Phase I dose-escalation study of long-acting pasireotide in patients with neuroendocrine tumors.

This phase I study aimed at determining the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and characterizing the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PKs), and efficacy of pasireotide in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Patients were enrolled in two phases: dose-escalation phase (to determine the MTD) at a starting dose of 80 mg pasireotide long-acting release (LAR) i.m.

Patient-Reported Burden of a Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) Diagnosis: Results From the First Global Survey of Patients With NETs.

Purpose: Despite the considerable impact of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) on patients' daily lives, the journey of the patient with a NET has rarely been documented, with published data to date being limited to small qualitative studies. NETs are heterogeneous malignancies with nonspecific symptomology, leading to extensive health care use and diagnostic delays that affect survival. A large, international patient survey was conducted to increase understanding of the experience of the patient with a NET and identify unmet needs, with the aim of improving disease awareness and care worldwide.

Breast conservation for male breast cancer: Case report of intraoperative radiation.

Male breast cancer (MBC) comprises <1% of all breast cancers in the United States. MBC is typically treated with total mastectomy while the majority of female breast cancer is treated with breast conservation therapy combined with various forms of radiation. One method that has developed over the last two decades is the use of intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) as a type of accelerated partial breast irradiation to direct the treatment field to the tumor bed.

Most of the Intended Management Changes After Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT Are Implemented.

In this prospective referring-physician-based survey, we investigated the definite clinical impact of Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT on managing patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). We prospectively studied 130 patients with Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT referred for initial or subsequent management decisions (NCT02174679). Referring physicians completed one questionnaire before the scan (Q1) to indicate the treatment plan without PET/CT information, one immediately after review of the imaging report to denote intended management changes (Q2), and one 6 mo later (Q3) to verify whether intended changes were in fact implemented.

Impressive and durable response to nivolumab in a patient with metastatic type 2 papillary renal cell carcinoma: On-label but without evidence.

Nivolumab is a treatment option for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) previously treated with targeted antiangiogenic therapy. Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) comprises 10-15% of RCC cases but non-clear cell subtypes were excluded from the immunotherapy trials. We report the case of a woman with recurrent metastatic PRCC who had an impressive therapeutic response to nivolumab with no significant adverse events.

Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy With 177Lu-Octreotate in Patients With Somatostatin Receptor Expressing Neuroendocrine Tumors: Six Years' Assessment.

Objectives: Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with radiolabeled somatostatin analogues is a promising treatment for patients with inoperable, well to moderately differentiated metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). In continuation of our novel study with the radionuclide lutetium Lu, we now present further results of Lu DOTATATE therapy in managing NETs and other somatostatin receptor-expressing tumors in a larger and more diverse patient group.

Patients And Methods: One hundred forty-four consecutive patients (85 men and 59 women; age range, 11-87 years; mean age, 58.

Cetuximab Plus Chemoradiotherapy in Immunocompetent Patients With Anal Carcinoma: A Phase II Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-American College of Radiology Imaging Network Cancer Research Group Trial (E3205).

Purpose Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCAC) is characterized by high locoregional failure (LRF) rates after sphincter-preserving definitive chemoradiation (CRT) and is typically associated with anogenital human papilloma virus infection. Because cetuximab enhances the effect of radiation therapy in human papilloma virus-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, we hypothesized that adding cetuximab to CRT would reduce LRF in SCCAC. Methods Sixty-one patients with stage I to III SCCAC received CRT including cisplatin, fluorouracil, and radiation therapy to the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes (45 to 54 Gy) plus eight once-weekly doses of concurrent cetuximab.

Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of Well-Differentiated and Intermediate-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Lung.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a rare, heterogeneous group of malignancies that arise from neuroendocrine cells throughout the body, with the lungs and GI tract being the most common sites of origin. Despite increasing incidence, awareness of lung NETs remains low among thoracic specialists who are often involved in the assessment and early treatment of these patients. Successful treatment requires accurate and timely diagnosis; however, classification can be challenging, particularly for well-differentiated and intermediate-differentiated lung NET types (typical carcinoids [TC] and atypical carcinoids [AC]).

The value of FDG-PET in the staging of gastric adenocarcinoma: A single institution retrospective review.

Background: The value of FDG-PET in the staging of gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) has been subject to debate.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of GA patients between 2006 and 2014 and identified those who had a CT and FDG-PET before initiating treatment. CT and FDG-PET images were analyzed by a blinded body radiologist and nuclear physician, respectively.

Correlation between preoperative endoscopic ultrasound and surgical pathology staging of gastric adenocarcinoma: A single institution retrospective review.

Background: Recent evidence validates the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma. Endoscopic ultrasonographic (EUS) staging has been proposed as a useful adjunct in this setting.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients treated at our institution for gastric adenocarcinoma between July 2005 and January 2014.

Imaging Features of Radiofrequency Ablation with Heat-Deployed Liposomal Doxorubicin in Hepatic Tumors.

Introduction: The imaging features of unresectable hepatic malignancies in patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in combination with lyso-thermosensitive liposomal doxorubicin (LTLD) were determined.

Materials And Methods: A phase I dose escalation study combining RFA with LTLD was performed with peri- and post- procedural CT and MRI. Imaging features were analyzed and measured in terms of ablative zone size and surrounding penumbra size.

Future diagnostic and therapeutic trends in endocrine cancers.

Current treatment of endocrine cancers relies primarily on surgical resection, which is generally effective only for localized disease. Radioactive iodine treatment is an important modality for those thyroid cancers that maintain the ability to take up iodine. For endocrine cancers that are no longer localized, current modes of therapy, including various combinations of chemotherapy and radiation, are inadequate, posing a major challenge to ongoing research to develop more effective methods for diagnosis and treatment.