| 1. |
- Jensen, Robert T., et al.
(author)
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Unmet Needs in Functional and Nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms
- 2019
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In: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 108:1, s. 26-36
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recently, the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) held working sessions composed of members of the advisory board and other neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN) experts to attempt to identify unmet needs in NENs in different locations or with advanced/poorly differentiated NENs. This report briefly summarizes the main proposed areas of unmet needs in patients with functional and nonfunctional pancreatic NENs.
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| 2. |
- Ramage, John K, et al.
(author)
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Colorectal Neuroendocrine Neoplasms - areas of unmet need
- 2019
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In: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 108:1, s. 45-53
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The subject of colorectal neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs), subdivided into well-differentiated NENs, termed neuroendocrine tumours (NETs; grade (G) 1 and 2), and poorly differentiated NENs, termed neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs; G3) according to the 2010 World Health Organisation (WHO) classification, has arguably not had as much attention or study as NENs occurring in other sites. Colorectal NETs and NECs are however easier to study than many others since they are usually not difficult to remove and are increasingly detected because of intensified colorectal cancer screening and surveillance programmes. Colorectal NETs and NECs show site-specific heterogeneity with variable behaviour and different therapeutic options; these various aspects provide unique challenges. Because of bowel cancer screening programmes, colorectal NENs, like conventional adenocarcinomas, may be diagnosed at a stage that is associated with improved survival. In this article we intend to describe and define areas of unmet needs relating to the epidemiology, classification, pathology, diagnosis and therapy of colorectal NETs (including NETs G3), colorectal NECs, and finally, mixed adeno-neuroendocrine carcinomas (MANECs) by reviewing and discussing the relevant literature.
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| 3. |
- Baudin, Eric, et al.
(author)
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Unmet Medical Needs in Pulmonary Neuroendocrine (Carcinoid) Neoplasms
- 2019
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In: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 108:1, s. 7-17
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pulmonary carcinoids (PCs) display the common features of all well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) and are classified as low- and intermediate-grade malignant tumours (i.e., typical and atypical carcinoid, respectively). There is a paucity of randomised studies dedicated to advanced PCs and management principles are drawn from the larger gastroenteropancreatic NEN experience. There is growing evidence that NEN anatomic subgroups have different biology and different responses to treatment and, therefore, should be investigated as separate entities in clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the existing evidence and limitations of tumour classification, diagnostics and staging, prognostication, and treatment in the setting of PC, with focus on unmet medical needs and directions for the future.
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| 4. |
- Capdevila, Jaume, et al.
(author)
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Unmet Medical Needs in Metastatic Lung and Digestive Neuroendocrine Neoplasms
- 2019
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In: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 108:1, s. 18-25
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Unmet medical needs are not infrequent in oncology, and these needs are usually of higher magnitude in rare cancers. The field of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) has evolved rapidly during the last decade, and, currently, a new WHO classification is being implemented and several treatment options are available in the metastatic setting after the results of prospective phase III clinical trials. However, several questions are still unanswered, and decisions in our daily clinical practice should be made with limited evidence. In the 2016 meeting of the advisory board of the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS), the main unmet medical needs in the metastatic NENs setting were deeply discussed, and several proposals to try to solve them are presented in this article, including biomarkers, imaging, and therapy.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Dam, Gitte, et al.
