Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The new Italian cytological classification of thyroid nodules published in 2014 has replaced the TIR3 ‘indeterminate’ category into two subcategory with different risk of thyroid cancer (TC): TIR3A, low-risk indeterminate lesion and TIR3B, high-risk indeterminate lesion. The aim of our study was to describe the incidence of TIR3B in a large prospective cohort of patients, the risk of TC, and its correlation with anamnestic, ultrasonographic (US) and cyt...

Background: Vitamin D has several ‘noncalcemic’ implications, including effects on cell signaling and differentiation. Patients with gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumors (NET) have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency, due to the tumor itself, systemic therapies and abdominal surgery. However, data regarding vitamin D status are limited. Aim of this study was to evaluate 25-hydroxy-vitamin-D (25(OH)D) levels in GEP-NET patients and correlated them ...

Introduction: The role of Angiopoietin (Ang)/Tie2 kinase pathway in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) has recently received increasing attention, but its clinical role remains unclear. Tie2-receptor inactivation favours chronic inflammation. The balance between its agonist and antagonist regulates its signalling. Aim of this study was to measure serum soluble Tie2 (sTie2) and Ang-2 in patients followed at the NETTARE Unit (NeuroEndocrine TAsk foRcE of ‘Sapienza’ Univer...

Introduction: Due to the absence of randomized controlled trials, management of low risk papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), which represents the most commonly diagnosed form of thyroid malignancy, remains controversial. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is significantly more frequent in patients with PTC, as compared with subjects carrying benign lesions as well as different tumour histotypes. Despite still controversial, HT is considered a protective factor in PTC being associat...

Somatostatin analogs (SSA) effectively control symptoms in neuroendocrine tumours (NET), besides showing antiproliferative activity. In progressive or metastatic NET, increasing SSA dose or shortening the dosing interval are common clinical practice, though empirical. Aim of this study is to evaluate efficacy and safety of high-dose SSA treatment in patients with progressive disease under standard SSA dose. Twenty-one patients (median age 56.8 years) with NET of different orig...

Introduction: Recent data suggest that metformin has antineoplastic properties in different type of cancer. Effects of metformin have never been investigated in neuroendocrine tumors (NET).We aim to determine the role of metformine on recurrence-free survival (RFS) in NET patients.Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted comparing NET patients with recent diagnosis (<3 year) of diabetes mellitus (with HbA1c...

Introduction: PHPT is a common endocrine disease characterized by hypercalcemia and different degree of osteoporosis and nephrolithiasis. PHPT arises in the context of an inherited disease in 5% of cases. Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is the commonest cause of inherited PHPT. The main therapeutic approach for PHPT is surgery, however many patients refuse or have contraindications for surgery while others, in particular those with MEN1 PHPT, have persistent/relapsi...

Introduction: Targeted therapy with the multi-kinase inhibitor sorafenib is effective for treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) unresponsive to RAI. Although kinase-inhibitors (KIs) are usually well tolerated, severe and even fatal adverse events are reported. Aim of the study was to assess incidence and characteristics of fatal events in patients with RAI-refractory DTC responsive to treatment with sorafenib.Design: A retrospective analysis o...

Introduction: Paragangliomas are neuroectodermal tumors that arise from adrenal medulla or extra-adrenal ganglia and are characterized by high vascularisation. A high rate of these tumours is genetically inherited. For malignant paragangliomas, chemo- and radio-therapy are potentially effective, but tumor response is of short duration and patient prognosis is quite poor. Sunitinib is a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, targeting VEGFR1, -2, PDGFRα, -β, RET and c-Kit. Recent...

Introduction: Kinase-inhibitors (KIs) are effective for treatment of most aggressive endocrine cancers. The crucial point about treatment with KIs is that these agents are not curative and their effects are at best transitory and are always followed by a restoration of tumour growth and progression. Several retrospective and phase II studies demonstrated efficacy of both sorafenib and sunitib for treatment of iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer although results fro...