scholarly journals Biomarkers of Response to Etoposide-Platinum Chemotherapy in Patients with Grade 3 Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 643
Author(s):  
Caroline Lacombe ◽  
Ophélie De Rycke ◽  
Anne Couvelard ◽  
Anthony Turpin ◽  
Aurélie Cazes ◽  
...  

Etoposide-platinum (EP) chemotherapy has long been the reference treatment for grade 3 neuroendocrine neoplasms (G3 NEN). However, G3 NEN are heterogeneous, including well-differentiated tumors (NET) and poorly differentiated large (LCNEC) or small (SCNEC) cell carcinomas, whose response to EP chemotherapy varies considerably. Our aim was to evaluate predictive biomarkers for the response to EP chemotherapy in G3 NEN. We retrospectively studied 89 patients with lung (42%) and digestive (58%) G3 NEN treated by EP chemotherapy between 2006 and 2020. All cases were centrally reviewed for cytomorphology/Ki-67 and immunohistochemistry of retinoblastoma protein (Rb)/p53/p16, analyzed using a semi-quantitative score. The absence of Rb staining (Rbinap) or the absence of very intense p53 staining (p53inap) were considered inappropriate. Rb staining was also studied as a quantitative marker, the best threshold being determined by ROC curve. Intense p16 staining (p16high) also suggested cell cycle dysregulation. Our primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). We included 10 G3 NET, 31 LCNEC and 48 SCNEC, which showed ORR of 20%, 32% and 75%, respectively (NET vs. NEC, p = 0.040; LCNEC vs. SCNEC, p < 0.001). The ORR was significantly higher in NEN presenting with Rbinap (63% vs. 42%, p = 0.025) and p16high (66% vs. 35%, p = 0.006). Rb < 150 optimally identified responders (AUC = 0.657, p < 0.001). The ORR was 67% in Rb < 150 (vs. 25%, p = 0.005). On multivariate analysis, only Rb < 150 was independently associated with ORR (OR 4.16, 95% CI 1.11–15.53, p = 0.034). We confirm the heterogeneity of the response to EP treatment in G3 NEN. Rb < 150 was the best predictive biomarker for the response to EP, and p53 immunostaining had no additional value.

2018 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Pellat ◽  
Chantal Dreyer ◽  
Camille Couffignal ◽  
Thomas Walter ◽  
Catherine Lombard-Bohas ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Angiogenesis is extensively developed in well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNET) where sunitinib was shown to prolong progression-free survival, leading to nationwide approval. However, clinical experience in patients with grade 3 gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEPNEN-G3) remains limited. This prospective phase II trial evaluated potential predictive biomarkers of sunitinib activity in patients with advanced GEPNEN-G3. Methods: Sunitinib was given at a dose of 37.5 mg/day as a continuous daily dosing until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Evaluation of activity was based on RECIST1.1. Safety was evaluated according to NCI-CTCAE v4. Pharmacokinetics of sunitinib and its main active metabolite SU12662 were evaluated. All tumour samples were reviewed histologically for tumour differentiation. PDGFRβ, carbonic anhydrase 9, Ki-67, VEGFR2, and p-AKT were quantified using immunohistochemistry and their expression correlated with response by RECIST1.1. Results: Thirty-one patients were included and 26 had available histological tissue. Six and 20 patients presented well-differentiated tumours (NET-G3) and neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), respectively. Eighteen patients responded to sunitinib (4 experienced partial responses and 14 tumour stabilization). A high p-AKT expression correlated with lower response to sunitinib (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.89–0.99, p = 0.04). Safety and PK exposure to sunitinib and SU12662 in these patients were consistent with that reported in PanNET. Conclusion: Sunitinib showed evidence of activity in patients with GEPNEN-G3 with expected toxicity profile. In the NET-G3 and NEC groups, 4/6 and 11/20 patients were responders, respectively. High p-AKT expression predicted a lower response to sunitinib. Our study allowed the identification of a potential biomarker of resistance/sensitivity to sunitinib in aggressive GEPNEN-G3.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis de Mestier ◽  
Angela Lamarca ◽  
Jorge Hernando ◽  
Wouter Zandee ◽  
Teresa Alonso-Gordoa ◽  
...  

