Association of lymph node metastases, grade and extent of mesenteric lymph node dissection in locoregional small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors with recurrence-free survival

Bone and muscle mass characteristics in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

BACKGROUND

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) are rare tumors arising from neuroendocrine cells most commonly in the gastrointestinal-tract. In recent years, advancements in therapeutics have increased survival rates in patients with NEN leading to a greater clinical burden compared to the general population.

METHODS

The aim of this single-center case-control study was to investigate the incidence of low bone mass and changes in body composition in adult patients diagnosed with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEPNET). Enrolled participants underwent measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH) and body composition analysis with calculation of total fat-mass (TFM) and relative skeletal mass index (RSMI), by dual X-ray absorptiometry.

RESULTS

Ninety GEPNET patients (28 with Pancreatic-NET, 20 with small-intestine-NET, 42 with gastric-NET), and 50 age and sex-matched controls were enrolled. The mean disease duration was 5±4.4 years, the majority of patients (54/90) was classified as stage-1, and were not receiving systemic-treatment (76/90). The incidence of osteoporosis/osteopenia was threefold higher in the patients' cohort, compared to controls (OR: 3.17 95% CI 1.16-7.8, p < 0.001). Among NEN patients, gastric-NET had the lowest bone mass, especially in LS. In addition, GEPNET patients demonstrated significantly lower TFM and RSMI, compared to controls (TFM: 31.6 ± 9.6 kg vs. 38.6 ± 6.4 kg, respectively, p = 0.03; RSMI: 6.4 ± 1.1 vs. 8.2 ± 0.6, respectively, p < 0.001). Within our patients' cohort, RSMI was significantly associated with LS-BMD (rho = 0.49, p < 0.001) and TH-BMD (rho = 0.58, p < 0.001), and TFM was associated with TH-BMD (rho = 0.31, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with GEPNET even at an early stage exhibit significantly lower bone, muscle and fat mass compared to the non-NET population, highlighting the importance of continuous monitoring of the musculoskeletal system in these patients.

Modified Histopathological Grading Optimizes Prediction of Survival Outcomes in Small Intestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors

CONTEXT

One of the major prognostic indices in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is Ki67 proliferation index.

OBJECTIVE

To identify optimal grading Ki67 cutoffs to delineate differences in prognosis of patients with small intestinal NETs (SI-NETs).

METHODS

Multicenter retrospective cohort analysis of 551 SI-NET patients diagnosed from 1993 through 2021 at 5 European referral centers with a mean (±SD) follow-up time of 51.5 (±52.9) months, measuring rates of overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS).

RESULTS

Median age at baseline was 62.3 (range, 17-90) years; 252 (45.7%) patients were female. All SI-NETs were well-differentiated, with 326 being grade 1 (G1; 59.2%), 169 G2 (30.7%), and 8 G3 (1.5), while 48 tumors were unspecified grade (8.7%). The median Ki67 was 2% (range, 1%-70%). At baseline, 247 (44.8%) patients had distant metastases (stage IV), 217 locoregional disease (41.1%; stage III), while 29 (7.1%) and 25 (4.5%) presented at stages II and I, respectively. Median OS was 214.7 (95% CI, 152.7-276.6) months and median EFS was 79.8 (68.2-91.5) months. In multivariable Cox-regression OS analysis, the proposed modified histopathological Ki67 grading system (Ki67 5%-10% group: HR = 2.2 [95% CI, 1.15-4.31], P = .018 and Ki67 ≥ 10% group: HR = 5.11 [2.87-9.09], P < .001), age (HR = 1.07 [1.04-1.09], P < .001), Charlson Comorbidity Index (HR = 1.08 [1-1.16], P = .028), and TNM stage (HR = 1.79 [1.05-3.06], P = .034) were independent predictors for death. Pertinent EFS analysis confirmed the proposed modified histopathological Ki67 grading system (Ki67 ≥ 10% group: HR = 4.01 [2.6-6.37], P < .001) and age (HR = 1.04 [1.02-1.05], P < .001) as independent predictors for recurrence, progression, and/or death.

CONCLUSION

Ki67 proliferation index was a strong and independent predictor of OS and EFS. A modified histopathological grading system applying Ki67 cutoffs of 5% and 10% could be superior to predict differences in SI-NET patient survival outcomes.

Incidence, survival, and prognostic nomogram of patients with small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors: A SEER population-based study

Small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (SI-NETs) are a group of rare and significantly heterogeneous tumors with limited research currently available. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, survival, and prognostic factors of SI-NETs. We selected data from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database between 2000 and 2019 and evaluated the incidence trend of SI-NETs during this period. We utilized the Kaplan-Meier method to examine the association between clinical variables and survival rates. Based on the multivariable Cox regression analysis results, we developed a nomogram to predict the 1-, 2-, and 3-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) of SI-NETs patients. We evaluated the consistency, accuracy, and clinical utility of the nomogram by drawing calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) curves. The incidence of SI-NETs showed an upward trend in recent years. Age, grade, T stage, M stage, and primary tumor surgery were independent risk factors for CSS in SI-NETs patients. The nomogram model based on these risk factors showed high accuracy and clinical benefit. SI-NETs are rare tumors with an increasing incidence rate. The nomogram model is expected to be an effective tool for personalized prognosis prediction in SI-NETs patients, which may benefit clinical decision-making.

Premalignant Lesions in the Kidney Transplant Candidate

End-stage kidney disease patients who are referred for transplant undergo an extensive evaluation process to ensure their health prior to transplant due in part to the shortage of available organs. Although management and surveillance guidelines exist for malignancies identified in the transplant and waitlist populations, less is written about the management of premalignant lesions in this population. This review covers the less common premalignant lesions (intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, thymoma, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor) that can be found in the transplant candidate population. High-level evidence for the management of these rarer premalignant lesions in the transplant population is lacking, and this review extrapolates evidence from the general population and should not be a substitute for a multidisciplinary discussion with medical and surgical oncologists.

Survival Trends in Patients with Small Intestinal Neuroendocrine Tumours-A Cohort Study in Central Norway

Improved surgical resection and oncological treatment, or an earlier diagnosis may increase survival in small intestinal neuroendocrine tumours (SI-NETs), but only few studies have examined survival trends. We aimed to examine the trend in overall survival and associated factors in SI-NET patients. All patients with SI-NETs at a regional hospital from June 2005 to December 2021 (n = 242) were identified, and the cohort was divided in half, constituting a first period (until November 2012) and a second period (from November 2012). Disease and treatment characteristics, including European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society (ENETS) stage, surgery, oncological treatment and survival, were recorded. The majority (n = 205 (84.7%)) were treated surgically and surgery was considered curative in 137 (66.8%) patients. Median survival was longer in the second period (9.0 years 95% CI 6.4-11.7 in the first period vs. median not reached in the second period, p = 0.014), with 5-year survival rates of 63.5% and 83.5%, respectively. ENETS stage and oncological treatment did not differ between the periods, but factors associated with surgical quality, such as lymph node harvest and resection of multiple SI-NETs, were significantly higher in the second period. Age, ENETS stage, time period and tumour resection were independently associated with survival in a multivariate analysis.