Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Virtually all familial cases of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC) have a RET germline mutation. Subjects harboring RET germline mutation without unaware of their condition are defined gene carriers (GC). Thyroid surgery timing is decided upon RET mutation and calcitonin levels (both basal, bCT, and stimulated, sCT). However, bCT and sCT thresholds for planning thyroid surgery have not been established, yet.Methods...

Background: Standard treatment for advanced adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is mitotane in monotherapy or combined with etoposide, doxorubicin and cisplatin (EDP), yet biomarkers predictive of treatment response are lacking. Inflammation-based scores were proposed as predictors for gemcitabine+capecitabine efficacy, used as second-line in progressive ACC. We investigated the role of inflammation-based scores in predicting response to first-line treatment in advanced ACC.<p ...

Background: The detection of phaeochromocytomas evolved from autopsy finding to presentation in symptomatic/hypertensive, and genetically-predisposed individuals. Increasingly, phaeochromocytomas are diagnosed in incidental adrenal masses and the impact on the clinical, biochemical, and radiological features is unclear.Methods: Retrospective review of patients with phaeochromocytomas seen at a large tertiary referral centre between January 2010 and May 2...

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignant tumour with heterogeneous outcome. Prognostic classification relies on individual clinical/histopathological parameters that have limited performance. Recent studies proposed the use of selected DNA-based biomarkers to improve prognostication of ACC. Aim of the study was to perform a comparative analysis of DNA-based biomarkers (BM) for prognostic assessment of ACC by evaluating their added value to the established prognostic ...

Background: Treatment for advanced adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) consists of mitotane alone or combined with etoposide, doxorubicin and cisplatin (EDP), yet their efficacy is limited and burdened with significant toxicity. Moreover, markers of response are lacking. Inflammation-based scores have been proposed as prognostic factors in several malignancies including ACC, and recently also as predictors of gemcitabine+capecitabine efficacy, second-line treatment in progressive d...

Glucocorticoids play a significant role in immune modulation and regulation of inflammation. In patients with endogenous glucocorticoid excess (Cushing’s syndrome [CS]) multiple haematological alterations are recognized, such as neutrophil leukocytosis, lymphopenia, and eosinopenia, often leading to severe clinical complications. However, little is known in patients with mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS). Serum inflammation-based scores may reliably reflect system...

Background: PET/CT scan with 18F-fluoro-dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F–DOPA) is an emerging useful tool in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) patients with high calcitonin (CTN) values. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential usefulness of 18F-DOPA-PET/CT in MTC patients with biochemical incomplete response (BiR) (detectable CTN values and negative/indeterminate findings at CT scan with i.v. contrast).Materials a...

Background: Primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) can be of autoimmune origin (Addison’s disease, AD) or due to inborn disorders of steroidogenesis (congenital adrenal hyperplasia, CAH). Prognosis of patients with PAI has improved considerably after glucocorticoid replacement therapy became available. However, even in recent years, an increased risk of death has been described in both AD and CAH patients. Moreover, even with the current state-of-the-art replacement therapy,...

Background: Adrenal incidentalomas are mostly non-functioning adrenal tumours (NFAT) or adenomas with mild autonomous cortisol excess (MACE), of which the natural history is unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis focussing on NFAT and MACE to determine the: (i) proportion and degree of tumour growth, (ii) incident change in hormone function, and (iii) proportion of malignant transformation.Methods: We searched MEDLINE In-Process &#38...

Introduction: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is the most frequent endocrine cancer. After surgery followed, if any, by 131I radio remnant ablation (RRA), follow-up monitoring consists of neck ultrasonography (US) and measurements of thyroglobulin (Tg) levels and anti-Tg antibodies (Ac-Tg) both on levothyroxine (L-T4) therapy and after recombinant TSH (rTSH). The aim of our study is to define a cut-off of Tg before RRA (RRA-Tg) during <...