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Araujo-Castro M, Pascual-Corrales E, Molina-Cerrillo J, Moreno Mata N, Alonso-Gordoa T. Bronchial Carcinoids: From Molecular Background to Treatment Approach. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:520. [PMID: 35158788 PMCID: PMC8833538 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of the genetic and molecular background of bronchial carcinoids (BCs) would allow a better estimation of the risk of disease progression and the personalization of treatment in cases of advanced disease. Molecular studies confirmed that lungs neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are different entities; thus, no progression of NET to NEC is expected. In BCs, MEN1 gene mutations and deletions and decreased gene expression have been associated with a poor prognosis. ATRX mutation has also been linked to a shorter disease-specific survival. In terms of therapeutic targets, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway mutations have been described in 13% of typical carcinoids (TCs) and 39% of atypical carcinoids (ACs), representing a targetable mutation with kinase inhibitors. Regarding treatment, surgical resection is usually curative in localized BCs and adjuvant treatment is not routinely recommended. Multiple options for systemic therapy exist for patients with advanced BCs, although limited by a heterogeneity in the scientific evidence behind their use recommendation. These options include somatostatin analogues, everolimus, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, antiangiogenic agents, and immunotherapy. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review about the molecular and genetic background of BCs, and about the treatment of local and metastatic disease, as well as the main paraneoplastic syndromes that have been associated with this tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Araujo-Castro
- Neuroendocrinology Unit, Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Ramón y Cajal (IRICYS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Universidad de Alcalá, 28801 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eider Pascual-Corrales
- Neuroendocrinology Unit, Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Ramón y Cajal (IRICYS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Javier Molina-Cerrillo
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Ramón y Cajal (IRICYS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Universidad de Alcalá, 28801 Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicolás Moreno Mata
- Thoracic Surgery Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Teresa Alonso-Gordoa
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Ramón y Cajal (IRICYS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Universidad de Alcalá, 28801 Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain
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Xie Y, Wang H, Wang S, Feng Y, Feng Y, Fan S, Hu C, Liu X, Hou T. Clinicopathological Significance of ATRX Expression in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients: A Retrospective Study. J Cancer 2021; 12:6931-6936. [PMID: 34729095 PMCID: PMC8558651 DOI: 10.7150/jca.63333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in south China. Radiation technology improves the local control rates in early NPC. However, the distant metastases are still the main cause of treatment failure. Thus, to find biomarkers for prognosis will help to enhance the survival of NPC. ATRX is a chromatin remodeling protein localized in the nucleus. Deletion or mutation of ATRX gene has been demonstrated in a variety of malignancies. However, the significance of ATRX expression in the prognosis of NPC remains unclear. Methods: Tumor tissues from 227 NPC patients diagnosed in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from 2011 to 2016 were selected. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the ATRX expression level of the tumor tissue. Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between ATRX expression and clinical characteristics such as age, sex, T stage, N stage and clinical stage. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and log-rank was used to compare the difference in survival rate. Results: There were 53 patients with negative ATRX expression, accounting for 24.2% of the total group. ATRX expression was not significantly associated with age, sex, N stage, clinical stage, and progression-free survival (PFS) (P>0.05). However, patients with negative ATRX expression had earlier T staging (P=0.045) and a higher 5-year overall survival (84.9% vs 66.9%, P=0.022). Conclusions: Loss of ATRX expression may contribute to better prognosis in patients with NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangchun Xie
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Haihua Wang
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Sisi Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Yuhua Feng
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Yeqian Feng
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Songqing Fan
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Chunhong Hu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Xianling Liu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Tao Hou
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
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Volante M, Mete O, Pelosi G, Roden AC, Speel EJM, Uccella S. Molecular Pathology of Well-Differentiated Pulmonary and Thymic Neuroendocrine Tumors: What Do Pathologists Need to Know? Endocr Pathol 2021; 32:154-168. [PMID: 33641055 PMCID: PMC7960615 DOI: 10.1007/s12022-021-09668-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Thoracic (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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Volante
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Ozgur Mete
- Departments of Pathology, University Healthy Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Giuseppe Pelosi
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Anja C Roden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ernst Jan M Speel
- Department of Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Silvia Uccella
- Dept. of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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Low Protein Expression of both ATRX and ZNRF3 as Novel Negative Prognostic Markers of Adult Adrenocortical Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031238. [PMID: 33513905 PMCID: PMC7866180 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy that is associated with a dismal prognosis. Pan-genomic studies have demonstrated the involvement of ATRX and ZNRF3 genes in adrenocortical tumorigenesis. Our aims were to evaluate the protein expression of ATRX and ZNRF3 in a cohort of 82 adults with ACC and to establish their prognostic value. Two pathologists analyzed immuno-stained slides of a tissue microarray. The low protein expression of ATRX and ZNRF3 was associated with a decrease in overall survival (OS) (p = 0.045, p = 0.012, respectively). The Cox regression for ATRX protein expression of >1.5 showed a hazard ratio (HR) for OS of 0.521 (95% CI 0.273-0.997; p = 0.049) when compared with ≤1.5; for ZNRF3 expression >2, the HR for OS was 0.441 (95% CI, 0.229-0.852; p = 0.015) when compared with ≤2. High ATRX and ZNRF3 protein expressions were associated with optimistic recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.027 and p = 0.005, respectively). The Cox regression of RFS showed an HR of 0.332 (95%CI, 0.111-0.932) for ATRX expression >2.7 (p = 0.037), and an HR of 0.333 (95%CI, 0.140-0.790) for ZNRF3 expression >2 (p = 0.013). In conclusion, low protein expression of ATRX and ZNRF3 are negative prognostic markers of ACC; however, different cohorts should be evaluated to validate these findings.
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