The Economic Burden of Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumors Among Employed Workforce in the United States

Localized and diffuse tenosynovial giant cell tumor: real-world results from a patient observational registry

BACKGROUND

Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor (TGCT) is a rare, locally aggressive neoplasm that adversely impact patients' physical function and quality of life (QoL). This cross-sectional analysis leverages real-world data from the TGCT Support Patient Registry to elucidate the patient experience with TGCT and the disease burden across healthcare systems.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 497 patients from 32 countries, 71.4% (n = 355) with diffuse-TGCT (D-TGCT), 18.9% (n = 94) with localized TGCT (L-TGCT), and 9.7% (n = 28) with unspecified TGCT were included in this cross-sectional analysis of the TGCT Support Registry.

RESULTS

A majority of patients (61.2%, n = 304) were diagnosed by orthopedic/sports medicine surgeons, half (n = 248) were misdiagnosed prior to their TGCT diagnosis, and 32% (n = 278) of patients were diagnosed > 24 months following symptom onset. 79.1% (n = 393) of all patients had ≥ 1 resection and 63% of those patients reported ≥ 1 recurrence. Of those patients that had recurrence following resection, 59% had ≥ 2 recurrences. 23% of patients (n = 115) changed occupations or prematurely retired due to TGCT and the proportion of patients increased with > 2 surgeries.

CONCLUSION

Greater awareness of TGCT among HCPs is needed to facilitate diagnosis and referral to multidisciplinary teams is warranted to reduce recurrence rates, number of surgical interventions, and improve QoL.

Cytoplasmic PPARγ Significantly Correlates With P53 Immunohistochemical Expression and Tumor Size in Localized Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor

BACKGROUND

Tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) is a monoarticular fibrohistiocytic benign or locally aggressive soft tissue tumor that originates from the synovium of joints, bursae, and tendon sheaths. It has an inflammatory neoplastic nature, with a clinical presentation ranging from pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited range of movement to joint instability and blockage. Its uncommon incidence leads to a poorly understood pathogenesis. Localized forms of TGCT (LTGCT) can cause significant morbidity, interfere with daily patient activities, and decrease the patient's quality of life in challenging cases. This study aimed to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma) and P53 in LTGCT to understand the disease better and offer potential therapeutic targets.

METHODS

The study is cross-sectional, in which 27 LTGCT cases were collected from the Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Solitary and multiple LTGCT cases retrieved between January 2018 and December 2022 were included, and immunohistochemically stained with anti-PPARγ and P53 antibodies. The TGCT samples were excluded if they were insufficient for sectioning, processing, and interpretation, over-fixed, had process artifacts, or were of the diffuse TGCT type. Scoring of stain expression was performed by ImageJ (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD) analysis using the threshold method and was expressed in percent area/high power field. Clinicopathological correlations were analyzed.

RESULTS

All the 27 collected LTGCT cases were located in the small joints of patients' hands. Cases with solitary LGTCTs constituted 55.6% (n = 15), while 44.4% (n = 12) had multiple LTGCTs related to one affected site/case (e.g., multiple tumors in one finger). PPARγ was expressed in the cytoplasm of mononuclear and multinucleated tumor cells and foamy histiocytes, while P53 expression was mainly in mononuclear cells' nuclei. PPARγ significantly correlated with P53 expression (r = 0.9 and P = 0.000). PPARγ (r = 0.4 and P = 0.02) and P53 (r = 0.5 and P = 0.01) were positively correlated with tumor size. Only P53 expression was positively correlated with tumor multiplicity (r = 0.4 and P = 0.03). Using the receiver operating characteristic curve test, the P53 cutoff score detecting the multiplicity of TGCTs was ≥20.5%, with a 75% sensitivity and 80% specificity.

CONCLUSION

PPARγ and P53 have a significant role in LTGCT growth, while P53 plays a role in tumor multiplicity. They can be possible targets in LTGCTs unfit for excision.

Real-world drug utilization and treatment patterns in patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumors in the USA

Aim: Real-world treatment patterns in tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) patients remain unknown. Pexidartinib is the only US FDA-approved treatment for TGCT associated with severe morbidity or functional limitations and not amenable to improvement with surgery. Objective: To characterize drug utilization and treatment patterns in TGCT patients. Methods: In a retrospective observational study using IQVIA's linked prescription and medical claims databases (2018-2021), TGCT patients were stratified by their earliest systemic therapy claim (pexidartinib [N = 82] or non-FDA-approved systemic therapy [N = 263]). Results: TGCT patients treated with pexidartinib versus non-FDA-approved systemic therapies were predominantly female (61 vs 50.6%) and their median age was 47 and 54 years, respectively. Pexidartinib-treated patients had the highest 12-month probability of remaining on treatment (54%); 34.1% of pexidartinib users had dose reduction after their first claim. Conclusion: This study provides new insights into the unmet need, utilization and treatment patterns of systemic therapies for the treatment of TGCT patients.

