Chemotherapy for locally advanced and metastatic pulmonary carcinoid tumors

Clinical management of typical and atypical carcinoids/neuroendocrine tumors in ENETS centres of excellence (CoE): Survey from the ENETS lung NET task force

Lung carcinoid tumours are neuroendocrine neoplasms originating from the bronchopulmonary tract's neuroendocrine cells, accounting for only 1%-3% of all lung cancers but 30% of all neuroendocrine tumours. The incidence of lung carcinoids, both typical and atypical, has been increasing over the years due to improved diagnostic methods and increased awareness among clinicians and pathologists. The most recent WHO classification includes a subgroup of lung carcinoids with atypical morphology and higher mitotic count and/or Ki67 labelling index. Despite appropriate surgery, the 5-year survival rate for atypical carcinoids barely exceeds 50%-70%. The role of adjuvant therapy in lung carcinoids is not well-defined, and clinical decisions are generally based on the presence of high-risk features. Long-term follow-up is essential to monitor for recurrence, although the optimal follow-up protocol remains unclear. To address the lack of consensus in clinical management decisions, the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) initiated a survey among 20 expert centres. The survey identified varied opinions on approaches to imaging, surgery, use of adjuvant therapy, and follow-up protocols. Notably, the absence of dedicated multidisciplinary lung neuroendocrine tumour boards in some centres was evident. Experts agreed on the need for a prospective adjuvant trial in high-risk patients, emphasizing the feasibility of such a study. In conclusion, the study highlights the need for a more uniform adoption of existing guidelines in the management of lung carcinoid tumours and emphasizes the importance of international collaboration to advance research and patient care. Close collaboration between healthcare providers and patients is vital for effective long-term surveillance and management of these rare tumours.

Current and emerging strategies for the management of advanced/metastatic lung neuroendocrine tumors

Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors represent a spectrum of disease ranging from typical carcinoid tumors to small cell lung cancers. The incidence of low-grade pulmonary NETs has been increasing, leading to improved awareness and the need for more treatment options for this rare cancer. Somatostatin analogs continue to be the backbone of therapy and may be followed or accompanied by targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and immune therapy. The recent addition of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) to the treatment armamentarium of NETs has led to the development of targeted alpha therapy to overcome PRRT resistance and minimize off-target adverse effects. Herein, we aim to highlight current treatment options for patients with advanced low grade pulmonary NETs along with emerging therapies, sequencing of therapies, upcoming clinical trials, and the importance of a multidisciplinary team to improve patient outcomes.

Lung Carcinoids: A Comprehensive Review for Clinicians

Lung carcinoids are neuroendocrine tumors, categorized as typical or atypical carcinoids based on their histological appearance. While most of these tumors are slow-growing neoplasms, they still possess malignant potential. Many patients are diagnosed incidentally on chest X-rays or CT scans. Presenting symptoms include cough, hemoptysis, wheezing, dyspnea, and recurrent pneumonia. Endocrine symptoms, such as carcinoid syndrome or ectopic Cushing's syndrome, are rare. Surgery is the primary treatment and should be considered in all patients with localized disease, even when thoracic lymph node metastases are present. Patients with distant metastases may be treated with somatostatin analogues, chemotherapy, preferably temozolomide-based, mTOR inhibitors, or peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with 177Lu-DOTATATE. Most patients have an excellent prognosis. Poor prognostic factors include atypical histology and lymph node metastases at diagnosis. Long-term follow-up is mandatory since metastases may occur late.

Surgery of primary lung carcinoid tumors at metastatic stage: A national study from the French Group of Endocrine Tumors (GTE) and ENDOCAN-RENATEN network

The outcome following surgery for patients with primary lung neuroendocrine tumors at metastatic stage remains poorly characterized. We conducted a retrospective national study including patients with metastatic lung neuroendocrine tumors at diagnosis. We performed a safety study to evaluate major morbidity and mortality of surgical resection of the primary tumor and compared patients in the operative to the nonoperative group. A total of 155 patients were included: 41 in the operative group and 114 in the nonoperative group, median age was 64 years. Metastases were mainly located in the liver (74.2%) and the bone (49.7%). The primary endpoint was met as the rate of major complications was 4.9% and there was no postoperative mortality. In the operative group 42.5% of patients had improvement of their pulmonary symptoms versus 14.4% in the nonoperative group. The median overall survival was not reached in the operative group and was 4.3 years (95% CI [3.5;4.9]) in the nonoperative group (univariate analysis, HR = 0.42 95% CI [0.23-0.77], p = .002). After multivariate analysis, only an ECOG-PS ≥1 (vs. 0, HR = 2.44, 95% CI [1.46;4.07], p = .001) and >1 metastatic site (vs. 1; HR = 1.83, 95% CI [1.06;3.16], p = .030) remained significantly associated with overall survival. The resection of the primary tumor was not significantly associated with overall survival (HR = 0.63, 95% CI [0.32;1.24], p = .183). In conclusion, surgery of primary lung neuroendocrine tumors at metastatic stage is a safe option that should be considered in selected patients in order to improve symptoms with a view to improving their quality of life. Larger studies are warranted to evaluate the impact of surgery on survival.

Chemotherapy in Well Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors (NET) G1, G2, and G3: A Narrative Review

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare neoplasms with a wide spectrum of clinical behavior, from the long survival of well-differentiated NETs to the dismal prognosis of high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs), being G3 NETs a recently recognized intermediate entity. While the role of chemotherapy is well established in NECs, data on NETs mostly derives from small studies, experts' opinions, and extrapolating results from small-cell lung cancer studies. This narrative review aims to summarize available evidence about the use of chemotherapy in the setting of G1-2 NETs and G3 NETs. We performed literature research in PubMed Library for all articles published up to September 2022 about the efficacy of chemotherapy in NETs. Treatment regimens with STZ-5FU, CAPTEM, and anti-metabolite-based treatment are the most active and tolerated in gastroenteropancreatic NETs (GEP-NETs) G1-G2, while platinum-based regimens (FOLFOX/XELOX) and TEM/CAPTEM showed the best activity in thoracic NETs. Solid evidence about chemotherapy efficacy in G3 NETs is still lacking. Literature data support the use of chemotherapy in low-intermediate grade NETs after the failure of other therapies or if tumor shrinkage is needed. Studies assessing G3 NETs independently from NECs are needed to better understand the role of chemotherapy in this setting.

Capecitabine and Temozolomide (CAPTEM) in Advanced Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NENs): A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis

Background

Retrospective studies and single center experiences suggest a role of capecitabine combined with temozolomide (CAPTEM) in neuroendocrine tumors (NENs).

Methods

We performed a systematic review to assess the efficacy and safety of CAPTEM in patients affected with NENs, with the aim to better clarify the role of this regimen in the therapeutic algorithm of NENs.

Results

A total of 42 articles and 1818 patients were included in our review. The overall disease control rate was 77% (range 43.5%-100%). The median progression free survival ranged from 4 to 38.5 months, while the median overall survival ranged from 8 to 103 months. Safety analysis showed an occurrence of G3-G4 toxicities in 16.4% of the entire population. The most common toxicities were hematological (27.2%), gastrointestinal (8.3%,) and cutaneous (3.2%).