(author)
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Prospective Study of Chromogranin A as a Predictor of Progression in Patients with Pancreatic, Small-Intestinal, and Unknown Primary Neuroendocrine Tumors
- 2020
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In: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 110:3/4, s. 217-224
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Retrospective studies are conflicting but most of them report that an increase in plasma chromogranin A (CgA) predicts tumor progression in neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients. Prospectively, we investigated if a change in plasma CgA is associated with tumor burden changes in NET patients with disseminated disease. Methods: We included 239 patients treated at 5 NET centers from December 2010 to December 2013. CgA was measured within 6 weeks of a CT or MRI in a patient undergoing at least 2 scan examinations performed over a period of 1-24 months. In a post hoc analysis, CgA measured 3-6 months prior to the CT/MRI was analyzed. Changes in tumor size were evaluated by RECIST1.1. A 25% change in CgA was chosen to discriminate between increased, decreased, or unchanged levels. Results: In 671 events (2 CT/MRI scans and 2 corresponding CgA measurements), we found a weak positive correlation between the RECIST 1.1 responses and change in plasma CgA from baseline (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient: 0.15; p < 0.05). Of 304 events in the post hoc analysis, 58 showed progression, 228 showed stable disease, and 18 showed regression, with a median change in CgA of 19% (IQR: 57 to -20%), -12% (23 to -38%), and -73% (-55 to -83%), respectively. The correlation coefficient for all sites was 0.17 (p = 0.003), and it was 0.16 (p = 0.07), 0.18 (p = 0.04), and 0.20 (p = 0.21) for small-intestinal (n = 137), pancreatic (n = 123), and unknown primary NET (n = 40), respectively. In the 58 patients showing tumor progression, the sensitivity and specificity of an increased CgA concentration were 36 and 82%, respectively, with positive and negative predictive values of 32 and 85%. Conclusions: In this prospective study of gastroenteropancreatic NET patients, we observed only a weak association between a change in plasma CgA and changes in tumor burden. CgA as a single biomarker was thus inadequate to predict tumor progression.
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| 7. |
- de Herder, Wouter W, et al.
(author)
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Unmet Needs in the Field of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Pancreas, and Respiratory System : Reports by the ENETS Group.
- 2019
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In: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 108:1, s. 5-6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- On the 10th and 11th of November 2016, 54 international experts in the field of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and respiratory system met in Munich, Germany, to discuss and determine unmet needs in this field. The participating experts were Advisory Board members and invited guests of the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS). The Board members were medical specialists with different clinical or preclinical backgrounds, basic scientists, specialized nurses, and patient representatives.According to the Oxford dictionary, “unmet” refers to something (here, a need) which has not been achieved or fulfilled. The NEN expert subgroups succeeded in producing 6 reports on what they identified as the most relevant unmet needs in NEN. They identified several limitations of the current tumor classification, grading, and staging systems for almost all NEN subtypes.Apart from the historical separation regarding origin into foregut, midgut, and hindgut, other subentities have now been recognized, each requiring a more tailored approach. There is still a general lack of predictive and prognostic markers, in samples of both tumor tissue and surrogate tissues such as the blood. Tumor visualization making use of radiology and nuclear medicine has seen impressive advances in recent years. However, with regard to determining tumor (metastases) responses, there is still debate as to how best to achieve this with different imaging modalities.In spite of more treatment options (locoregional and systemic) being available for metastatic NENs, help is needed to select appropriate treatment strategies (sequencing) and there is also a need for more effective treatments. For some tumor entities, watchful waiting might be considered (e.g., in the case of small pancreatic NENs) but, again, the lack of reliable markers makes it difficult to decide which tumors should undergo resection and which should be monitored only. There are currently no registered or approved adjuvant treatment options for the period after curative resection of some of the isolated or locally advanced NENs (e.g., of the pancreas, appendix, and rectum). It is also unclear which patients might benefit from adjuvant treatment. The follow-up of patients with NENs remains a poorly studied area and is based on loose empirical international guidelines or institutional opinion.All of these unmet needs in the field of NENs exponentially increase the complexity of conducting well-designed clinical and translational studies to resolve these issues, with multidisciplinary and international efforts such as the current one led by ENETS being the only way to move forward. We invite all Readers of Neuroendocrinology interested in the field of NENs to study the series of 6 articles reporting on unmet needs in the field of NENs
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| 8. |
- Dromain, Clarisse, et al.