There is no standardized treatment for grade 3 neuroendocrine tumors (G3 NETs). We aimed to describe the treatments received in patients with advanced G3 NETs and compare their efficacy. Patients with advanced digestive G3 NETs treated between 2010 and 2018 in seven expert centers were retrospectively studied. Pathological samples were centrally reviewed, and radiological data were locally reviewed. We analyzed RECIST-defined objective response (OR), tumor growth rate (TGR) and progression-free survival (PFS) obtained with first- (L1) or second-line (L2) treatments. We included 74 patients with advanced G3 NETs, mostly from duodenal or pancreatic origin (71.6%), with median Ki-67 of 30%. The 126 treatments (L1=74; L2=52) included alkylating-based (n=32), etoposide-platinum (n=22) or adenocarcinoma-like chemotherapy (n=20), somatostatin analogs (n=21), targeted therapies (n=22) and liver-directed therapies (n=7). Alkylating-based chemotherapy achieved the highest OR rate (37.9%) compared to other treatments (multivariable OR 4.22, 95% CI [1.5-12.2]; p=0.008). Adenocarcinoma-like and alkylating-based chemotherapies showed the highest reductions in 3-month TGR (p<0.001 and p=0.008, respectively). The longest median PFS were obtained with adenocarcinoma-like chemotherapy (16.5 months [9.0-24.0]) and targeted therapies (12.0 months [8.2-15.8]), while the shortest PFS were observed with somatostatin analogues (6.2 months [3.8-8.5]) and etoposide-platinum chemotherapy (7.2 months [5.2-9.1]). Etoposide-platinum CT achieved shorter PFS than adenocarcinoma-like (multivariable HR 3.69 [1.61-8.44], p=0.002) and alkylating-based chemotherapies (multivariable HR 1.95 [1.01-3.78], p=0.049). Overall, adenocarcinoma-like and alkylating-based chemotherapies may be the most effective treatments for patients with advanced G3 NETs regarding OR and PFS. Etoposide-platinum chemotherapy has poor efficacy in this setting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1677
Author(s):  
Anna Pellat ◽  
Romain Coriat

The 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) of the digestive tract introduced a new category of tumors named well-differentiated grade 3 neuroendocrine tumors (NET G−3). These lesions show a number of mitosis, or a Ki−67 index higher than 20% with a well-differentiated morphology, therefore separating them from neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) which are poorly differentiated. It has become clear that NET G−3 show differences not only in morphology but also in genotype, clinical presentation, and treatment response. The incidence of digestive NET G−3 represents about one third of NEN G−3 with main tumor sites being the pancreas, the stomach and the colon. Treatment for NET G−3 is not yet standardized because of lack of data. In a non-metastatic setting, international guidelines recommend surgical resection, regardless of tumor grading. For metastatic lesion, chemotherapy is the main treatment with similar regimen as NET G−2. Sunitinib has also shown some positive results in a small sample of patients but this needs confirmation. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) and immunotherapy could be future available treatments after ongoing studies. The goal of this review was to sum up the latest data on the epidemiology and management of digestive NET G−3.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2448
Author(s):  
Anna Pellat ◽  
Anne Ségolène Cottereau ◽  
Lola-Jade Palmieri ◽  
Philippe Soyer ◽  
Ugo Marchese ◽  
...  

