Quality of Life and its Determinants in Patients With Treated Acromegaly: A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Study in China

Correlation Between Pituitary Adenoma Surgery and Anxiety Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the impact of surgical intervention on anxiety levels in patients with various types of pituitary adenoma (PA).

METHOD

A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines until October 2022, searching Embase, PubMed, Web of Sciences, and Scopus.

RESULTS

A total of 32 studies were included, encompassing 2,681 patients with the mean age of 53.33 ± 6.48 years (43.4% male). Among all subtypes, 664 diagnosed with Cushing's disease (25.8%), 612 with acromegaly (23.8%), 282 with prolactinoma (10.9%), and 969 with nonfunctional pituitary adenomas (37.6%). Pituitary insufficiency was the most common complication. Considering therapeutic modalities, 515 patients (29.8%) underwent endoscopic trans-sphenoidal surgery, while 222 (12.9%) underwent microscopic trans-sphenoidal surgery. The type of trans-sphenoidal surgery was not specified in 977 (56.6%) patients. A total of 17 studies including 1510 patients which mostly assessed anxiety using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were included in the meta-analysis. Preoperative evaluation using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire showed a pooled score of 8.27 (95%CI 4.54-12.01), while postoperative evaluation yielded a pooled score of 6.49 (95%CI 5.35-7.63), indicating no significant difference. Preoperative SAS assessment resulted in a pooled score of 50.43 (95%CI 37.40-63.45), with postoperative pooled score of 55.91 (95%CI 49.40-62.41), showing no significant difference.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis revealed no significant difference in anxiety scores pre- and postoperatively. While our findings suggest stability in anxiety levels following surgical intervention, it is imperative to recognize the limitations of the current evidence base. The observed lack of consensus may be influenced by factors such as the heterogeneous nature of the patient population, variations in the characteristics of pituitary adenomas, diverse therapeutic approaches, and potential confounding variables such as pre-existing mental health conditions and coping mechanisms. Further research is warranted to elucidate the nuanced relationship between surgical intervention for PA and anxiety outcomes, considering these complex interactions and employing rigorous methodologies to address potential sources of bias.

Clinical Pharmacology of Oral Octreotide Capsules for the Treatment of Acromegaly

The primary goal of acromegaly treatment is to normalize biochemical parameters as it significantly reduces the risks of complications and comorbidities associated with the disease. First-line medical treatment is commonly represented by injectable somatostatin analogues (SRLs) after surgery. In June 2020, with the integration of Transient Permeation Enhancer® technology, oral octreotide capsules (OOCs) received regulatory approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for long-term maintenance treatment in patients with acromegaly who have responded to and tolerated treatment with octreotide or lanreotide. We reviewed the clinical pharmacological data on the development and clinical use of OOCs. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data on OOCs showed a dose-dependent increase in octreotide levels and remarkable suppression of growth hormone secretion. The efficacy and safety of OOCs were investigated in four clinical trials conducted on patients with complete or partially controlled acromegaly. The trials resulted in the maintenance of biochemical control after switching from injectable SRLs to OOCs, with a comparable side-effect profile. Moreover, the acromegaly symptoms improved in patients on OOC. The data showed a patient preference to continue in the OOC arm for the extension phase of the trials. From the clinical pharmacological perspective, oral formulation of octreotide has the advantage of efficacy and safety with respect to injectable octreotide.

Feline Comorbidities: Hypersomatotropism-induced diabetes in cats

PRACTICAL RELEVANCE

Diabetes mellitus is the second-most common feline endocrinopathy, affecting an estimated 1/200 cats. While the underlying causes vary, around 15-25% of cats with diabetes mellitus develop the condition secondarily to progressive growth hormone (GH)-induced insulin resistance. This typically results in a form of diabetes that is challenging to manage, whereby the response to insulin is very variable or high doses are required to achieve even minimal diabetic control.

CLINICAL CHALLENGES

Although uncontrolled chronic excessive GH may result in phenotypic changes that raise suspicion for acromegaly, many cats with hypersomatotropism (HST) do not have these changes. In these situations, a clinician's index of suspicion may be increased by the presence of less dramatic changes such as marked polyphagia, stertor or uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. The current diagnostic test of choice is demonstration of a markedly increased serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) concentration, but some affected cats will have only a marginal increase; additionally, chronic insulin administration in cats results in an increase in serum IGF1, making the diagnosis less clear cut and requiring additional confirmatory tests.

EVIDENCE BASE

Over the past two decades, HST has increasingly been recognised as an underlying cause of diabetes mellitus in cats. This review, which focuses on diagnosis and treatment, utilises data from observational studies, clinical trials and case series, as well as drawing on the experience of the authors in managing this condition.