Understanding the Effect of Osteoarthritis on Surgical Treatment Patterns, Healthcare Resource Utilization, and Costs Among Patients With Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumors

BACKGROUND

Tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) may be misdiagnosed as osteoarthritis (OA), or the chronic course of TGCT may lead to development of secondary OA. However, little is known about the effect of comorbid OA on long-term surgical patterns and costs among TGCT patients.

METHODS

This cohort study used claims data from the Merative MarketScan Research Databases. The study included adults diagnosed with TGCT from January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2019, who have at least 3 years of continuous enrollment before and after the first TGCT diagnosis (date of the first TGCT diagnosis = index date) and no other cancer diagnosis during the study period. Patients were stratified by the presence of an OA diagnosis relative to the index date. Outcomes included surgical procedure patterns, healthcare resource utilization, and costs in the 3-year pre- and postindex periods. Multivariable models were used to assess the effect of OA on the study outcomes, controlling for baseline characteristics.

RESULTS

The study included 2856 TGCT patients: 1153 (40%) had no OA before or after index (OA[-/-]), 207 (7%) had OA before index but not after (OA[+/-]), 644 (23%) had OA after index but not before (OA[-/+]), and 852 (30%) had OA before and after index (OA[+/+]). The mean age was 51.6 years, and 61.7% were female. During the postperiod, joint surgery was more common among OA(-/+) and OA(+/+) patients compared with OA(-/-) and OA(+/-) patients (55.7% vs 33.2%). The mean all-cause total costs in the 3-year postperiod were $19,476 per patient per year. Compared with OA(-/-) patients, OA(-/+) and OA(+/+) patients had a higher risk of undergoing recurrent surgery and higher total healthcare costs postindex.

DISCUSSION

Higher rates of surgery and increased healthcare cost observed in TGCT patients with postindex OA underscore the need for effective treatment options to reduce joint damage, especially among patients with comorbid OA.

Surgical Treatment Patterns, Healthcare Resource Utilization, and Economic Burden in Patients with Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor Who Underwent Joint Surgery in the United States

Background: Tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCT) are rare and locally aggressive neoplasms in synovium, bursae, and tendon sheaths, which cause pain, joint dysfunction, and damage to the affected joints. Objective: To evaluate the surgical patterns and economic burden among patients with TGCT who underwent joint surgery in the United States. Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with TGCT, aged 18-64 years, who underwent joint surgery post-TGCT diagnosis were identified from the OptumHealth Care Solutions, Inc database (Q1/1999-Q1/2017). Patients were required to be continuously enrolled for ≥1 year before and ≥3 years after the first TGCT diagnosis (index date). Surgical patterns were assessed post-index. Healthcare resource utilization and associated healthcare costs, and indirect costs related to work loss in year 1, year 2, and year 3 post-index, were compared with those at baseline. Results: Of 835 eligible TGCT patients, 462 (55%) patients who had ≥1 joint surgery post-index were included. During a median follow-up of 5.7 years, 78% of patients underwent their first joint surgery in year 1 and 41% had ≥1 repeat surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging utilization was highest during baseline (46%) and declined afterward (28%, 17%, and 19% in years 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and physical therapy, occupational therapy, and rehabilitation services, were commonly used during baseline (45%, 40%, and 30%, respectively). More patients used opioids in year 1 vs baseline (78% vs 45%; P<0.0001), while its utilization return to baseline levels in year 2 (41%) and year 3 (42%). A similar pattern was observed for NSAIDs and physical/occupational therapy/rehabilitation services. Healthcare resource utilization and associated healthcare costs surged in year 1 and returned to baseline or lower in years 2 and 3. A similar pattern was observed for indirect costs associated with work loss. Discussion: The high proportion of patients undergoing repeat surgeries and prevalent use of opioids, NSAIDs, and physical/occupational therapy/rehabilitation services suggests an unmet medical need after surgical treatment. Conclusions: Surgical resection alone might be inadequate to control TGCT. New treatment options may complement surgery and alleviate the clinical and economic burden experienced by patients with TGCT who had received prior surgery.

Role of colony-stimulating factor 1 in the neoplastic process of tenosynovial giant cell tumor

Tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCTs) are rare, locally aggressive, mesenchymal neoplasms, most often arising from the synovium of joints, bursae, or tendon sheaths. Surgical resection is the first-line treatment, but recurrence is common, with resulting impairments in patients' mobility and quality of life. Developing and optimizing the role of systemic pharmacologic therapies in TGCT management requires an understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms. The colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) has emerged as having an important role in the neoplastic processes underlying TGCT. Lesions appear to contain CSF1-expressing neoplastic cells derived from the synovial lining surrounded by non-neoplastic macrophages that express the CSF1R, with lesion growth stimulated by both autocrine effects causing proliferation of the neoplastic cells themselves and by paracrine effects resulting in recruitment of CSF1 R-bearing macrophages. Other signaling pathways with evidence for involvement in TGCT pathogenesis include programmed death ligand-1, matrix metalloproteinases, and the Casitas B-cell lymphoma family of ubiquitin ligases. While growing understanding of the pathways leading to TGCT has resulted in the development of both regulatory approved and investigational therapies, more detail on underlying disease mechanisms still needs to be elucidated in order to improve the choice of individualized therapies and to enhance treatment outcomes.