Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Although sunitinib, an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor of RET, VEGFR, PDGFR, c-KIT used for cancer treatment, has a reported prevalence of hypocalcemia of 35%, this has not been documented in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (pNETs).Methods: We present three, out of 12, patients with pNETs treated with sunitinib who developed grade 1, 2 and 4 hypocalcemia according Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0 (CTCAE) crite...

Background: The expression and/or co-expression of somatostatin (sstr1–5) and dopamine (DR) receptors in neuroendocrine tumors (NETS) is of clinical interest as their expression implies that NETS could be treated with combined targeted therapy. In addition, the expression of sstrs permits tumour visualization with radiolabelled sst analogs (111In-DTPA-OctreoScan).Methods: We analyzed preoperative Octreoscans findings (also graded for the ...

Objective: The prevalence of metastatic bone disease in patients with neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and their response to first line treatment with biphosphonates.Methods: We studied 271 patients (141 females) with NETs: 54 gastric, nine duodenal, 102 pancreatic, 29 small intestine, 29 appendix, 14 colon, 15 lung, one thymic, 20 unknown primary and ten elsewhere. Since September 2012 all patients with NETs and bone metastases were recruited to receive 4 ...

Introduction: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are rare and heterogeneous neoplasms with variable biological behaviour but generally slow progression.Methods/design: 355 patients with NENs registered in our data-base have been studied (166 females, mean age: 52 years; range: 11–88), during the period 2004–2014. TNM system has been used for staging and proliferation index Ki-67 for grading.Results: Out of 355 patients, 35 (...

Introduction: ACTH-secreting pituitary carcinomas are rare neoplasms but there are not factors till now to predict their aggressive evolution nor a standard practice to their management.Case report: We report a 43-year-old female patient presented in 1990 with Cushing’s syndrome due to ACTH-secreting pituitary microadenoma who had been submitted on trans-sphenoidal surgery with cure as defined by post-operative cortisol serum levels <50 nmol/l. ...

Introduction: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a genetic disorder involving mainly parathyroid tumours, pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs) and pituitary tumours. In the present study we have registered demographic, clinical, imaging, pathological characteristics, therapeutic options, response to treatment and overall outcome of patients with MEN1.Methods/design: 35 patients with MEN1 registered in our data base have been studied (14...

Introduction: Somatostatin analogues (SSAs) are the mainstay of treatment for carcinoid syndrome (CS)-related symptoms. Controversy still exists regarding the extent of the efficacy of this intervention. The purpose of the systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the percentage of patients achieving partial (PR) or complete response (CR) with the use of SSAs (lanreotide, octreotide, pasireotide) in patients with CS. Due to lack of uniformity and established criteria...

Introduction: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are neoplasms with a slow progression and a 5-year survival 77–95%. It is well known that secondary deposits of NENs may dedifferentiate during the natural history of the disease, presenting a more aggressive biological behaviour.Aim of the study: The prevalence of secondary foci dedifferentiation of pancreatic NENs (p-NENs).Methods: From the NENs database of 414 patients, 160 (38....