Conclusion

This systematic review demonstrated that CAPTEM was an effective and relatively safe treatment for patients with advanced well-moderate differentiated NENs of gastroenteropancreatic, lung and unknown origin.

A multidisciplinary approach to the work up and management of pulmonary carcinoid tumors and DIPNECH: a narrative review

Background and Objective

Low and intermediate grade neuroendocrine tumors of the lung are uncommon malignancies representing 2% of all lung cancers. These are termed typical and atypical pulmonary carcinoid tumors. These can arise in the setting of diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH). The presentation, workup, management and outcomes of patients with these tumors can overlap with more common lung cancers but differ in that many of these patients have a prolonged clinical course. The objective of this narrative review is to summarize the literature and provide evidence and expert-based algorithms for work up and treatment of pulmonary carcinoids and DIPNECH.

Methods

A search of PubMed and Web of Science databases ending April 15, 2022, with the following keywords "lung carcinoid", "DIPNECH", "lung neuroendocrine," and "bronchopulmonary carcinoid".

Key Content and Findings

Pulmonary carcinoid tumors benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. Pre-treatment imaging with contrast-enhanced computed tomography, and DOTATATE positron emission tomography is required. Surgical resection is the gold standard for curative intent, and possibly including sublobar resections. Patients can recur or develop new primaries thus emphasizing the importance of surveillance; national guidelines recommend at least a 10-year follow up. A growing body of literature support the use of endobronchial therapy, with long responses documented. Systemic therapy consists of everolimus, somatostatin analogs, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, and chemotherapy. Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine tumor cell hyperplasia is rare, but series suggest somatostatin analogs may confer clinical benefit.

Conclusions

Pulmonary carcinoid tumors and DIPNECH are rare. Despite lack of regulatory approvals for advanced disease, multiple options are available but should be sequenced according to the clinical status and disease biology. Each patient should be discussed in a multidisciplinary setting and clinical trials should be considered if available.

International trends in pulmonary neuroendocrine cancer studies:a scientometric study

INTRODUCTION

Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors account for approximately 20% of all primary lung tumors. Few studies summarize the current body of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors studies worldwide.

OBJECTIVE

A quantitative scientometric analysis was conducted to evaluate the development of applications and innovations and to analyze their contribution to various areas of improvement in treatment and diagnosis of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors.

METHODS

We searched for studies published in the last 20 years in the databases United States National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Scopus, and Web of Science, using the terms 'pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors', 'bronchial neuroendocrine tumors', 'bronchial carcinoid tumors', 'pulmonary carcinoid', 'typical pulmonary carcinoid', 'atypical pulmonary carcinoid', 'pulmonary carcinoid and diagnosis', 'pulmonary carcinoid and treatment', 'pulmonary carcinoid and epidemiology' and 'pulmonary carcinoid and prognosis'.

RESULTS

Our results showed the number of publications increased significantly over the study period and was strongly associated with the economic or financial situation of the publications' countries of origin. We observed a predominance of studies on histological diagnosis compared to treatment, and among the studies related to treatment, a predominance of retrospective studies relative to prospective studies was found.

CONCLUSION

Based on the published literature, we concluded research on pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors still seems to be incipient, because it favors studies related to histological characterization of the disease, and therapeutic studies are still predominantly of a retrospective nature.

Survival Benefit of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Pulmonary Carcinoid Tumors

Pulmonary carcinoid tumors are a rare subtype of neuroendocrine cell tumor found in approximately 1–2% of lung cancers. Management is primarily through surgical resection, with limited benefit of adjuvant therapy in the clinical setting. Genomic profiling is in the nascent stages to molecularly classify these tumors, but there are promising insights for future targeted therapy. A total of 80 abstracts were analyzed for further review with 11 included in our final analysis. Only 4 of the 11 reviewed in depth provided statistical analysis. We evaluated PFS, OS, 1- and 5-year survival as mentioned in the studies. Nodal and KI67 status were also analyzed. Based on the current literature, there is no definitive evidence that adjuvant chemotherapy after resection confers a survival benefit in typical or atypical carcinoids.

Glutathione-Sensitive Mesoporous Organosilica-Coated Gold Nanorods as Drug Delivery System for Photothermal Therapy-Enhanced Precise Chemotherapy

The combination of photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy can remarkably improve the permeability of the cell membrane and reduce the concentration of chemotherapy agents that not only kill the tumor cells effectively but also have adverse effects on normal tissues. It is of great meaning to construct nanomaterials that could be simultaneously applied for tumor eradication with PTT and chemotherapy. In this work, we developed a novel gold nanorod coated with mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (oMSN-GNR), which presented as an optimal photothermal contrast agent. Moreover, after doxorubicin loading (oMSN-GNR–DOX), the organosilica shell exhibited biodegradable properties under high glutathione in the tumor microenvironment, resulting in massively releasing doxorubicin to kill tumor cells. More importantly, the hyperthermia effect of GNR cores under near-infrared light provided promising opportunities for localized photothermal ablation in vivo. Therefore, the combination of precise chemotherapy and highly effective PTT successfully inhibited tumor growth in liver tumor-bearing mice. This versatile synergistic therapy with local heating and chemotherapeutics precise release opens up the potential clinical application of PTT and chemotherapy therapeutics for malignant tumor eradication.

Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors against Advanced or Metastatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the treatment efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in advanced/metastatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched to identify studies that provide data on treatment response and/or survival outcomes of advanced/metastatic NEN patients treated with ICIs. The overall response rate (ORR) was pooled using a random-effects model. Meta-regression was performed to explore factors influencing the ORR. Individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis of survival was performed using stratified Cox regression. Ten studies (464 patients) were included. The overall pooled ORR was 15.5% (95% confidence interval (CI), 9.5-24.3%), and it varied according to the primary site (thoracic, 24.7%; gastro-entero-pancreatic, 9.5%), tumor differentiation (poorly differentiated, 22.7%; well-differentiated, 10.4%), and drug regimen (combination, 25.3%; monotherapy, 10.1%). All these variables significantly influenced the ORR. Tumor differentiation was associated with both overall survival and progression-free survival (hazard ratio of poorly differentiated tumors, 4.2 (95% CI, 2.0-8.7) and 2.6 (95% CI, 1.6-4.4), respectively). Thus, the treatment efficacy of ICIs for advanced/metastatic NENs varied according to primary site, tumor differentiation, and drug regimen. Poorly differentiated NENs showed a better ORR than well-differentiated NENs but had a negative impact on survival.

The Role of Conventionally Fractionated Radiotherapy and Stereotactic Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Carcinoid Tumors and Large-Cell Neuroendocrine Cancer of the Lung

The occurrence of neuroendocrine tumors among the diagnosed neoplasms is extremely rare and is associated with difficulties in undertaking effective therapy due to the histopathological differentiation of individual subtypes and the scarce clinical data and recommendations found in the literature. The choice of treatment largely depends not only on its type, but also on the location and production of excess hormones by the tumor itself. Common therapeutic approaches include surgical removal of the tumor, the use of chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, and the use of radiation therapy. This article reviews the current knowledge on the classification and application of radiotherapy in the treatment of lung NETs. Case reports were presented in which treatment with conventional radiotherapy, radical and palliative radiochemotherapy, as well as stereotactic fractionated radiotherapy in the treatment of typical (TC) and atypical (AT) lung carcinoids and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNC) were used. We hope that the solutions presented in the literature will allow many radiation oncologists to make the best, often personalized decisions about the therapeutic qualifications of patients.

