Lenvatinib-Induced Acute Pancreatitis Associated With a Pancreatic Pseudocyst and Splenic Pseudoaneurysms

Case Report: Hypertriglyceridemia-Induced Pancreatitis after Lenvatinib and Pembrolizumab Use

Introduction

Lenvatinib and Pembrolizumab together are used as a chemotherapy regimen for patients with metastatic endometrial carcinoma. Lenvatinib is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor inhibitor, fibroblast growth factor inhibitor and an inhibitor that acts on platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha, ret oncogene and c-KIT oncogene. Pembrolizumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that acts against programmed-death one (PD-1) receptors and programmed-death ligand one (PD-L1) receptors. In combination, this regimen has proven to be efficacious in the setting of advanced endometrial carcinoma, but this must be weighed against its' side effect profile, most specifically their individual side effects. Pembrolizumab has been associated with pancreatitis. Lenvatinib has been associated with hypertriglyceridemia. However, little has been published with hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis in the setting of the combination of Lenvatinib and Pembrolizumab and its' management.

Case Presentation

This case presentation discusses a 57-year-old female with history of stage IV uterine cancer with metastasis to the liver status post total abdominal hysterectomy/bilateral salpingo-oophrectomy (on Lenvatinib 8 mg PO daily/Pembrolizumab 200 mg IV every three weeks) presenting with epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting and decreased appetite; her symptoms were due to hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis with CT findings consistent with pancreatitis as well as a serum lipase of 1,508, and serum triglyceride level of 2,052; she was treated with IV insulin, resulting in resolution of her hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis.

Conclusion

This case demonstrates a unique presentation of the hypertriglyceridemia induced pancreatitis in the setting of Lenvatinib and Pembrolizumab use and the need for future research to better understand the pathophysiology of the pancreatitis induced by this chemotherapy regimen.

Case report: A case study on the treatment using icaritin soft capsules in combination with lenvatinib achieving impressive PR and stage reduction in unresectable locally progressive pancreatic cancer and a literature review

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly malignancies in the world. It is characterized by rapid progression and a very poor prognosis. The five-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer in China is only 7.2%, which is the lowest among all cancers and the use of combined paclitaxel albumin, capecitabine, and digital has been the clinical standard treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer since 1997. Also, the application of multidrug combinations is often limited by the toxicity of chemotherapy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a more appropriate and less toxic treatment modality for pancreatic cancer. Case presentation: The patient was a 79-year-old woman, admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (T3N0M0, stage IIA), with its imaging showing overgrowth of SMV involvement and unresectable reconstruction of the posterior vein after evaluation. As the patient refused chemotherapy, lenvatinib (8 mg/time, qd) and icaritin soft capsules (three tablets/time, bid) were recommended according to our past experience and a few clinical research cases. The tumor lesion was greatly reduced by 57.5% after the treatment, and the extent of vascular involvement also decreased. The aforementioned medication resulted in a significant downstaging of the patient's tumor. Conclusion: Better results were achieved in the treatment with icaritin soft capsules and lenvatinib in this case. Because of its less toxic effect on the liver and kidney and bone marrow suppression, it was suitable to combine icaritin soft capsules with targeted drugs for treating intermediate and advanced malignancies, which brings hope to patients who cannot or refuse to take chemotherapy.

Incidence and computed tomography findings of lenvatinib-induced pancreatobiliary inflammation: A single-center, retrospective study

In this single-center retrospective study, we intended to evaluate the frequencies and characteristics of computed tomography findings of pancreatobiliary inflammation (PBI) in patients treated with lenvatinib and the relationship of these findings with treatment-planning changes.We included 78 patients (mean ± standard deviation, 69.8 ± 9.4 years, range: 39-84 years, 62 men) with hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 62) or thyroid carcinoma (n = 16) who received lenvatinib (June 2016-September 2020). Two radiologists interpreted the posttreatment computed tomography images and assessed the radiological findings of PBI (symptomatic pancreatitis, cholecystitis, or cholangitis). The PBI effect on treatment was statistically evaluated.PBI (pancreatitis, n = 1; cholecystitis, n = 7; and cholangitis, n = 2) was diagnosed in 11.5% (9/78) of the patients at a median of 35 days after treatment initiation; 6 of 9 patients discontinued treatment because of PBI. Three cases of cholecystitis and 1 of cholangitis were accompanied by gallstones, while the other 5 were acalculous. The treatment duration was significantly shorter in patients with PBI than in those without (median: 44 days vs. 201 days, P = .02). Overall, 9 of 69 patients without PBI showed asymptomatic gallbladder subserosal edema.Lenvatinib-induced PBI developed in 11.5% of patients, leading to a significantly shorter treatment duration. Approximately 55.6% of the PBI cases were acalculous. The recognition of this phenomenon would aid physicians during treatment planning in the future.