Digestive well-differentiated grade 3 neuroendocrine tumors (NET G-3) have been clearly defined since the 2017 World Health Organization classification. They are still a rare category lacking specific data and standardized management. Their distinction from other types of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) not only lies in morphology but also in genotype, aggressiveness, functional imaging uptake, and treatment response. Most of the available data comes from pancreatic series, which is the most frequent tumor site for this entity. In the non-metastatic setting, surgical resection is recommended, irrespective of grade and tumor site. For metastatic NET G-3, chemotherapy is the main first-line treatment with temozolomide-based regimen showing more efficacy than platinum-based regimen, especially when Ki-67 index <55%. Targeted therapies, such as sunitinib and everolimus, have also shown some positive therapeutic efficacy in small samples of patients. Functional imaging plays a key role for detection but also treatment selection. In the second or further-line setting, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy has shown promising response rates in high-grade NEN. Finally, immunotherapy is currently investigated as a new therapeutic approach with trials still ongoing. More data will come with future work now focusing on this specific subgroup. The aim of this review is to summarize the current data on digestive NET G-3 and explore future directions for their management.


2019 ◽  
Vol 110 (5) ◽  
pp. 377-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taymeyah Al-Toubah ◽  
Michael J. Schell ◽  
Mauro Cives ◽  
Jun-Min Zhou ◽  
Heloisa P. Soares ◽  
...  

Background: Ibrutinib is an orally administered inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk). Preclinical data suggest that mast cells are recruited within neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) where they stimulate angiogenesis and tumor growth. Ibrutinib inhibits mast cell degranulation and has been associated with regression of tumors in a mouse insulinoma model. Methods: A prospective, phase II trial evaluated patients with advanced gastrointestinal (GI)/lung NENs and pancreatic NENs (pNENs) who had evidence of progression within 12 months of study entry on at least one prior therapy. Patients received ibrutinib 560 mg daily until unacceptable toxicity, progression of disease, or withdrawal of consent. The primary endpoint was objective response rate. Results: Twenty patients were enrolled on protocol from November 2015 to December 2017 (15 advanced GI/lung NENs and 5 pNENs). No patient reached an objective response. Median PFS was 3.0 months. A total of 44 drug-related adverse events (AEs) were captured as probably or definitely associated with ibrutinib. Five patients experienced probably or definitely related grade 3 AEs, and 1 patient experienced a probably related grade 4 AE. Five patients discontinued treatment prior to radiographic assessment. Conclusions: Ibrutinib does not show significant evidence of activity in well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic and lung NENs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Volante ◽  
Ozgur Mete ◽  
Giuseppe Pelosi ◽  
Anja C. Roden ◽  
Ernst Jan M. Speel ◽  
...  

AbstractThoracic (pulmonary and thymic) neuroendocrine tumors are well-differentiated epithelial neuroendocrine neoplasms that are classified into typical and atypical carcinoid tumors based on mitotic index cut offs and presence or absence of necrosis. This classification scheme is of great prognostic value but designed for surgical specimens, only. Deep molecular characterization of thoracic neuroendocrine tumors highlighted their difference with neuroendocrine carcinomas. Neuroendocrine tumors of the lung are characterized by a low mutational burden, and a high prevalence of mutations in chromatin remodeling and histone modification-related genes, whereas mutations in genes frequently altered in neuroendocrine carcinomas are rare. Molecular profiling divided thymic neuroendocrine tumors into three clusters with distinct clinical outcomes and characterized by a different average of copy number instability. Moreover, integrated histopathological, molecular and clinical evidence supports the existence of a grey zone category between neuroendocrine tumors (carcinoid tumors) and neuroendocrine carcinomas. Indeed, cases with well differentiated morphology but mitotic/Ki-67 indexes close to neuroendocrine carcinomas have been increasingly recognized. These are characterized by specific molecular profiles and have an aggressive clinical behavior. Finally, thoracic neuroendocrine tumors may arise in the background of genetic susceptibility, being MEN1 syndrome the well-defined familial form. However, pathologists should be aware of rarer germline variants that are associated with the concurrence of neuroendocrine tumors of the lung or their precursors (such as DIPNECH) with other neoplasms, including but not limited to breast carcinomas. Therefore, genetic counseling for all young patients with thoracic neuroendocrine neoplasia and/or any patient with pathological evidence of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia-to-neoplasia progression sequence or multifocal disease should be considered.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 3556-3556
Author(s):  
Anne Hansen Ree ◽  
Hanne Hamre ◽  
Christian Kersten ◽  
Eva Hofsli ◽  
Marianne Grønlie Guren ◽  
...  