(author)
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Tumour Growth Rate to predict the outcome of patients with Neuroendocrine Tumours : Performance and sources of variability
- 2021
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In: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 111:9, s. 831-839
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Tumor growth rate (TGR), percentage of change in tumor volume/month, has been previously identified as an early radiological biomarker for treatment monitoring in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) patients. We assessed the performance and reproducibility of TGR 3 months (TGR3m) as a predictor factor of progression-free survival (PFS), including the impact of imaging method and reader variability.METHODS: Baseline and 3-months (±1month) CT/MRI images from patients with advanced, grade 1-2 NETs were retrospectively reviewed by 2 readers. Influence of number of targets, tumor burden and location of lesion on the performance of TGR3m to predict PFS was assessed by uni/multivariable Cox regression analysis. Agreement between readers was assessed by the Lin's concordance coefficient (LCC) and Kappa (KC).RESULTS: A total of 790 lesions were measured in 222 patients. Median PFS was 22.9 months. On univariable analysis, number of lesions (DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: TGR3m is a robust and early radiological biomarker able to predict PFS. It may be used to identify patients with advanced NETs who require closer radiological follow-up.
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| 9. |
- Fröss-Baron, Katarzyna, et al.
(author)
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177Lu-DOTATATE Therapy of Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Heavily Pretreated With Chemotherapy : Analysis of Outcome, Safety and Their Determinants
- 2021
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In: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 111:4, s. 330-343
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To retrospectively analyze toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and their determinants in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (panNETs), previously pretreated with chemotherapy, undergoing peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with 177Lu-DOTATATE.Methods: In total, 102 patients with advanced panNETs, previously pretreated with one (67%) or several (33%) lines of chemotherapy were included, of whom 90 % had progressive disease and the majority (74.5%) with grade 2 tumors. 177Lu-DOTATATE, 7.4 GBq per cycle, was administered with 6 to 8 weeks interval, in 88 % of patients utilizing a dosimetry-guided protocol, until an absorbed dose of 23 Gy to the kidneys was reached.Results: Mean 32±10.9 GBq per patient was administered in 1-10 cycles starting median 36 months after panNET diagnosis. Median follow-up was 34 months. Median PFS was 24 months and median OS was 42 months from start of PRRT. Independent risk factors for both progression and death were liver tumor burden >50%, more than one line of previous chemotherapy and elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Resection of the primary tumor was linked to longer survival. Bone marrow toxicity grade 3-4 occurred in 10.8%. One patient (1.0 %) developed acute myeloid leukemia. Bone marrow toxicity was unrelated to type and length of previous chemotherapy, amount of administered activity and absorbed dose to the bone marrow.Conclusion: 177Lu-DOTATATE therapy was feasible, highly effective and safe in patients with advanced panNETs heavily pretreated with chemotherapy. More than one line of chemotherapy was a therapy related independent risk factor for shorter PFS and OS.
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| 10. |
- Jahn, Ulrika, et al.
(author)
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177Lu-DOTATATE peptide receptor radionuclide therapy : dose response in small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors
- 2020
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In: Neuroendocrinology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0028-3835 .- 1423-0194. ; 110:7-8, s. 662-670
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has during the last few years been frequently used in patients with progressive, disseminating, well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).Objective: To study whether the absorbed dose in small intestinal NET (SI-NET) metastases from PRRT with 177Lu-DOTATATE is related to tumor shrinkage.Materials and Methods: Dosimetry for 1 tumor was performed in each of 25 SI-NET patients based on sequential SPECT/CT 1, 4, and 7 days after 177Lu-DOTATATE infusion. The SPECT data were corrected for the partial volume effect based on previous phantom measurements, and the unit density sphere model from OLINDA was used for absorbed dose calculations. Morphological therapy response was assessed by CT/MRI regarding tumor diameter, tumor volume, total liver tumor volume, liver volume, and overall tumor response according to RECIST 1.1. Plasma chromogranin A and urinary 5-hydroxy-indole-acetic-acid were measured during PRRT and follow-up to assess biochemical response.Results: At the time of best response with respect to tumor diameter and volume shrinkage, the median absorbed dose was 128.6 Gy (range 28.4–326.9) and 140 Gy (range 50.9–487.4), respectively. All metrics regarding tumor shrinkage and biochemical response were unrelated to the absorbed dose. A correlation was, however, found between the administered radioactivity and the tumor volume shrinkage (p = 0.01) and between the administered radioactivity and RECIST 1.1 response (p = 0.01).Conclusions: It was not possible to demonstrate a tumor dose-response relationship in SI-NET metastases with the applied dosimetry method, contrary to what was previously shown for pancreatic NETs.
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