Chemotherapy in NEN: still has a role?

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) comprise a broad spectrum of tumors with widely variable biological and clinical behavior. Primary tumor site, extent of disease, tumor differentiation and expression of so matostatin receptors, proliferation and growth rates are the major prognostic factors that determine the therapeutic strategy. Treatment options for advanced disease have considerably expanded in recent years, particularly for well differentiated tumors (NETs). Novel drugs approved over the past decade in this context include somatostatin analogues and ¹⁷⁷Lu-oxodotreotide for somatostatin-receptor-positive gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) NETs, sunitinib for pancreatic NETs (P-NETs), and everolimus for P-NETs and non-functioning lung or gastrointestinal NETs. Nevertheless, chemotherapy remains an essential component of the treatment armamentarium of patients with NENs, particularly of patients with P-NETs or those with bulky, symptomatic or rapidly progressive tumors (generally G3 or high-G2 NENs). In this manuscript we will comprehensively review available evidence related to the use of chemotherapy in lung and GEP NENs and will critically discuss its role in the treatment algorithm of this family of neoplasms.

An unusual clinical manifestation of a relapsed typical pulmonary carcinoϊd tumor

Typical carcinoid tumors of the lungs carry an excellent prognosis after complete surgical excision. However, recurrence of these cancers remains poorly described in the literature and may occur many years after surgery.

We report a case of carcinoid tumor of the lung. Clinical presentation and follow-up were uneventful.

The 55 years old patient had got a surgical removal of a huge typical carcinoid tumor of the left lung. A left pneumonectomy with a mediastinal lymph node resection were performed. Thirteen years later, paraneoplastic acromegaly revealed a pulmonary and extrapulmonary recurrence of the tumor. We prescribed a chemotherapy regimen including Cisplatin and Etoposide.

Endocrine paraneoplastic syndromes are related to mutations in specifically known genes. Several mutations may become a promising therapeutic target in the future. In the case of neuro-endocrine pulmonary tumors, authors described BCOR gene mutation as an oncogenic development inducer and an eventual generator of ectopic tumoral secretions.

The more we get familiar with carcinoid tumor mutations, the closer we get to targeted therapy for non-resectable tumors.

Adjuvant therapy for lung neuroendocrine neoplasms

Pulmonary neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) represent a minority of lung cancers and vary from slower growing pulmonary carcinoid (PC) tumors to aggressive small cell lung cancer (SCLC). While SCLC can account for up to 15% of lung cancer, PCs are uncommon and represent about 2% of lung cancers. Surgical resection is the standard of care for early-stage PCs and should also be considered in early stage large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) and SCLC. Adjuvant treatment is generally accepted for aggressive LCNEC and SCLC, however, less well established for PCs. Guidelines admit a lack of trials to support a high-level recommendation for adjuvant therapy. This manuscript will discuss the role for adjuvant therapy in NENs and review the available literature.

The Cancers-Specific Survival of Metastatic Pulmonary Carcinoids and Sites of Distant Metastasis: A Population-Based Study

Background:

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths and pulmonary carcinoids (PCs) account for almost 2% of all pulmonary malignancies. However, few published articles have reported prognosis and related factors of pulmonary carcinoid patients.

Material and Method:

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to collect data of patients diagnosed with metastatic PCs from 2010 to 2016. The prognosis and survival of these patients were compared by employing Cox proportional hazards and the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

Results:

A total of 1763 patients were analyzed. The liver (668, 25.6%) was shown to be the most common metastatic site in the isolated organ metastasis cohort, followed by the lung (636, 24.4%), bone (562, 21.6%), and brain (460, 17.6%). Among the patients, the tumor metastasized to a single distant site included the liver, bone, lung, and brain. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) in metastatic PCs is determined by the site of metastasis and the total number of such sites. Pulmonary carcinoid patients with isolated liver metastasis manifested more favorable survival rates in comparison to patients having isolated metastasis in the lung, brain, or bone. The median CSS was 45, 7, 6, 5 months (P = 0.011). The number of distant metastatic sites and the location of distant metastasis were found to be independent risk factors for CSS. For patients with distant isolated metastasis, liver metastasis (P < 0.0001) had better CSS in comparison to those with bone metastasis. When compared to patients whose carcinoids had metastasized to the bones, patients with a brain (P = 0.273) or lung (P = 0.483) metastasis had the same CSS.

Conclusion:

Cancer-specific survival in metastatic PCs depends on the site of metastasis and the total number of such locations. PC patients with isolated liver metastasis manifested more favorable survival in comparison to patients with isolated metastasis in the lung, brain, or bone.

Sclerosing Pneumocytoma: A Host for a Typical Carcinoid With Pleural Metastasis-A Wolf in Sheep`s Clothing

Sclerosing pneumocytoma (SP) is a rare primary lung tumor. Typical carcinoids (TCs) count for 2% of lung malignancies. A description of a combined neoplasm of SP with a nodal and pleural metastasized TC has, to our knowledge, never been published. A 57-year-old actively smoking woman received a diagnosis of a lesion in the left lower lobe via a screening CT scan for rheumatoid arthritis. A fluorodeoxyglucose-PET scan confirmed a 21 × 26 × 16 mm (standardized uptake maximum value, 3.0), well-circumscribed round lesion with calcification, which was thought to be most probably benign. No mediastinal lymph node enlargement or fluorodeoxyglucose uptake was detected. The results of routine laboratory tests, respiratory function tests, and physical examination were unremarkable. In diagnostic thoracoscopy pleural, diaphragmatic, and pericardial lesions were discovered and biopsied in addition to a wedge resection. After diagnosis of a pleural metastasized TC mixed with SP, radical resection and systemic lymph node dissection were performed. The patient is in remission after 36 months of follow-up.

An Older Woman With Transient Cough, Mild Airway Obstruction, and Lung Nodules

CASE PRESENTATION

A 66-year-old woman with no significant medical history presented initially to her primary care physician's office with a 2-weeks history of productive cough and associated wheezing after cough paroxysms. Empiric antibiotic was started, with no improvement. Chest radiograph was performed, which showed bilateral nodular opacities (Fig 1). The patient's cough resolved in 6 weeks after empiric treatment with oral steroids, inhaled steroids, and bronchodilators. A follow-up chest radiograph done at 6 weeks showed persistent abnormalities, and she was referred for a pulmonary evaluation. She denied any fevers, cough, hemoptysis, shortness of breath, wheezing, loss of appetite, or weight loss at that time. She had no significant medical problems and was not on any medications at that time. She was a nonsmoker. She worked in an office setting and denied any occupational or recreational exposures or recent travels. There was no family history of lung diseases or cancer.

Temozolomide alone or in combination with capecitabine in patients with advanced neuroendocrine neoplasms: an Italian multicenter real-world analysis

PURPOSE

Temozolomide (TEM) has been reported to be active alone or in combination with capecitabine (CAP) in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). We retrospectively evaluated activity and toxicity of TEM-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced NENs and explored the potential correlation with clinical/biological factors.