3556 Background: Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized patient outcome for the small mCRC subgroup with highly immunogenic disease. The majority of mCRC cases, however, are MSS without innate ICB susceptibility. In our ongoing METIMMOX study, we hypothesize that MSS mCRC can be transformed into an immunogenic condition by short-course oxaliplatin-based therapy (FLOX), enabling patients with unresectable, previously untreated metastases to obtain durable disease control when adding ICB therapy. Here we present the protocol-planned interim analysis. Methods: Eligibility criteria include infradiaphragmatic metastasis and C-reactive protein < 60 mg/L. At analysis 15 January 2021, 54 patients stratified according to primary tumor sidedness and mutational status and evaluable for the primary end point (progression-free survival; PFS) had been randomly assigned to a standard-of-care schedule of 8 FLOX cycles Q2W (control arm) or repeat sequential 2 FLOX cycles and 2 nivolumab cycles (240 mg Q2W) to a total of 8 cycles (experimental arm), for both arms before treatment break until disease progression and reintroduction of a new treatment sequence. Radiologic response assessment is every 8 weeks. Safety, tolerability, objective response rate, and duration of response are among secondary end points. Results: At median follow-up of 6.4 (range, 0.5-20) months, patients were well balanced between the treatment arms with regard to the predefined strata and single-organ or multiple-organ metastases. Median PFS for the entire groups of control and experimental arm patients was 5.6 (range, 0.5-15; n = 26) and 6.6 (range, 0.5-20; n = 28) months, respectively. The number of FLOX-related CTCAE grade 3 or higher adverse events, including 2 deaths after initial FLOX administration, was comparable in the two arms. Twelve immune-related grade 3-4 adverse events (no new safety signals) were recorded. In the experimental arm, 4 (16%) patients, all RAS/BRAF-mutant cases, had experienced complete response and 9 (32%) patients had ongoing objective response at 8 months. The control arm cases had 0 with complete response and 6 (23%) with ongoing objective response at 8 months, 1 of whom had proceeded to curative-intent liver surgery. Conclusions: MSS mCRC patients may hold the opportunity of ICB responsiveness evoked by short-course oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. The search for predictive biomarkers of ICB responsiveness is ongoing in the specifically designed METIMMOX correlative study program. Clinical trial information: NCT03388190.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 893-899
Author(s):  
Laura G. Pastrián ◽  
Ignacio Ruz-Caracuel ◽  
Raul S. Gonzalez

Primary neuroendocrine neoplasms of the liver have occasionally been reported in the liver, though many reports do not convincingly exclude metastases. In this article, we report 2 “giant” hepatic neuroendocrine lesions without evidence of a primary elsewhere after clinical workup. One occurred in a 21-year-old male; the lesion was a large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma measuring 24 cm. The patient died of disease in 10 months. The other occurred in a 25-year-old patient, was 18 cm wide, and was diagnosed as a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor, World Health Organization grade 3. The patient died of disease after 30 months. Molecular testing demonstrated only the presence of TP53 mutations in common. These cases expand our knowledge of seemingly primary neuroendocrine neoplasms of the liver, in particular, giant cases measuring more than 8 cm. Guidelines for clinical workup and therapy for these lesions remain unclear, but future thorough workup of such cases is necessary for specific characterization.