Risk of depression in patients with acromegaly in Korea (2006-2016): a nationwide population-based study

BACKGROUND

An increased prevalence of depression has been reported in patients with acromegaly. However, most studies included a relatively small sample size owing to the rarity of acromegaly. We aimed to investigate the risk of depression in patients with acromegaly using the Korean National Health Information Database (NHID).

METHODS

The data of patients with acromegaly in 2006-2016 were collected from the rare incurable disease registry of the NHID. Patients with acromegaly were matched with control participants without acromegaly for age and sex in a 1:5 ratio.

RESULTS

Patients who did not receive treatment for acromegaly had a significantly increased risk of depression (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-1.82). However, the risk of depression did not increase in patients who received treatment for acromegaly. The multiple Cox regression analysis showed that the risk of depression was significantly higher in the untreated group than in the control group during the first 3 years of observation (HR: 1.829, 95% CI: 1.305-2.563). However, after a time lag of over 3 years, the risk of depression decreased in the untreated group, which is similar to that in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Our nationwide study suggests that patients who did not receive treatment for acromegaly have a higher risk of depression compared with controls. The untreated acromegaly patients should be monitored for the development of depression, especially in the early years after diagnosis. These results could serve as a basis for developing screening strategies to mitigate depression in acromegaly patients.

The socioeconomic burden of acromegaly

Acromegaly is a rare and insidious disease characterized by chronic excess growth hormone, leading to various morphological changes and systemic complications. Despite its low prevalence, acromegaly poses a significant socioeconomic burden on patients and healthcare systems. This review synthesizes the current state of knowledge on the psychosocial burden, disability, impact on daily life, and cost of acromegaly disease, focusing on the quality of life, partnership, medical care and treatment afflictions, participation in daily activities, professional and leisure impairment, and cost of treatment for acromegaly and its comorbidities. It also examines management strategies, coping mechanisms, and interventions aimed at alleviating this burden. A comprehensive understanding of the extent of the socioeconomic burden in acromegaly is crucial to develop effective strategies to improve treatment and care. Further research is warranted to explore the myriad factors contributing to this burden, as well as the efficacy of interventions to alleviate it, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for patients with acromegaly.

Patient-reported outcomes in refractory hormone-producing pituitary adenomas: an unmet need

PURPOSE

To describe quality and outcomes of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures (PROMs) used in patients with refractory hormone-producing pituitary adenomas, and to provide an overview of PROs in these challenging pituitary adenomas.

METHODS

Three databases were searched for studies reporting on refractory pituitary adenomas. For the purpose of this review, refractory adenomas were defined as tumors resistant to primary therapy. General risk of bias was assessed using a component approach and the quality of PROM reporting was assessed using the International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL) criteria.

RESULTS

20 studies reported on PROMs in refractory pituitary adenomas, using 14 different PROMs, of which 4 were disease specific (median general risk of bias score: 33.5% (range 6-50%) and ISOQOL score: 46% (range 29-62%)). SF-36/RAND-36 and AcroQoL were most frequently used. Health-related quality of life in refractory patients (measured by AcroQoL, SF-36/Rand-36, Tuebingen CD-25, and EQ-5D-5L) varied greatly across studies, and was not always impaired compared to patients in remission.

CONCLUSION

There is a scarcity of data on PROs in the subset of pituitary adenomas that is more difficult to treat, e.g., refractory and these patients are difficult to isolate from the total cohort. The patients' perspective on quality of life, therefore, remains largely unknown in refractory patients. Thus, PROs in refractory pituitary adenomas require adequate analysis using properly reported disease specific PROMs in large cohorts to enable appropriate interpretation for use in clinical practice.

Exosomal RNAs in the development and treatment of pituitary adenomas

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that carry various bioactive molecules including various RNAs that modulate the activities of recipient cells. It has drawn considerable attention as means of cell communication and drug delivery. Exosome plays important role in various tumors, but it is rarely summarized in pituitary adenoma (PA). PA is the second most common primary central nervous system tumor, and its recurrence and persistent postoperative hormone hypersecretion lead to compromised quality of life. How exactly exosomes impact tumor development and hormone secretion is important for the development of this tumor diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we discuss how exosomal RNAs impact PAs and their potential as future clinical therapies. In our literature review, first, we found that exosomal microRNA hsa-miR-1180-3p is a potential early biomarker for NFPAs. Since NFPAs are typically difficult to diagnose, this is an especially important finding. Second, exosomal protein transcripts are potential invasive biomarker, such as MMP1, N-cadherin, CDK6, RHOU, INSM1, and RASSF10. Third, exosomal contents such as hsa-miR-21-5p promote distant bone formation of GHPA patients. Fourth, tumor suppressors in the exosome constitute novel therapeutic application of exosome, including long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) H19, miR-149-5p, miR-99a-3p, and miR-423-5p. This review discusses the possible mechanisms of exosome and their contents in PA and promotes the use of exosomes in both clinical diagnosis and treatment of this tumor.