METHODS

Patients received oral TEM alone or in combination with CAP. Objective response rate (ORR) [complete response + partial response (PR)], median progression-free survival (mPFS), and toxicity were calculated. The O⁶-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) gene inactivation status in tumor tissue was evaluated by pyrosequencing.

RESULTS

From September 2008 to April 2020, 170 patients (84% progressive on different therapies) were consecutively treated, 114 (67%) patients received TEM-CAP and 56 (33%) TEM alone. Primary tumor sites were: pancreas 98 (58%), gastrointestinal tract 21 (12%), lung 35 (21%), and unknown 16 (9%). The ORR was 28% for the whole population (33% for TEM-CAP and 18% for TEM as single agent). The median OS (mOS) and mPFS of the whole population were 35.6 months (32.6-48.7) and 14.7 months (10.1-18.3), respectively. There were 48% PR in the MGMT hypermethylated, mainly in pancreatic NENs. Vomiting and leukopenia were the most frequent grade 3/4 toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

This large retrospective analysis suggested that a TEM-based chemotherapy is active in advanced, pretreated NEN patients. It generated solid hypotheses that warrant a future prospective study in a biological homogeneous NEN population and clinical setting.

Proposal of organ-specific subdivision of M component and staging system for metastatic pulmonary neuroendocrine tumor

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the prognostic significance of patterns of distant metastatic organs in metastatic pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs).

METHODS

891 metastatic PNETs patients (G1-typical carcinoid, 200; G2-atypical carcinoid, 68; G3-large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, 623) diagnosed between 2010 and 2016 were identified. Multivariate analysis was performed using a Cox regression model to identify prognostic factors associated with cancer-specific survival (CSS). The novel M component was established based on the hazard ratio of different metastatic organs. A disease-specific staging system was then proposed by using k-means cluster analysis.

RESULTS

For metastatic PNETs, involvement of bone, liver or brain and multiple metastatic organs were identified as independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. M categories was subdivided into three subcategories: M1a, lung involvement only or distant lymph node involvement only; M1b, bone involvement only or liver involvement only; M1c, brain involvement regardless of number of metastatic organs or multiple organs involvement except brain. Primary site surgery, chemotherapy and histologic subtypes were independently associated with CSS, but T component and N component were not. After regrouping histologic subtypes and novel M component, we proposed the following modified staging system: stage IVA (G1M1any, G2M1a-b), stage IVB (G2M1c, G3M1a-b) and stage IVC (G3M1c). The 2-year CSS were 77.9 %, 16.4 % and 5.3 %.

CONCLUSIONS

Subdivision of M component according to patterns of distant metastatic organs facilitates prognostic significance for PNETs. Brain metastases and multiple metastatic organs were associated with significantly inferior prognosis. Incorporating histologic subtypes and novel M categories create a disease-specific staging system showed good discriminatory capacity.

Commonwealth Neuroendocrine Tumour Research Collaboration and the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Lung Neuroendocrine Tumors: An International Collaborative Endorsement and Update of the 2015 European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society Expert Consensus Guidelines

Lung neuroendocrine tumors (LNETs) are uncommon cancers, and there is a paucity of randomized evidence to guide practice. As a result, current guidelines from different neuroendocrine tumor societies vary considerably. There is a need to update and harmonize global consensus guidelines. This article reports the best practice guidelines produced by a collaboration between the Commonwealth Neuroendocrine Tumour Research Collaboration and the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society. We performed a formal endorsement and updating process of the 2015 European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society expert consensus article on LNET. A systematic review from January 2013 to October 2017 was conducted to procure the most recent evidence. The stepwise endorsement process involved experts from all major subspecialties, patients, and advocates. Guided by discussion of the most recent evidence, each statement from the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society was either endorsed, modified, or removed. New consensus statements were added if appropriate. The search yielded 1109 new publications, of which 230 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 12 statements were endorsed, 22 statements were modified or updated, one was removed, and two were added. Critical answered questions for each topic in LNET were identified. Through the consensus process, guidelines for the management of patients with local and metastatic neuroendocrine tumors have been updated to include both recent evidence and practice changes relating to technological and definitional advances. The guidelines provide clear, evidence-based statements aimed at harmonizing the global approach to patients with LNETs, on the basis of the principles of person-centered and LNET-specific care. The importance of LNET-directed research and person-centered care throughout the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up journey is emphasized along with directions for future collaborative research.

Temozolomide Combined With Capecitabine In The Treatment Of Mixed Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Of The Lung With Poor Tolerance After Repeated Radiochemotherapy: A Case Report And Literature Review

The incidence of lung neuroendocrine carcinomas, which originate from lung neuroendocrine cells, is 1.35/100,000, among which mixed neuroendocrine carcinomas are very rare. Because of the heterogeneity and significant differences in sensitivity to treatments, there is no effective treatment, and the prognosis is poor. In this article, we report the diagnosis and treatment of a case of mixed neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung in our hospital. During the treatment, the patients had significant myelosuppression after initial chemotherapy, but benefited from oral chemotherapy consisting of a combination of capecitabine and temozolomide (CAPTEM). The report was approved by the affiliated Cancer Hospital of Shandong University.

Capecitabine and Temozolomide in Patients with Advanced Pulmonary Carcinoid Tumours

BACKGROUND

Temozolomide and capecitabine (CAPTEM) chemotherapy is known to be active in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours.

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective analysis set out to describe the efficacy and toxicity of CAPTEM in patients with advanced pulmonary carcinoids (PCs).

METHODS

Patients were included with advanced PC who had been treated with a maximum of 6 cycles of oral temozolomide 200 mg/m2 on days 10-14 and capecitabine 750 mg/m2 b.i.d. on days 1-14, repeated every 28 days, -followed by monthly intramuscular injection of octreotide 30 mg long-acting release as maintenance treatment.

RESULTS

Of the 33 patients, all with well-differentiated PC, 61% had atypical carcinoid, 36% had Ki-67 index >10% and 42% had ≥3 organs involved by metastasis. CAPTEM was administered as first-line treatment in 42% of patients, and 17% had received prior somatostatin analogue treatment. Six patients (18%) achieved a partial response, 19 (58%) had stable disease and 8 (24%) developed progressive disease. After a median time of follow-up of 34.8 months, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.0 months and median overall survival 30.4 months. Median duration of disease response was 21.7 months and median duration of disease control 9.7 months. Patients with multi-organ metastasis had shorter PFS, but only when treated as second or third line with CAPTEM (p = 0.023).

CONCLUSIONS

CAPTEM induced a modest response and PFS rate, comparable to other studies with temozolomide in patients with advanced PC. The efficacy of CAPTEM should be compared to that of monotherapy with temozolomide in a prospective clinical trial.

