Gastric neuroendocrine neoplasias: manifestations and comparative outcomes

Although gastric neuroendocrine neoplasias (gNEN) are an orphan disease, their incidence is rising. The heterogeneous clinical course powers the ongoing discussion of the most appropriate classification system and management. Prognostic relevance of proposed classifications was retrospectively analysed in 142 patients from a single tertiary referral centre. Baseline, management and survival data were acquired for statistical analyses. The distribution according to the clinicopathological typification was gNEN-1 (n = 86/60.6%), gNEN-2 (n = 7/4.9%), gNEN-3 (n = 24/16.9%) and gNEN-4 (n = 25/17.6%), while hypergastrinemia-associated gNEN-1 and -2 were all low-grade tumours (NET-G1/2), formerly termed sporadic gNEN-3 could be subdivided into gNEN-3 with grade 1 or 2 and gNEN-4 with grade 3 (NEC-G3). During follow-up 36 patients died (25%). The mean overall survival (OS) of all gNEN was 14.2 years. The OS differed statistically significant across all subgroups with either classification system. According to UICC 2017 TNM classification, OS differed for early and advanced stages, while WHO grading indicated poorer prognosis for NEC-G3. Cox regression analysis confirmed the independent prognostic validity of either classification system for survival. Particularly careful analysis of the clinical course of gNEN-1 (ECLomas, gastric carcinoids) confirmed their mostly benign, but recurrent and extremely slowly progressive behaviour with low risk of metastasis (7%) and an efficient long-term control by repetitive endoscopic procedures. Our study provides evidence for the validity of current classifications focusing on typing, grading and staging. These are crucial tools for risk stratification, especially to differentiate gNEN-1 as well as sporadic gNET and gNEC (gNEN-3 vs -4).

Impact of octreotide long-acting release on tumour growth control as a first-line treatment in neuroendocrine tumours of pancreatic origin

BACKGROUND

Somatostatin analogues (SSA) are widely used in the treatment of patients with functioning and non-functioning neuroendocrine tumours (NET). The aim of our investigation was to evaluate the antiproliferative effect of SSA in patients with pancreatic NET.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed records of 43 patients with pancreatic NET treated at our clinic with octreotide long-lasting release as a first-line therapy. The aim of our study was to investigate the overall best response according to the RECIST criteria, overall best response defined as disease control rate (SD+PR), response and disease control rate at 12 months, and time to tumour progression (TTP).

RESULTS

The mean age (± SD) of the patients (16 female/27 male) at initial diagnosis was 54.7 ± 11.86 years. At the start of therapy, 39 of 43 patients were classified as stage IV according to ENETS-TNM. Tumours were graded, based on MiB-1/Ki67 staining, as G1 (n = 8), G2 (n = 30) or unknown (n = 5). The octreoscan was positive in 37 patients, negative in 2 and unknown in 4 cases. Nineteen patients had functioning tumours, 24 patients had non-functioning tumours. Median overall survival was 98 months, and median TTP was 13 months. Analysis of grading showed a statistically significant influence on TTP when comparing the median TTP for Ki67 >10% with Ki67 <5% (p = 0.009) and Ki67 5-10% (p = 0.036).

CONCLUSION

SSA may be considered as a first-line treatment for antiproliferative purposes in metastatic NET of the pancreas. Patients with a proliferation index <10% displayed a more durable response compared to those with a higher proliferation index.

TNM staging of neoplasms of the endocrine pancreas: results from a large international cohort study

BACKGROUND

Both the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) and the International Union for Cancer Control/American Joint Cancer Committee/World Health Organization (UICC/AJCC/WHO) have proposed TNM staging systems for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. This study aims to identify the most accurate and useful TNM system for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.

METHODS

The study included 1072 patients who had undergone previous surgery for their cancer and for which at least 2 years of follow-up from 1990 to 2007 was available. Data on 28 variables were collected, and the performance of the two TNM staging systems was compared by Cox regression analysis and multivariable analyses. All statistical tests were two-sided.

RESULTS

Differences in distribution of sex and age were observed for the ENETS TNM staging system. At Cox regression analysis, only the ENETS TNM staging system perfectly allocated patients into four statistically significantly different and equally populated risk groups (with stage I as the reference; stage II hazard ratio [HR] of death = 16.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.14 to 123, P = .007; stage III HR of death = 51.81, 95% CI = 7.11 to 377, P < .001; and stage IV HR of death = 160, 95% CI = 22.30 to 1143, P < .001). However, the UICC/AJCC/WHO 2010 TNM staging system compressed the disease into three differently populated classes, with most patients in stage I, and with the patients being equally distributed into stages II-III (statistically similar) and IV (with stage I as the reference; stage II HR of death = 9.57, 95% CI = 4.62 to 19.88, P < .001; stage III HR of death = 9.32, 95% CI = 3.69 to 23.53, P = .94; and stage IV HR of death = 30.84, 95% CI = 15.62 to 60.87, P < .001). Multivariable modeling indicated curative surgery, TNM staging, and grading were effective predictors of death, and grading was the second most effective independent predictor of survival in the absence of staging information. Though both TNM staging systems were independent predictors of survival, the UICC/AJCC/WHO 2010 TNM stages showed very large 95% confidence intervals for each stage, indicating an inaccurate predictive ability.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest the ENETS TNM staging system is superior to the UICC/AJCC/WHO 2010 TNM staging system and supports its use in clinical practice.