Questionnaire and tools: clinical powerful instrument in acromegaly diagnosis and management

PURPOSE

Acromegaly is a rare chronic disease characterized by systemic comorbidity and reduced quality of life. Although achieving biochemical control has always been the primary goal of acromegaly therapy, recent evidence has shown that the traditional assessment does not adequately capture the complexity of symptoms and patients' perception. These findings result in the need to improve a fast decision-making process of the clinician, who should not only take into account biochemical-instrumental criteria, but also patients' symptoms. With the aim of supporting the clinician in the diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making process several disease-specific tools have been developed. The aim of this review is to provide a description of the acromegaly-specific tools, presenting their main features, their application in daily practice, and their efficacy and utility.

METHODS

A systematic search of Medline/PubMed, ISI-Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar databases was done.

RESULTS

Specific instruments and questionnaires have recently been developed to assist clinicians in the assessment of acromegaly. These are either Patient-Reported Outcome tools, such as Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (AcroQoL) and Pain Assessment Acromegaly Symptom Questionnaire (PASQ), or Clinician-Reported Outcome tools, such as ACROSCORE, SAGIT^® and Acromegaly Disease Activity Tool (ACRODAT^®). Such tools are extremely flexible and, therefore, have been widely adopted by endocrinologists and other professionals, so much so that they have also been included as recommendations in the 2018 international guidelines.

CONCLUSION

Questionnaires and tools are useful in the management of acromegaly patients. They help clinicians evaluate patients' symptoms and could assist in the evaluation of disease activity.

Determinants of immediate and long-term remission after initial transsphenoidal surgery for acromegaly and outcome patterns during follow-up: a longitudinal study on 659 patients

OBJECTIVE

Treatment outcomes following initial transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) for acromegaly are erratic. Identifying outcome patterns can assist in informing patients about possible treatment outcomes and planning for individualized adjuvant treatments in advance. In this study, the authors aimed to investigate the immediate and long-term endocrine remission rates following initial TSS for acromegaly, identify clinical determinants of treatment outcomes, and explore outcome patterns during a long-term follow-up and the pattern-specific patient features.

METHODS

This prospective, single-center, longitudinal cohort study enrolled patients with acromegaly who underwent TSS in the period from 2015 to 2018 at the authors' institution. Immediate remission, assessed on the 2nd postoperative morning, and long-term remission, assessed at least 18 months after TSS, were evaluated according to the strict 2010 consensus criteria (random growth hormone [GH] < 1 ng/ml or GH nadir < 0.4 ng/ml after oral glucose tolerance test, and age- and sex-normalized insulin-like growth factor 1). Univariate and bivariate regression analyses were used to identify determinants of remission.

RESULTS

A total of 659 patients with acromegaly (average age 42 years, 44% males) underwent TSS for pituitary adenomas (macroadenomas, 85%; invasive tumors, 35%) and were followed up during a median of 51 months. Immediate and long-term remission rates after initial TSS were 37% and 69%, respectively. Older age at diagnosis (OR 1.7), male sex (OR 1.6), smaller tumors (OR 2.0), noninvasive tumors (OR 4.8), and tumors positive for follicle-stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone (OR 1.5) were predictors of immediate surgical remission. In addition to the above predictors, lower preoperative GH (OR 2.4), absence of preoperative central hypothyroidism (OR 2.6), and endoscopic TSS (OR 10.6) were predictors of long-term remission. Regression analyses revealed that endoscopic TSS (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.524-5.291, p = 0.001), absence of cavernous sinus invasion (OR 4.1, 95% CI 2.522-6.613, p < 0.001), older age (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.006-1.048, p = 0.013), and male sex (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.224-3.247, p = 0.006) were independent determinants of long-term remission. Five outcome patterns were identified based on the changes in hormonal results during follow-up, including continuous remission (34%), refractory acromegaly (28%), delayed remission (21%), remission after adjuvant therapy (14%), and recurrence after initial remission (3%). The clinical characteristics of each subgroup were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Cavernous sinus invasion, age at diagnosis, and sex are the best determinants of immediate and long-term remission after initial TSS for acromegaly. Endoscopic TSS predicts a higher long-term remission rate than that with microscopic TSS. The authors identified five outcome patterns in acromegaly and group-specific patient characteristics for clinical decision-making.