Capecitabine and Temozolomide in Advanced Lung Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

BACKGROUND

Patients with advanced lung neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) have few treatment options. Capecitabine and temozolomide have recently showed significant activity in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), but data in lung NETs are limited.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients treated at a large referral center to identify patients seen between January 2008 and September 2018 with metastatic lung NENs who received treatment with capecitabine and temozolomide (CAPTEM). Patients with small cell lung cancer were excluded. The primary endpoint was overall response rate per RECIST 1.1. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, overall survival, and toxicity.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were identified who received treatment with capecitabine and temozolomide. Fourteen (70%) had typical lung NETs, five had (25%) atypical carcinoids, and one (5%) had disease defined as a large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Nineteen patients were evaluable for response. Six (30%) patients exhibited a best response of partial response per RECIST 1.1 criteria, 11 (55%) stable disease, and 2 (10%) progressive disease; objective response rate was 30%, and disease control rate was 85%. Eleven patients eventually progressed, only six of whom exhibited progression per RECIST 1.1 criteria. Median progression-free survival was 13 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.4-21.6 months). Median overall survival was 68 months (95% CI, 35.3-100.7 months). Toxicity profile was mild with mainly grade 1, expected toxicities. Six patients required dose reduction because of toxicity.

CONCLUSION

The CAPTEM regimen is associated with a high response rate and a relatively tolerable toxicity profile in lung NENs. This regimen warrants further exploration in a prospective clinical trial.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Patients with advanced lung neuroendocrine neoplasms have very few systemic treatment options. The capecitabine and temozolomide regimen has previously shown significant activity in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) but has not been explored in metastatic lung NETs. This study showed that this regimen is associated with a high response rate (30%) and a relatively tolerable toxicity profile in this population.

A typical carcinoid of the lung - a case report with pathological correlation and propagation of the cancer stem cell line BKZ1 with synaptophysin expression

RATIONALE

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the lung account for 5% of all cases of lung cancer, which itself is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In accordance to its rarity, only few cell lines of NETs exist, which even often lack key characteristics of the primary tumor, making it difficult to study underlying molecular mechanisms.

PATIENT CONCERNS

The patient reported in this case is a 71-year old woman, which never smoked but suffered under dry cough.

DIAGNOSES

Chest CT-scan showed a paracardiac nodule of the lingula with 2 × 1.8 cm in diameter.

INTERVENTIONS

The detected paracardiac nodule of the lingula was anatomically resected using video assisted thoracic surgery.

OUTCOMES

Histopathological diagnostic of the removed tissue identified the tumor as a well-differentiated typical carcinoid (TC), which represents one of the four subgroups of pulmonary NETs. Next to the successful treatment of the patient, we were able to propagate cancer stem cells (CSCs) out of the resected tumor tissue. To the best of our knowledge, we firstly isolated CSCs of a typical carcinoid, which were positive for the prominent CSC markers CD44, CD133 and nestin, confirming their stem cell properties. Additionally, CSCs, further referred as BKZ1, expressed the neuroendocrine marker synaptophysin, verifying their neuroendocrine origin. However, nuclear synaptophysin protein was also present in other stem cell populations, suggesting a role as general stem cell marker.

LESSON

In line with the importance of CSCs in cancer treatment and the lack of CSC-models for neuroendocrine neoplasms, the here described BKZ1 cancer stem cell line of a typical carcinoid represents a promising new model to study pulmonary carcinoids and particular NETs.

Treatment of atypical pulmonary carcinoid with combination ipilimumab and nivolumab

Atypical pulmonary carcinoid (APC) is a lung neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN), whose treatment draws from management of gastrointestinal NENs and small-cell lung carcinoma. We present a patient with recurrent metastatic APC and persistent mediastinal lymphadenopathy refractory to cisplatin and etoposide. After pursuing alternative treatments, he returned with significant progression, including diffuse subcutaneous nodules, weight loss and worsening cough. New biopsy analysis demonstrated APC with low mutational burden, low Ki-67 and Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1), and without microsatellite instability. We pursued combination nivolumab and ipilimumab treatment based on success of CheckMate 032 in small-cell lung cancer. The patient's symptoms dramatically responded within a month, with almost complete resolution of lymphadenopathy following four cycles. He has been successfully maintained on nivolumab for the last 18 months. This suggests combination immunotherapy may be beneficial in the treatment of metastatic APC, and that PD-L1 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors may be valuable in treating tumours lacking traditional biomarkers.

Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Lung: Updates and Diagnostic Pitfalls

Neuroendocrine tumors of the lung constitute approximately 20% of all primary lung tumors and include typical carcinoid, atypical carcinoid, small cell carcinoma, and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Given their morphologic overlap with diverse mimics, neuroendocrine tumors of the lung can be diagnostically challenging. This review discusses the clinical, histologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular features of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors, along with common diagnostic pitfalls and strategies for avoidance.

Human bronchial carcinoid tumor initiating cells are targeted by the combination of acetazolamide and sulforaphane

Background

Bronchial carcinoids are neuroendocrine tumors that present as typical (TC) and atypical (AC) variants, the latter being more aggressive, invasive and metastatic. Studies of tumor initiating cell (TIC) biology in bronchial carcinoids has been hindered by the lack of appropriate in-vitro and xenograft models representing the bronchial carcinoid phenotype and behavior.

Methods

Bronchial carcinoid cell lines (H727, TC and H720, AC) were cultured in serum-free growth factor supplemented medium to form 3D spheroids and serially passaged up to the 3rd generation permitting expansion of the TIC population as verified by expression of stemness markers, clonogenicity in-vitro and tumorigenicity in both subcutaneous and orthotopic (lung) models. Acetazolamide (AZ), sulforaphane (SFN) and the AZ + SFN combination were evaluated for targeting TIC in bronchial carcinoids.

Results

Data demonstrate that bronchial carcinoid cell line 3rd generation spheroid cells show increased drug resistance, clonogenicity, and tumorigenic potential compared with the parental cells, suggesting selection and expansion of a TIC fraction. Gene expression and immunolabeling studies demonstrated that the TIC expressed stemness factors Oct-4, Sox-2 and Nanog. In a lung orthotopic model bronchial carcinoid, cell line derived spheroids, and patient tumor derived 3rd generation spheroids when supported by a stroma, showed robust tumor formation. SFN and especially the AZ + SFN combination were effective in inhibiting tumor cell growth, spheroid formation and in reducing tumor formation in immunocompromised mice.

Conclusions

Human bronchial carcinoid tumor cells serially passaged as spheroids contain a higher fraction of TIC exhibiting a stemness phenotype. This TIC population can be effectively targeted by the combination of AZ + SFN. Our work portends clinical relevance and supports the therapeutic use of the novel AZ+ SFN combination that may target the TIC population of bronchial carcinoids.

Systemic treatment for lung carcinoids: from bench to bedside

In the huge spectrum of lung neuroendocrine neoplasms, typical and atypical carcinoids should be considered as a separate biological entity from poorly differentiated forms, harboring peculiar molecular alterations. Despite their indolent behavior, lung carcinoids correlate with a worse survival. To date, only limited therapeutic options are available and novel drugs are strongly needed. In this work, we extensively reviewed scientific literature exploring available therapeutic options, new molecular targets and future perspectives in the management of well differentiated neoplasms of bronchopulmonary tree. Systemic therapy represents the main option in advanced and unresectable disease; accepted choices are somatostatin analogs, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, everolimus and chemotherapy. To date, an univocal treatment strategy has not been identified yet, thus tailored therapeutic algorithms should consider treatment efficacy as well as safety profiles. Several molecular alterations found in carcinoid tumors might act as molecular targets leading to development of new therapeutic options. Further studies are necessary to identify new potential “druggable” molecular targets in the selected subset of low-grade lung carcinoids. Furthermore, evaluating the available therapies in more homogeneous population might improve their efficacy through a perfect tailoring of treatment options.

