Endocrine Abstracts

A rapidly growing neoplastic mass of the neck can either be caused by an anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) or a primitive lymphoma of the thyroid gland (PLT). These two malignancies share the same clinical features but vary widely in their treatment and outcome. Only histologic criteria through biopsy can provide a definitive diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess biological and radiological differences between ATC and PLT in order to hasten differential diagnosis. Sixty...

The biological diagnosis of pheochromocytoma (P) and/or paraganglioma (Pgg) relies on the identification of excessive secretion of the metanephrines. Chomogranin A (CgA) is a general indicator of neuroendocrine tumours that is highly expressed in P and correlate with tumour mass and secretory activity. The CgA test could be indicated as a useful test in patients with false positive metanephrines results. The aim of our prospective bi-centre study, is to evaluate the performanc...

Much controversy persists over aggressiveness of oncocytic thyroid carcinoma (OTC) and its optimal treatment. The study purpose was to determine prognostic factors for persistent or recurrent disease (PRD) and discuss therapeutic directions.We reviewed the medical records of 81 consecutive patients with OTC among a total of 1729 (4.7%) epithelial thyroid cancers, operated from 1983 to 2003 in our center. Follow-up information was updated. Age ranged from...

Introduction and objectives: The cyclin-dependent kinases CDK4 and CDK6 are key regulators of the cell cycle entry, by phosphorylating the onco-suppressor retinoblastoma protein (pRb). CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4i) are already established as standard first-line treatment against advanced Estrogen Receptor-positive breast tumors, and have emerged as novel drugs to treat various pRb-proficient chemotherapy-resistant cancers. Presence of activating T172-phosphorylation of CDK4 in bre...

Aggressive adreno-cortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy, with poorly understood molecular pathogenesis. As a result, therapeutic options are currently limited, surgery being currently the lone curative modality. Most cases of ACC are sporadic, although some familial cancer syndromes (Li–Fraumeni, Beckwith–Wiedemann, MEN1, Carney complex, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, etc.) are associated with an increased incidence of ACC. The genes involved in ...

Introduction: Adrenal pheochromocytomas have the same embryonic origin, i.e. the neural crest, as peripheral neuroblastic tumors such as ganglioneuromas, ganglioneuroblastomas and neuroblastomas. Ganglioneuromas are benign and silent tumors in that they usually do not secrete catecholamines in contrast to pheochromocytomas. Rarely, they can associate with pheochromocytomas to form composite tumors.Patients and methods: We have retrospectively studied sev...

Increased basal or pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin level is the cornerstone for the biological diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma, but is also observed in patients with C-cell hyperplasia (CCH) of the thyroid. In a prospective multicenter study we re-evaluated the reference ranges of basal calcitonin (bCT) in 287 euthyroid controls without thyroid disease (142 men-45 smokers, 3 deprived, 145 women-27 smokers). The CT levels were measured using 2 different assays (Cis-...

Riedel thyroiditis is an uncommon form of chronic thyroiditis in which the thyroid gland is replaced by fibrous tissue. The etiological mechanism underlying RT are unclear. The prevailing view is that it is part of a generalized fibro-inflammatory process also involving other organs. Therapeutic options are not standardized (surgery, corticosteroids, and more recently tamoxifene). The aim of this work is to present three new cases, and the favourable evolution observed in one ...

Purpose: To validate a prognostic stratification system of overall survival (OS) in stage IV pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) naïve of therapy by analyzing 1) prognostic parameters at the time of stage IV diagnosis; 2) the role of spontaneous tumor slope.Patients and Methods: Multicenter retrospective study including consecutive patients diagnosed with stage IV pNET from January 1997 to March 2014. Inclusion criteria were: 1. pNET w...