Variables Associated With Body Image Concerns in Acromegaly Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective

Acromegaly is often characterized by altered physical (including facial) appearance. However, there is little medical or psychological research on body image concerns in patients with acromegaly. The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing the body image distress in patients with acromegaly and to explore the possible effects of stigma on body image concerns.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Methods

A total of 68 individuals with acromegaly were enrolled in the study. A total of 70 persons with nonfunctional pituitary adenomas were randomly recruited as a healthy control group. Using structured questionnaires, we explored perceived body image using the Body Image Concern Inventory. We also used the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey to evaluate health-associated variables and to analyze factors that affect body image concerns in patients with acromegaly.

Results

Of the 68 participants, 31 were men and 37 women (mean age ± standard deviation: 46.36 ± 12.47 years). The mean body image concern score was 47.49 ± 13.81 for patients with acromegaly and 21.10 ± 7.44 for patients with nonfunctional pituitary adenoma. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. A multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that the related factors for body image distress were gender (P = 0.001), age at diagnosis (P = 0.01), and internalized stigma (P < 0.001, Adj. R² = 0.756).

Conclusions

People with acromegaly have substantial body image concerns, and these concerns are increased by the stigma associated with this disease; such concerns lead to poor quality of life (QoL). Physicians need to find better ways to control patients' hormone levels, and nurses should provide more information on how to improve body image or find ways to reduce patients' body image distress.

Quality of life after long-term biochemical control of acromegaly

PURPOSE

To assess long-term quality of life (QoL) in patients with sustained biochemical control of acromegaly, comparing those receiving vs not receiving pharmacotherapy (primary analysis); to assess change in QoL over time (secondary analysis).

METHODS

Cross-sectional study, with a secondary longitudinal component, of 58 patients with biochemically controlled acromegaly. All had participated in studies assessing QoL years previously, after having undergone surgery ± radiotherapy. One cohort received medical therapy [MED (n = 33)]; the other did not [NO-MED (n = 25)]. QoL was assessed by the 36-Item-Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (AcroQoL), Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI), Symptom Questionnaire, and QoL-Assessment of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults (QoL-AGHDA).

RESULTS

Mean (± SD) duration of biochemical control was 15.0 ± 6.4 years for MED and 20.4 ± 8.2 years for NO-MED (p = 0.007). 58% of subjects scored < 25% of normal on ≥ 1 SF-36 domain and 32% scored < 25% of normal on ≥ 4 of 8 domains. Comparing MED vs NO-MED and controlling for duration of biochemical control, there were no significant differences in QoL by SF-36, AcroQOL, GIQLI, Symptom Questionnaire, or QoL-AGHDA. Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) but not radiotherapy predicted poorer QoL. In MED, QoL improved over time in three AcroQoL domains and two GIQLI domains. In NO-MED, QoL worsened in two SF-36 domains and two Symptom Questionnaire domains; QoL-AGHDA scores also worsened in subjects with GHD.

CONCLUSION

A history of acromegaly and development of GHD, but not pharmacologic or radiotherapy, are detrimental to QoL, which remains poor over the long-term despite biochemical control.

Stigma and unhealthy psychological characteristics in patients with acromegaly: A cross-sectional study and identification of the associated factors

BACKGROUND

Stigma, besides aggravating the damage caused by the disease, may also lead to unhealthy characteristics in patients and unhealthy situations in society. Individuals with acromegaly disease may suffer from stigma concerns, and the associated factors remain largely unknown. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the levels of perceived stigma in patients with acromegaly and explore the associated factors.

METHODS

A total of 138 patients with acromegaly were evaluated for having stigma using five previously validated scales: (i) the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness, (ii) the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, (iii) the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, (iv) the Body Image Concern scale, and (v) the Acromegaly Quality of Life scale. The potential determinants of stigma were evaluated using the univariate statistical analysis. A multivariate linear regression model was adopted to assess the predictors of stigma in patients with acromegaly. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between stigma and the quality of life of the patients.

RESULTS

Among the 138 respondents, 102 provided consent for participation.The evaluated patients exhibited critically high levels of perceived stigma. The multiple regression analysis revealed high BMI, serious body image concerns, inferiority complex personality, and critical levels of anxiety as the potential predictors of stigma in patients with acromegaly. The overall stigma and internalized stigma were significantly correlated with QoL in these patients.

CONCLUSION

The patients with acromegaly exhibited critically high levels of perceived stigma, which led to psychological distress and disruptions in their daily lives. This finding highlights the importance of addressing the stigma concerns and the necessity for providing additional support to these patients in this regard during follow-up sessions. Further research should focus on developing intervention strategies to decrease the levels of perceived stigma in patients with acromegaly to promote their quality of life and for the psychosocial rehabilitation of these patients.