CT imaging findings of lenvatinib-induced enteritis

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the relationship between abnormal findings on abdomino-pelvic CT and adverse events in oncologic patients treated with lenvatinib, and their relationship with treatment planning.

METHODS

This single institutional retrospective study included 58 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma or unresectable thyroid carcinoma (mean age ± standard deviation 69.6 ± 10.0 years; range 39-84 years; 48 men) who underwent CT between October 2016 and July 2020. Two radiologists who were blinded to clinical information including the presence or absence of diarrhea evaluated the imaging findings, including the presence/absence of enteritis in each intestinal segment. Gastrointestinal adverse events (diarrhea, decreased appetite, nausea, and vomiting) and other drug-induced adverse events requiring treatment or follow-up during lenvatinib treatment were also investigated. The frequency of these adverse events was compared between the patients with and without enteritis using Fisher's exact test or the Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

Enteritis was found on CT in the majority (33/58 [56.9%]) of the patients, and most of them (25/33 [75.8%]) showed duodenojejunitis. The frequency of gastrointestinal adverse events (28/33 [84.8%] vs. 13/25 [56.0%], p = 0.009), diarrhea (20/33 [60.6%] vs. 3/25 [12.0%], p < 0.001), and drug interruptions (25/33 [75.8%] vs. 10/25 [40.0%], p = 0.008) and the number of other adverse events (3.9 ± 1.7 vs. 2.3 ± 1.3, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the patients with enteritis on CT than in those without.

CONCLUSIONS

Lenvatinib-induced enteritis frequently involved the duodenum and jejunum and was related to a significantly higher frequency of treatment interruptions and gastrointestinal adverse events.

Lenvatinib-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in a Patient with Metastatic Thyroid Cancer: A Case Report

Background

Lenvatinib, a novel multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been approved for treating differentiated thyroid cancer. Herein, we describe a rare case of acute pancreatitis that developed during lenvatinib treatment in a 65-year-old man with recurrent thyroid cancer.

Case Presentation

The patient was admitted to our department following a complaint of acute-onset epigastric pain and indigestion. He had been receiving lenvatinib since 34 days. Although his serum amylase and lipase levels were normal, he had acute-onset persistent epigastric pain and typical computed tomography findings, which were consistent with those of acute pancreatitis. As other common etiologies were excluded, it was concluded that the patient had lenvatinib-induced acute pancreatitis. On admission day 14, he could consume food orally, after conservative care, including drug cessation, intravenous hydration, and pain control.

Conclusion

Physicians should consider acute pancreatitis as a differential diagnosis for patients complaining of abdominal pain while on lenvatinib, regardless of hyperamylasemia or hyperlipasemia. Systematic collection of data on acute pancreatitis development during lenvatinib treatment should be considered, and further research is warranted to identify the mechanism of acute pancreatitis associated with multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as lenvatinib.

Drug induced pancreatitis: A systematic review of case reports to determine potential drug associations

OBJECTIVE

A current assessment of case reports of possible drug-induced pancreatitis is needed. We systematically reviewed the case report literature to identify drugs with potential associations with acute pancreatitis and the burden of evidence supporting these associations.

METHODS

A protocol was developed a priori (PROSPERO CRD42017060473). We searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and additional sources to identify cases of drug-induced pancreatitis that met accepted diagnostic criteria of acute pancreatitis. Cases caused by multiple drugs or combination therapy were excluded. Established systematic review methods were used for screening and data extraction. A classification system for associated drugs was developed a priori based upon the number of cases, re-challenge, exclusion of non-drug causes of acute pancreatitis, and consistency of latency.

RESULTS

Seven-hundred and thirteen cases of potential drug-induced pancreatitis were identified, implicating 213 unique drugs. The evidence base was poor: exclusion of non-drug causes of acute pancreatitis was incomplete or poorly reported in all cases, 47% had at least one underlying condition predisposing to acute pancreatitis, and causality assessment was not conducted in 81%. Forty-five drugs (21%) were classified as having the highest level of evidence regarding their association with acute pancreatitis; causality was deemed to be probable or definite for 19 of these drugs (42%). Fifty-seven drugs (27%) had the lowest level of evidence regarding an association with acute pancreatitis, being implicated in single case reports, without exclusion of other causes of acute pancreatitis.

DISCUSSION

Much of the case report evidence upon which drug-induced pancreatitis associations are based is tenuous. A greater emphasis on exclusion of all non-drug causes of acute pancreatitis and on quality reporting would improve the evidence base. It should be recognized that reviews of case reports, are valuable scoping tools but have limited strength to establish drug-induced pancreatitis associations.

REGISTRATION

CRD42017060473.