A matter of the heart: myocardial metastases in neuroendocrine tumors

The aim of the present study was to evaluate frequency, clinical spectrum, and treatment of myocardial metastases in patients with histologically proven neuroendocrine tumors by analysis of our database and literature review. The literature on cardiac metastases in patients with neuroendocrine tumors published from 1973 to the present was reviewed for age, sex, primary tumor localization, metastases, symptoms, complications, treatment, diagnostic methods, and histology. Patient records from our institution were analyzed retrospectively for cardiac metastases detected by any diagnostic means and detailed patient histories are given. 4 patients with myocardial metastases could be identified in our database (n=550) while literature review identified 41 published cases. Mean age at initial diagnosis was 57.5 years (females=13, males=28), primary tumor localizations were foregut (n=7), midgut (n=28), hindgut (n=1), or unknown (n=3). Carcinoid syndrome was reported for 28 patients. Cardiac involvement was right-ventricular only (n=10), left-ventricular only (n=11), or biventricular (n=10). Diagnosis was obtained by echocardiography (n=21), CT/MRI (n=12) and other methods (n=9), or by autopsy (n=9). We describe visualization of cardiac metastases by (68)Ga-DOTATOC-PET/CT for the first time. Clinical presentation ranged from asymptomatic patients to cardiac arrest. Follow-up times ranged from <1 month up to 12 years. Clinicians treating patients with neuroendocrine tumors should be aware of the heart as a possible site of metastatic disease. Echocardiography and MRI are the methods of choice for follow-up, while PET/CT might contribute to earlier and more frequent detection. Management of cardiac metastases requires close cooperation between specialists of internal medicine, nuclear medicine, and cardiac surgery.

Prognostic relevance of the novel TNM-classification system for neuroendocrine tumors of foregut origin

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Background: Until recently no TNM-classification existed for neuroendocrine tumors (NET) of the gastroenteropancreatic system. In 2006 Rindi et al. proposed a new TNM-classification system for foregut-NET of gastric, duodenal and pancreatic origin. The present study validates prognostic significance of the new TNM-classification in a cohort from a German referral center. Methods: The case files of 193 patients with histologically proven foregut NET were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were classified according to Capella (1995) and the WHO (2000) and to the new TNM-classification. Uni- and multivariate analysis was performed using log-rank and Cox regression methods. Results: Primary tumors localization was gastric (n=48), duodenal (23) and pancreatic (122); 35 patients (18%) died during the observation period. Overall 5- and 10-year survival rates (YSR) were 76% and 65% resp., while 5- and 10-YSR according to NET-related deaths (74% of all deaths, 26/35) were 83% and 74% resp.. The classifications by Capella and the WHO significantly discriminated between low and high grade malignant NET (p<0,001 and 0,002 resp.), but did not allow further prognostic differentiation. In contrast, the newly proposed TNM-classification system was able to significantly differentiate stage IV NET from all other stages (I vs. IV p=0,001; II vs. IV p=0,001; III vs. IV p=0,008) as well as stage III from stage I NET (p=0,038). Furthermore, the new classification system which includes a grading system according to the mitotic index (Ki67-index; G1 <3%, G2 3–20%, G3 >20%) was also able to significantly distinguish all three groups from each other (G1 vs. G3 p<0,001; G2 vs. G3 p<0,001). On multivariate analysis stage I and II as well as stage III-NET had a decreased hazard ratio (HR) when compared to stage IV-NET (I/II: HR 0,094, p=0,003; III: HR 0,38, p=0,096). In the same model G1 and G2-NET were associated with an decreased HR as compared to G3-NET (G1: HR 0,05, p=0,01; G2: HR 0,20, p=0,002). Conclusions: Here we demonstrate prognostic relevance of the newly proposed TNM-classification system for foregut-NET with statistical significance which therefore provides a new and powerful tool for future classification of NET.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Arthrographic observations of the equine distal interphalangeal joint (Articulationes interphalangeae distalis manus) and navicular bursa (Bursa podotrochlearis)

Twenty cadaver limbs of adult horses were examined by arthrographic examination of the distal interphalangeal joint. The joint capsule and space is described. Comparison is made with existing descriptions.

Development of malignant hyperthermia obscured by cardiopulmonary bypass

An episode of malignant hyperthermia occurring in a two-year-old child undergoing cardiac surgery is reported. The coincidental usage of hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass obscured the classical presenting signs and symptoms of the syndrome. Once the clinical diagnosis was confirmed, rapid reversal was achieved with the administration of dantrolene sodium.