The Effect of Aging on Quality of Life in Acromegaly Patients Under Treatment

CONTEXT

With the increasing number of older patients with acromegaly, it is important to understand the effects of aging on the quality of life (QoL) in acromegaly.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the factors associated with the QoL of older acromegaly patients.

DESIGN

This was a single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study conducted between 2014 and 2019.

METHODS

Among 90 acromegaly patients at Kobe University Hospital, 74 who had completed the QoL evaluation under treatment were enrolled (age = 62.0 [50.7-70.0], female 52%). SF-36 and the AcroQoL questionnaire were used to quantify QoL. The patients were divided into two groups: the young and middle-aged group, aged <65 years (51.0 [46.0-59.2], n =42), and the older group, aged ≥65 years (70.5 [69.0-73.0], n =32). The factors associated with the QoL scores were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression analyses.

RESULTS

The scores for the physical component summary of SF-36 were negatively associated with age (P <0.01), while those for the mental or role/social component summary were positively associated (P <0.01, P =0.03, respectively). In contrast, AcroQoL scores were not associated with age. However, the different factors were associated with lower AcroQoL scores; arthropathy and higher BMI in the older group (P <0.01, and P =0.01, respectively), and treatment modalities and size of pituitary tumor in the young and middle-aged group (P <0.01, P =0.04, respectively). Replacement of hydrocortisone was commonly associated both in young and middle-aged group (P =0.04), and in older group (P =0.02).

CONCLUSION

We showed that the factors associated with impaired QoL differed in the young and middle-aged, and older patients with acromegaly. In older patients, arthropathy and higher BMI were associated with poor QoL. These suggest the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment in preventing arthropathy in acromegaly.

Acromegaly: achieving timely diagnosis and improving outcomes by personalized care

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Discuss recent literature regarding clinical manifestations and comorbidities in acromegaly, with focus on early diagnosis and customized care.

RECENT FINDINGS

The mean interval between onset of clinical manifestations and diagnosis is currently 3-5 years. Women, especially younger than 50 years of age, experience longer delays, have lower insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and larger tumors than men. Development of comorbidities usually precedes the diagnosis and is influenced by age, sex, and biochemical disease activity. Comorbidities other than irreversible osteoarticular structural changes usually improve after acromegaly treatment. In patients with diabetes, the course of hyperglycemia not only depends on biochemical control but also on specific acromegaly therapies. Quality of life is influenced by sex, as well as by acromegaly symptoms, biochemical activity, and treatment. Quality of life remains lower than general population despite biochemical remission.

SUMMARY

Early diagnosis can be achieved by suspecting acromegaly based on suggestive clinical scenarios rather than obvious changes in appearance. Personalized care entails a proactive multidisciplinary approach to identify and treat comorbidities while carefully monitoring the effects of acromegaly treatment.

Patient-Identified Problems and Influences Associated With Diagnostic Delay of Acromegaly: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Insidious-onset acromegaly may easily be overlooked by non-specialists of acromegaly and cause diagnostic delay. This study aims to examine the association between diagnostic delay and advice from doctors before any confirmed diagnosis and subsequent comorbidities, and elicit patient-perceived reasons for misdiagnoses.

METHODS

An online nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted through China Acromegaly Patient Association. Growth Hormone (GH) and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) levels at diagnosis and cancerous, endocrine-metabolic, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, and psychiatric comorbidities were reported by patients. The association between diagnostic delay and pre-diagnostic advice from doctors as well as subsequent comorbidities after diagnosis were examined.

RESULTS

In total, 447 valid responses were collected. Overall, 58.8% patients experienced misdiagnoses, and 22.6% had diagnostic delay. Before arriving at any diagnosis, patients without treatment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30-10.33) or receiving treatment to symptoms only (AOR: 7.05, 95%CI: 4.09-12.17) had greater chance of being misdiagnosed, and hence had diagnostic delay. Patients believed insufficient specialists, limited awareness of acromegaly of non-specialists and poor doctor-patient communications were major reasons of misdiagnosis. Diagnostic delay were associated with higher GH level at diagnosis and endocrine-metabolic, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular comorbidities (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Suboptimal pre-diagnostic advice for patients, reflecting limited awareness of acromegaly among non-specialists, may delay the diagnosis and increase comorbidities. Feedbacks on the patients' final diagnosis from specialists to non-specialists should be considered, and doctor-patient communication and clinical decision-making process should be improved. Comorbidities should be screened and monitored particularly for patients with diagnostic delay.