Stage IV lung carcinoids: spectrum and evolution of proliferation rate, focusing on variants with elevated proliferation indices

The spectrum and evolution of proliferation rates in stage IV lung carcinoids is poorly defined. In particular, there are limited data on the prevalence and characteristics of tumors exceeding the standard upper proliferative criteria-as defined largely based on early-stage carcinoids-in metastatic setting. Sixty-six patients with stage IV lung carcinoids were identified, and all evaluable samples (n = 132; mean 2 samples per patient) were analyzed for mitotic counts and Ki-67 rate. Clinicopathologic and genomic features associated with elevated proliferation rates (>10 mitoses per 2 mm² and/or >20% hot-spot Ki-67), and evolution of proliferation rates in serial specimens were analyzed. We found that mitoses and/or Ki-67 exceeded the standard criteria in 35 of 132 (27%) samples, primarily (31/35 cases) at  metastatic sites. Although neuroendocrine neoplasms with >10 mitoses per 2 mm² are currently regarded as de facto neuroendocrine carcinomas, the notion that these cases are part of the spectrum of carcinoids was supported by (1) well-differentiated morphology, (2) conventional proliferation rates in other samples from same patient, (3) genetic characteristics, including the lack of RB1/TP53 alterations in all tested samples (n = 19), and (4) median overall survival of 2.7 years, compared to <1 year survival of stage IV neuroendocrine carcinomas in the historic cohorts. In patients with matched primary/metastatic specimens (48 pairs), escalation of mitoses or Ki-67 by ≥10 points was observed in 35% of metastatic samples; clonal relationship in one pair with marked proliferative progression was confirmed by next-generation sequencing. Notably, escalation of proliferation rate was documented in a subset of metastases arising from resected typical carcinoids, emphasizing that the diagnosis of typical carcinoid in primary tumor does not assure low proliferation rate at metastatic sites. In conclusion, stage IV lung carcinoids frequently exceed the standard proliferative criteria established for primary tumors, and commonly exhibit proliferative escalation at metastatic sites. Despite the overlap of proliferation rates, these tumors show fundamental morphologic, genomic and clinical differences from neuroendocrine carcinomas, and should be classified separately from those tumors. Awareness of the increased proliferative spectrum in metastatic carcinoids is critical for their accurate diagnosis. Further studies are warranted to explore the impact of proliferation indices on prognosis and therapeutic responses of patients with metastatic carcinoids.

Characterization, Prognosis, and Treatment of Patients With Metastatic Lung Carcinoid Tumors

INTRODUCTION

Metastatic lung carcinoids (MLCs) remain poorly characterized and no prognostic stratification exists.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study including patients with MLCs in two European expert centers. The aims were to characterize these cases and to identify prognostic factors of survival and effectiveness of their treatments.

RESULTS

A total of 162 patients with MLC were included: 50% were women, and the median age was 61 years. Half of the patients had synchronous metastases, mainly located in the liver (75%), bone (42%), and lung (25%). According to WHO classification, MLCs were typical (28%), atypical (60%), or unspecified (12%). A functioning syndrome was observed in 43% of cases and an uptake at somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in 76% of cases. The 5-year overall survival rate was 60% and at 10 years this was 25%. In multivariate analysis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1 (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.81, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.10-16.11), uptake on SRS (HR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.22-0.66), low serum chromogranin A (HR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.36-3.81), and typical carcinoid (HR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.26-2.78) were associated with better survival. According to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.0, the highest objective response rates were obtained after radiofrequency ablation of metastases (86%), liver embolization (56%), peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (27%), and oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (18%).

CONCLUSIONS

MLCs are characterized by a high frequency of atypical carcinoids, functioning syndrome, and liver/bone metastases. WHO classification, performance status, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy, and chromogranin A were associated with longer survival. Partial response was more frequent with locoregional therapies, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, or oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.

[Systemic Therapy for Low-grade Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Tumor]

肺部是神经内分泌肿瘤（neuroendocrine tumor, NET）的第二好发部位。肺类癌包括典型类癌和不典型类癌，属于低级别神经内分泌肿瘤。这一类肿瘤由于发病率较低，目前尚未得到广大医务工作者的重视。但有效的治疗不仅能提高患者的远期生存，还能控制患者症状，改善生活质量。本文分别阐述肺低级别神经内分泌肿瘤的流行病学和病理学特点、早期患者的治疗策略以及进展期患者的治疗策略。早期患者应当尽早进行手术治疗。进展期患者治疗方式包括化疗、SSAs、mTOR抑制剂、肽受体介导的放射性核素治疗、生物治疗以及靶向治疗。目前的研究结论大多来自其他部位的NETs研究外推而来，仍需针对肺低级别神经内分泌肿瘤患者进行特异性临床试验加以证实。

Unmet Medical Needs in Pulmonary Neuroendocrine (Carcinoid) Neoplasms

Pulmonary carcinoids (PCs) display the common features of all well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) and are classified as low- and intermediate-grade malignant tumours (i.e., typical and atypical carcinoid, respectively). There is a paucity of randomised studies dedicated to advanced PCs and management principles are drawn from the larger gastroenteropancreatic NEN experience. There is growing evidence that NEN anatomic subgroups have different biology and different responses to treatment and, therefore, should be investigated as separate entities in clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the existing evidence and limitations of tumour classification, diagnostics and staging, prognostication, and treatment in the setting of PC, with focus on unmet medical needs and directions for the future.

Management of Typical and Atypical Pulmonary Carcinoids Based on Different Established Guidelines

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a group of malignancies that originated from neuroendocrine cells, with the most common sites being lungs and the gastrointestinal tract. Lung NETs comprise 25% of all lung malignancies. Small cell lung cancer is the most common form of lung NETs, and other rare forms include well-differentiated typical carcinoids (TCs) and poorly differentiated atypical carcinoids (ACs). Given the paucity of randomized studies, rational treatment is challenging. Therefore, it is recommended that these decisions be made using a multidisciplinary collaborative approach. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment, when feasible. Following surgery, various guidelines offer different recommendations in the adjuvant setting. In this paper, we describe the adjuvant management of lung NETs, as recommended by different guidelines, and highlight their differences. In addition to that, we also discuss the management of metastatic lung NETS, including the use of peptide receptor radionucleotide therapy.

Neuroendocrine tumors of the lung: A five-year retrospective experience of Egyptian NCI (2010-2014)

BACKGROUND

The spectrum of lung neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) encompasses low grade typical carcinoid (TC), intermediate grade atypical carcionid (AC) and high grade, both large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), with extreme differences in management and survival.

