsequently we depicted ezrin key role in melanoma cell migration and progression. Herein, we highlight recent advances on ezrin involvement in the metastatic phenomenon, including also some more neglected ezrin-related functions. Novel molecular processes driven by ezrin activation include: phagocytosis, acquisition of resistance to chemotherapeutics and triggering of programmed cell death signals. Recent data support an integrated role of ezrin also in development of tumor malignancy. On one hand, ezrin may be responsible of deranged execution of specific known functions such as adhesion and motility and on the other, it may also participate to unique metastatic determinants, through the establishment of aberrant linkages with tumor-related proteins. For instance, ezrin misslocalization, absence or deranged activity has started to be correlated with tumor progression in many tumors of different species, including humans. Concomitantly, ezrin may act simultaneously as a regulatory or deregulatory chaperon in both normal and tumor cells. It is still to be established whether this Janus-faced feature of ezrin is due to some unknown transforming Zelig-like property or to the fact that a tumor-associated molecule preferentially links to ezrin thus distracting it from its normal connections. However, the contribution of ezrin functional deregulation to the acquisition of the metastatic phenotype appears clear and ezrin or ezrin aberrant associations may represent good candidates for future anti-tumor therapies.

  20. Tetrofosmin in metastatic breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berghammer, P.; Obwegeser, R.; Ulm, M.; Wiltschke, C.; Kubista, E.; Sinzinger, H.; Zielinski, C.

    1997-01-01

    Tetrofosmin (1,2-bis[bis(2-ethoxyethyl)phosphino]ethan) is currently under investigation for its tumor seeking properties, encouraged by the incidental finding of a malignant breast-lesion on myocardial scintigraphy in 1995 (Rambaldi et al, Clin Nucl Med 1995) using tetrofosmin. Recent reports have confirmed tetrofosmins role in detecting primary tumors in breast cancer. To investigate whether tetrofosmin significantly helps detect metastatic lesions in such patients we performed tetrofosmin scintigraphy in 21 patients with metastatic breast cancer. Patients and methods: Median age of patients was 61 years. In one patient the primary site was unknown. All patients had at least one distant metastasis. 550 MBq of 99m-Tc-tetrofosmin was administered ten minutes before imaging was begun. After obtaining a planar image, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was done of every suspected distant lesion. CT-scans or MRI were used to confirm positive correlation with tetrofosmin scintigraphy. Results: Tetrofosmin scintigraphy correctly diagnosed metastatic disease in 71 % of patients with no false negative and two false positive results. In each of the two patients a mediastinal hot spot suggestive of malignancy was found, but none of those lesions could be proven using CT scans. Excluding patients with liver metastasis from the present analysis, 91 % of all metastasis would have been correctly diagnosed. The first patient in our department had a large metastasis in the upper mediastinum which could not be seen on regular chest films. In the patient in whom the primary site of cancer was unknown, tetrofosmin scintigraphy showed three consecutive nodules in the left mammary, gland in a coronary fashion. Magnetic resonance imaging then confirmed two single nodules of 0.8 cm in diameter. Conclusions: Evaluating 21 patients, the present study was performed to investigate tetrofosmins properties of detecting metastatic lesions in patients with breast cancer. A 91