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- Cunningham, Janet Lynn, et al.
(författare)
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Malignant ileocaecal serotonin-producing carcinoid tumours : the presence of a solid growth pattern and/or Ki67 index above 1% identifies patients with a poorer prognosis
- 2007
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Ingår i: Acta Oncologica. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 46:6, s. 747-756
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Patients with malignant serotonin-producing carcinoid tumours in the jejunum, ileum and caecum generally have long survival expectancy. In some patients, however, tumour progression is more rapid and there is a need to identify them at an early stage. The purpose of this study was to determine if histopathological characteristics and/or Ki67 and apoptotic indices are of prognostic value in cases of metastatic disease. Eighty-one patients with this tumour were included in the study; all had metastases and their survival range was 1-223 months. Five growth patterns were identified and described. For 57 patients whose tumour material was available, the Ki67 and apoptotic indices were calculated for ten randomly selected tumour areas and 'hot spots'. A Cox regression analysis was used to test if histopathology and/or Ki67 index ≥1% could identify patients whose survival might be shorter than anticipated. One of the histopathological growth patterns-the solid (non-organoid) cell pattern-was correlated to shorter survival in both primary tumours and metastases, when compared with the organoid growth patterns (hazard ratio 2.9 and 2.3, p≤0.01). In 75% of primary tumours and 67% of metastases, the average Ki67 index was<0.5%. Ki67 index in 'hot spots' ranged from 0.1 to 14%. Ki67 index ≥1%, in both primary tumour and metastases, identified patients at increased risk of shorter survival (hazard ratio 5.4 and 2.5, p≤0.01). The apoptotic index was very low in all cases. We conclude that in patients with metastazising serotonin-producing carcinoids, two independent criteria, a solid growth pattern and Ki67 index ≥1%, can be used to identify patients with a poorer prognosis. This study also showed that Ki67 index <2% cannot, as previously suggested, be used to indicate a benign progression for this tumour category.
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| 2. |
- Cunningham, Janet L., et al.
(författare)
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Tachykinins in endocrine tumors and the carcinoid syndrome
- 2008
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Ingår i: European Journal of Endocrinology. - 0804-4643 .- 1479-683X. ; 159:3, s. 275-282
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectiveA new antibody, active against the common tachykinin (TK) C-terminal. was used to study TK expression in patients with endocrine tumors and a possible association between plasma-TK levels and symptoms of diarrhea and flush in patients with metastasizing ileocecal serotonin-producing carcinoid tumors (MSPCs).MethodTK, serotonin and chromogranin A (CgA) immunoreactivity (IR) was studied by immunohistochemistry in tissue samples from 33 midgut carcinoids and 72 other endocrine tumors. Circulating TK (P-TK) and urinary-5 hydroxyindoleacetic acid (U-5HIAA) concentrations were measured in 42 patients with MSPCs before treatment and related to symptoms in patients with the carcinoid syndrome. Circulating CgA concentrations were also measured in 39 out of the 42 patients.ResultsAll MSPCs displayed serotonin and strong TK expression. TK-IR was also seen in all serotonin-producing lung and appendix carcinoids. None of the other tumors examined contained TK-IR cells. Concentrations of P-TK, P-CgA, and U-5HIAA were elevated in patients experiencing daily episodes of either flush or diarrhea, when compared with patients experiencing occasional or none of these symptoms. In a Spearman partial rank test, the correlation of P-TK with daily diarrhea was independent of both U-5HIAA and CgA levels.ConclusionWe found that TK synthesis occurs in serotonin-IR tumors and that P-TK levels are significantly correlated with symptoms of flush and diarrhea in patients with MSPCs. This is. to our knowledge, the first report demonstrating an independent correlation of P-TKs with carcinoid diarrhea, a symptom that is customarily regarded as serotonin mediated. Further investigations may present opportunities for new therapeutic possibilities.
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