OBJECTIVE

To study clinicopathologic and prognostic factors affecting survival of lung NETs.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study evaluating 35 patients with primary lung NETs treated at National Cancer Institute of Egypt (NCI-E) between January 2010 and December 2014. Pathological diagnosis depended on definite morphology and positivity to at least one of the neuroendocrine markers by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 53 ± 11.2 years with male predominance. Performance status (PS) I was encountered in 48.6%. SCLC was the prevalent histology in 68.6%, followed by LCNEC & TC in 20 & 11.4%, respectively. Curative surgery was employed in 100 & 57% of TC & LCNEC patients, respectively. Stage IV was anticipated in 87.5 & 43% of SCLC & LCNEC, respectively. For the entire cohort, the median event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 8.0 and 13.7 months, respectively, whereas the 3-year EFS and OS were 17.8 & 20%, respectively. SCLC patients showed significantly the worst OS compared to other NETs (p = 0.001). Patients who presented with stage IV and PS > I demonstrated significantly shorter OS than those with locoregional and PS I (p = 0.00001 &p = 0.002, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

SCLC subtype, stage IV and initial PS > I are poor prognostic factors for lung NETs associated with shorter survival. This conclusion needs to be confirmed by larger studies.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of gastrointestinal events associated with nonoperative therapies for neuroendocrine tumors

The risk of gastrointestinal (GI) events induced by nonoperative therapies in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is unclear. Nonoperative therapies include somatostatin analogs, molecular targeted agents, cytotoxic chemotherapy, interferon-α, and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. We undertook an up-to-date meta-analysis to determine the incidence and relative risks (RRs) of GI events in NET patients treated with these therapies. MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched to identify relevant trials. Eligible trials were selected according to the PRISMA statement. Summary incidence, RR, and 95% CIs were calculated using random- and fixed-effects models. We included 2,890 patients from 17 randomized controlled trials in this meta-analysis. The experimental treatments led to increased incidence and risks of GI events compared to the control treatments (P<0.05). Diarrhea was the most common GI event. The experimental treatments were associated with increased risks of high-grade nausea (RR 2.36; 95% CI 1.05-5.25; P<0.01) and vomiting (RR 1.89; 95% CI 1.04-3.44; P<0.05). In regard to specific therapy regimens, everolimus led to increased risks of diarrhea (RR 2.97; 95% CI 1.83-4.83; P<0.05), vomiting (RR 2.19; 95% CI 1.38-3.48; P<0.05), and anorexia (RR 3.20; 95% CI 1.69-6.06; P<0.05), whereas VEGFR inhibitors led to increased risk of diarrhea (RR 2.12; 95% CI 1.39-3.25; P<0.05). Additionally, GI NETs led to higher risk of GI events than pancreatic NETs. Thus, nonoperative therapies are associated with increased risks of GI events in NET patients, and rigorous management is warranted to minimize the adverse impact on treatment outcomes and to improve quality of life.

A single-institution retrospective analysis of metachronous and synchronous metastatic bronchial neuroendocrine tumors

Background

Broncho-pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors (bpNETs) are rare malignancies and there is no consensus on therapeutical management of metastatic disease and follow-up after radical resection.

Methods

Clinical records of patients with a cytological or histological diagnosis of bpNETs and distant metastases (metachronous or synchronous), evaluated at the European Institute of Oncology between 1997 and 2014, were retrospectively analyzed. Data on patient demographics, pathology, imaging exams, surgical and non-surgical treatments were collected. P value descriptive data, uni- and multi-variate survival analysis were generated for all variables.

Results

With a median follow-up of 53 [9-215] months, 61 patients with metachronous and 47 with synchronous metastases were analysed. The most common tool of first recurrence detection was computed tomography. Liver (67%), lymph node (25%), bone (22%) and lung (16%) were the most common sites of relapse. Median time to recurrence was 5 years. Median overall survival (OS) was 72 months for the whole population, with no significant difference between patients with synchronous and metachronous metastases. Age, bone metastases, liver metastases and Ki-67 as a continuous variable all significantly correlated with prognosis at the multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

This is one of the largest, single-centre, series of metastatic bpNETs. Among patients with metachronous metastases the pattern of recurrences was heterogeneous as were the follow-up exams used to detect them. The results of our analysis may represent solid bases for designing prospective clinical trials in homogeneous settings of bpNETs.

Assessment of the prognostic factors in patients with pulmonary carcinoid tumor: a population-based study

Previous studies have identified potential risk factors for pulmonary carcinoid tumors and evaluated the effect of various treatments; however, the results were not entirely consistent. We conducted a population‐based study to further explore relevant prognostic issues. We extracted cases with pulmonary carcinoid tumors from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. Cox proportional hazard regression was utilized to identify potential significant risk factors, which helped establish a nomogram for predicting long‐term survival. Survival analysis and a competing risk study were conducted to evaluate the value of different surgical approaches. There were 7057 cases included in the study. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that age, sex, tumor size, stage, histology, surgical type, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy were all significant prognostic factors. A nomogram with good accuracy for predicting 10‐year survival was formulated. Furthermore, patients who had undergone surgery had a significantly better survival than those who did not undergo surgery. There was no significant prognostic difference between lobectomy and sublobectomy stratified by tumor stage; however, lobectomy was associated with a significantly better survival in atypical tumors, especially those with regional disease. Our research identified possible risk factors in a large cohort and constructed a nomogram to visually predict 10‐year survival of pulmonary carcinoid tumors. We showed that lobectomy and sublobectomy should be considered as the mainstay of treatment, especially lobectomies for atypical tumor.

Advances on systemic treatment for lung neuroendocrine neoplasms

Lung well-to-moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (also known as carcinoids) and large cell neuroendocrine lung carcinoma (poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumor) are rare neuroendocrine neoplasms, which account for less than 4% of all lung neoplasms. Due to their low incidence, their systemic treatment is greatly influenced by therapeutic evidence derived from the more frequent gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms and/or small cell lung carcinoma leading to significant bias. Currently, employed systemic therapies for lung carcinoids, aiming at controlling tumor growth include long acting somatostatin analogues (SSAs), peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, chemotherapy and molecular-targeted therapy. In this review, each of those treatments is presented based upon available clinical evidence from retrospective and prospective studies particularly focused on the role of everolimus in the advanced setting and on ongoing clinical trials reflecting our expectations in the near future. In addition, we critically analyse currently employed treatment of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma where the appropriate chemotherapeutic regimen is still a matter of debate.

[About two huge bilateral bronchial atypical carcinoid tumors]

Carcinoid tumors are well differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of low grade malignancy or attenuated malignancy. Atypical bilateral bronchial forms are rarely reported. They pose a real problem of therapeutic strategy. We report a case of a 36-year-old woman with two large bilateral atypical carcinoid tumors. She received delayed bilateral parenchymal resection with postoperative uneventful course. Through a review of the literature, we discuss the therapeutic strategy. This observation remains special for several reasons. Not only by the rarity of the bilateral and atypical forms but also for the bilateral tumor sizes which led to a difficult intraoperative anesthetic management.

Subcutaneous metastasis of a pulmonary carcinoid tumor: A case report

RATIONALE

Carcinoid tumors are derived from neuroendocrine cells and are most frequently found in the gastrointestinal tract and bronchopulmonary system. They are generally characterized by an indolent clinical course but may in some instances spread to regional lymph nodes or to distant sites. Subcutaneous metastases of carcinoid tumors are extremely rare; there are only few cases reported in the literature and the site of the primary tumor was mainly the gastrointestinal tract. Also, the diagnosis of this type of lesions many years after the surgical resection of the pulmonary carcinoid (PC) could be a challenge for clinicians.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A nonsmoker woman diagnosed with a atypical carcinoid stage IA2 maintained follow-up at our institution. Seven years later she incidentally detected a subcutaneous nodular lesion in the lumbar region.