2020 ◽  
Vol 153 (6) ◽  
pp. 811-820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey E McHugh ◽  
Sanjay Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Erika E Doxtader ◽  
Christopher Lanigan ◽  
Daniela S Allende

Abstract Objectives INSM1 has been described as a sensitive and specific neuroendocrine marker. This study aims to compare INSM1 with traditional neuroendocrine markers in gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms. Methods Retrospective review (2008-2018) was used to retrieve paraffin-embedded tissue from 110 gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms and controls that was subsequently stained with INSM1, synaptophysin, chromogranin, CD56, and Ki-67. Results INSM1 was positive in 16 of 17 (94.1%) gastric, 17 of 18 (94.4%) pancreatic, 13 of 18 (72.2%) small bowel, 17 of 21 (81.0%) colonic, and 26 of 36 (72.2%) appendiceal tumors. INSM1 was positive in 58 of 70 (82.9%) well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors, 17 of 20 (85.0%) poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas, 8 of 11 (72.7%) low-grade goblet cell adenocarcinomas (grade 1), and 6 of 9 (66.7%) high-grade goblet cell adenocarcinomas (grade 2/3). INSM1 sensitivity for neuroendocrine neoplasms (80.9%) was less than that of synaptophysin (99.1%), chromogranin (88%), and CD56 (95.3%); specificity was higher (95.7% vs 86.0%, 87.3%, and 86.0%, respectively). Conclusions INSM1 is a useful marker of neuroendocrine differentiation in gastrointestinal neuroendocrine and mixed neuroendocrine neoplasms. Compared with traditional neuroendocrine markers, INSM1 is less sensitive but more specific.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (8_suppl) ◽  
pp. 43-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwan Fakih ◽  
Jaideep Singh Sandhu ◽  
Ching Ouyang ◽  
Ethan Sokol ◽  
Jeffrey S. Ross ◽  
...  

43 Background: PD-1 targeting with pembrolizumab or nivolumab leads to durable clinical benefits in patients (pts) with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumors. However, 30-35% of mCRC pts with MSI-H tumors will experience progressive disease (PD) as a best response when treated with anti-PD1 agents, highlighting the need of additional predictive biomarkers. Methods: We performed a retrospective multi-center clinical investigation to evaluate the impact of TMB, age, gender, stage at initial presentation, pattern of metastatic disease, tumor grade, and RAS/RAF status on response to anti-PD1/PD-L1 in MSI-H mCRC. TMB and MSI status were determined by hybrid capture-based next-generation sequencing (Foundation Medicine [FM]). The TMB distribution in MSI-H CRC was estimated from a large data set from FM. Results: 22 eligible MSI-H mCRC pts were identified across 5 cancer centers: 19 pts received pembrolizumab, 1 pt received nivolumab, 1 pt received nivolumab + ipilimumab, and 1 pt received durvalumab + tremelimumab. Among tested variables, TMB (as a continuous variable) showed the strongest association with an objective response (OR; p < 0.001). Also, both univariate and multivariate analyses supported that TMB serves as an independent prognostic variable in predicting progression-free survival (PFS; p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Using log-rank statistics, the optimal predictive cut-point for TMB was estimated between 37-41 mutations/Mb to dichotomize pts into TMBhigh and TMBlow groups. All 13 pts (100%) with TMBhigh had an OR, while only 2/9 (22%) pts with TMBlow had an OR and 6/9 had PD. The median PFS for TMBhigh pts has not been reached (no progressors, median follow-up > 18 mos), while the median PFS for TMBlow pts was 2 mos. Amongst 821 MSI-H CRC cases tested at FM, the 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th percentile TMB cutoffs were 33.1, 37.4, 46.1, and 61.8 mutations/Mb, respectively. Our optimal TMB cut-point range suggests that MSI-H mCRC with the lowest 35th percentile of TMB have a low likelihood of benefit from anti-PD1. Conclusions: These TMB findings require validation in prospective trials and may guide the sequencing of PD-1 inhibitor monotherapy in MSI-H mCRC.


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