DIAGNOSES

A positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) was performed and showed pathological uptake of the refered lesion. An excisional biopsy was performed and with the support of immunohistochemistry the diagnosis of a subcutaneous metastasis from a pulmonary atypical carcinoid was made.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient initiated chemotherapy with carboplatin plus etoposide and complied 4 cycles of treatment.

OUTCOMES

She maintained tight follow-up at our center and for 12 months there were no signs of relapse.

LESSONS

This extremely rare case highlights the difficulties in the differential diagnosis and the importance of diagnostic tests as PET/CT and immunohistochemistry in the establishment of a diagnosis. Physicians should be aware of signs of skin metastasis from lung malignancies even if the prognosis is good or many years have passed since the surgical resection.

Chemotherapy in NETs: When and how

The majority of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are well-differentiated tumours that follow an indolent course, in contrast to a minority of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) which exhibit an aggressive course and assocaited with an overall short survival. Although surgery is the only curative treatment for NETs it is not always feasible,necessitating the application of other therapies including chemotherapy. Streptozotocin (STZ)-based regimens have long been used for advanced or metastatic well-to-moderately differentiated (G1-G2) NETs, especially those originating from the pancreas (pNETs). In poorly differentiated grade 3 (G3) tumours, platinum-based chemotherapy is recommended as first-line therapy, albeit without durable responses. Although data for temozolomide (TMZ)-based chemotherapy are still evolving, this treatment may replace STZ-based regimens in pNETs due to its better tolerability and side effect profile. In addition, there is evidence that TMZ could also be used in the subgroup of well-differentiated G3 NETs. There is less clear-cut evidence of a benefit for chemotherapy in intestinal NETs, but still evolving data suggest that TMZ may be efficacious in particular patients. In lung and thymic carcinoids, chemotherapy is reserved for patients with progressive metastatic disease in whom other treatment options are unavailable. Overall, chemotherapy is indicated in patients who have progressed on first-line treatment with somatostatin analogues, have extensive tumour load or exhibit rapid growth following a period of follow-up, and/or have a high proliferative rate; it may occasionally can be used in a neo-adjuvant setting. Prospective randomised studies are awaited to substantiate the role of chemotherapy in the therapeutic algorithm of NETs along with other evolving treatments.

Exploiting cancer's phenotypic guise against itself: targeting ectopically expressed peptide G-protein coupled receptors for lung cancer therapy

Lung cancer, claiming millions of lives annually, has the highest mortality rate worldwide. This advocates the development of novel cancer therapies that are highly toxic for cancer cells but negligibly toxic for healthy cells. One of the effective treatments is targeting overexpressed surface receptors of cancer cells with receptor-specific drugs. The receptors-in-focus in the current review are the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are often overexpressed in various types of tumors. The peptide subfamily of GPCRs is the pivot of the current article owing to the high affinity and specificity to and of their cognate peptide ligands, and the proven efficacy of peptide-based therapeutics. The article summarizes various ectopically expressed peptide GPCRs in lung cancer, namely, Cholecystokinin-B/Gastrin receptor, the Bombesin receptor family, Bradykinin B1 and B2 receptors, Arginine vasopressin receptors 1a, 1b and 2, and the Somatostatin receptor type 2. The autocrine growth and pro-proliferative pathways they mediate, and the distinct tumor-inhibitory effects of somatostatin receptors are then discussed. The next section covers how these pathways may be influenced or 'corrected' through therapeutics (involving agonists and antagonists) targeting the overexpressed peptide GPCRs. The review proceeds on to Nano-scaled delivery platforms, which enclose chemotherapeutic agents and are decorated with peptide ligands on their external surface, as an effective means of targeting cancer cells. We conclude that targeting these overexpressed peptide GPCRs is potentially evolving as a highly promising form of lung cancer therapy.

The role of multimodal treatment in patients with advanced lung neuroendocrine tumors

Lung neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) comprise typical (TC) and atypical carcinoids (AC). They represent the well differentiated (WD) or low/intermediate grade forms of lung neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). Unlike the lung poorly differentiated NENs, that are usually treated with chemotherapy, lung NETs can be managed with several different therapies, making a multidisciplinary interaction a key point. We critically discussed the multimodal clinical management of patients with advanced lung NETs. Provided that no therapeutic algorithm has been validate so far, each clinical case should be discussed within a NEN-dedicated multidisciplinary team. Among the systemic therapies available for metastatic lung NETs everolimus is the only approved drug, on the basis of the results of the phase III RADIANT-4 trial. Another phase III trial, the SPINET, is ongoing comparing lanreotide with placebo. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy and chemotherapy were not studied within phase III trials for lung NETs, and they have been reported to be active within retrospective or phase II prospective studies. Temozolomide and oxaliplatin are two interesting chemotherapeutic agents in lung NETs. While some European Institutions were certificated as Centers of Excellence for gastroenteropancreatic NENs by the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS), an equivalent ENETS certification for lung NENs does not exist yet. Ideally a lung NEN-dedicated multidisciplinary tumor board should include NEN-dedicated medical oncologists, thoracic medical oncologist, thoracic surgeons, pathologists, interventional radiologists, endocrinologists, radiotherapists, interventional pneumologists, nuclear physician.

Risk of rash associated with vandetanib treatment in non-small-cell lung cancer patients: A meta-analysis of 9 randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Vandetanib is a promising anticancer target agent for treating advanced carcinomas, such as non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and breast cancer. Rash is a frequently reported adverse event of vandetanib. We conducted this meta-analysis to determine the incidence rate and overall risks of all-grade and high-grade rash with vandetanib in NSCLC patients.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify studies with vandetanib and rash in NSCLC patients. Data were extracted to calculate the pooled incidence of all-grade and high-grade (grade ≥3) rash caused by vandetanib treatment.

RESULTS

Nine randomized controlled trials involving 4893 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. The overall incidence of all-grade and high-grade rash caused by vandetanib treatment was 46% (95% CI: 37.1%, 54.8%), and 3.2% (95% CI: 1.4%, 5.1%), respectively. The risk ratios (RR) of all-grade and high-grade rash for vandetanib treatment versus control treatment were 2.35 (95% CI: 1.20, 4.61; P < .001) and 4.68 (95% CI 1.42, 15.37; P < .001), respectively. Subgroup analysis suggested that the increased risk of all-grade rash was clear across all subgroups, including first-line/second-line therapy, phase 2/phase 3 trial, sample size </>200, a dosage of 100 or 300 mg, and monotherapy/combination therapy. However, for the high-grade rash, vandetanib did not increase the risk of rash when it was used in first-line therapy, or in a phase II trial, or in a trial with sample size <200.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that vandetanib was associated with a significantly increased risk of rash. Therefore, early recognition and appropriate monitoring should be taken when NSCLC patients were treated with vandetanib.