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Stascheit F, Della Marina A, Meisel A. [Myasthenia in adults, children, and adolescents: what's new?]. DER NERVENARZT 2023:10.1007/s00115-023-01463-x. [PMID: 36995386 DOI: 10.1007/s00115-023-01463-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Therapy of myasthenia gravis (MG) is increasingly oriented to the patient's antibody status. In addition to symptomatic therapy, steroids, classic long-term immunosuppressive therapies and thymectomy are regularly used. In recent years, new therapeutic approaches have been developed that particularly benefit acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody (Abs) positive patients with highly active disease. While the C5 complement inhibitor eculizumab was reserved for treatment-refractory generalized courses of AChR-Abs positive MG, two new drugs, the neonatal Fc receptor inhibitor efgartigimod and the more advanced C5 complement inhibitor ravulizumab, have recently been approved as add-on therapy for AChR-Abs positive generalized MG (gMG). In highly active courses of MG with Abs against the muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK), the use of rituximab should be considered early in the course of the disease. The efficacy of the new drugs in children and adolescents with juvenile MG (JMG) is currently being tested in clinical trials. The new guideline recommends the use of modern immunomodulators based on a step-by-step approach depending on disease activity. With the German Myasthenia Register (MyaReg), the changing therapeutic landscape and quality of life of patients with myasthenic syndromes can be assessed, thus providing real-world data on the care of MG patients. Despite treatment based on the previous guideline, many MG patients suffer considerable impairment to their quality of life. With the new immunomodulators, there is the possibility of early intensified immunotherapy, which, in contrast to long-term immunosuppressants, can lead to a rapid improvement in the course of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frauke Stascheit
- Klinik für Neurologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, korporatives Mitglied der Freien Universität und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland.
- NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, korporatives Mitglied der Freien Universität und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland.
- Klinik für Neurologie und experimentelle Neurologie, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Deutschland.
| | - Adela Della Marina
- Klinik für Kinderheilkunde 1, Abteilung für Neuropädiatrie, Entwicklungsneurologie und Sozialpädiatrie, Zentrum für Neuromuskuläre Erkrankungen, Zentrum für Translationale Neuro- und Verhaltenswissenschaften, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstraße, 45147, Essen, Deutschland.
| | - Andreas Meisel
- Klinik für Neurologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, korporatives Mitglied der Freien Universität und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
- NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, korporatives Mitglied der Freien Universität und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
- Centrum für Schlaganfallforschung Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, korporatives Mitglied der Freien Universität und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Radical surgery is the best therapeutic option for thymic malignancies. However, patients with advanced or recurrent thymic malignancies often require chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Since thymic malignancies are rare cancers, the efficacy and safety of treatments have been verified based on small Phase 2 trials or retrospective studies. AREA COVERED We comprehensively reviewed the treatment strategies for thymic malignancies, including surgery, radiotherapy, and pharmacotherapy, including cytotoxic chemotherapy, molecular-targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Additionally, we reviewed specific situations, such as pleural dissemination, central nervous system metastasis, and paraneoplastic syndrome. EXPERT OPINION Cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the standard option in pharmacotherapy. However, multikinase inhibitors, such as sunitinib and lenvatinib, and immune checkpoint inhibitors including pembrolizumab have been developed to treat thymic carcinomas. Now, a Phase 2 study is evaluating whether lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab benefits patients with type B3 thymoma or thymic carcinoma. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/ mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors may contribute to disease control and octreotide scan is only applicable to somatostatin analogues. Although the genomic characteristics of thymic malignancies have been analyzed, few actionable mutations have been detected in general. The development of a treatment strategy using combination pharmacotherapy is anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Muto
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yusuke Okuma
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
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The Never-Ending History of Octreotide in Thymic Tumors: A Vintage or A Contemporary Drug? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030774. [PMID: 35159040 PMCID: PMC8833608 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Thymic epithelial tumors are rare tumors frequently associated with paraneoplastic syndromes, the most common being myasthenia gravis and pure red cell aplasia. While patients with limited-stage cancer can often undergo resolutive surgery, advanced surgically unresectable and metastatic tumors can be refractory to first-line platinum-based treatment and represent a medical challenge. Somatostatin receptor expression was documented in thymic tumors both in vivo and in vitro and represents the rationale for therapeutic use. Despite single-case reports and three single-arm phase II studies, as well as the inclusion of somatostatin analogs in National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, the role of these drugs in thymic epithelial tumors is still rather undefined. Abstract Thymic epithelial tumors are rare tumors usually presenting as a mass located in the anterior mediastinum and/or with symptoms deriving from associated paraneoplastic syndromes. Unresectable platinum-refractory tumors are often treated with alternative regimens, including chemotherapeutic agents as well as chemo-free regimens. The most popular unconventional therapy is represented by the somatostatin analog octreotide, which can be used alone or with prednisone. The in vivo expression of somatostatin receptors documented by imaging with indium-labeled octreotide or gallium-68 Dotapeptides, the successful use of octreotide and prednisone in a chemo-refractory patient, and, thereafter, the experiences from a case series have enforced the idea that this treatment merits consideration—as proved by its inclusion in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. In the present review, we analyze the preclinical basis for the therapeutic use of somatostatin and prednisone in refractory thymic tumors and discuss the available studies looking at future perspectives.
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Nakagawa Y, Matsumoto K, Yamamoto M, Hirata H, Shiroyama T, Miyake K, Yamamoto Y, Kuge T, Yoneda M, Naito Y, Suga Y, Fukushima K, Koyama S, Iwahori K, Nagatomo I, Takeda Y, Kumanogoh A. A case of synchronous triple autoimmune disorders secondary to thymoma: Pure red cell aplasia, Good's syndrome, and thymoma-associated multi-organ autoimmunity. Respir Med Case Rep 2022; 36:101619. [PMID: 35251929 PMCID: PMC8892002 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmcr.2022.101619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA), Good's syndrome (GS), and thymoma-associated multiorgan autoimmunity (TAMA) are associated with thymoma. Herein, we describe the case of a 56-year-old woman with PRCA, GS, and TAMA simultaneously. She was treated with cyclosporine, immunoglobulin supplementation, and prednisolone; however, she died of uncontrolled sepsis due to extreme immunosuppression. The combination of these three diseases is likely to lead to fatal infections, and to avoid such infections, it may be necessary to reduce or discontinue immunosuppressants and steroids as soon as possible if the diseases are controlled, as well as regular immunoglobulin supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Nakagawa
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kinnosuke Matsumoto
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Corresponding author.
| | - Makoto Yamamoto
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Hirata
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takayuki Shiroyama
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kotaro Miyake
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuji Yamamoto
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoki Kuge
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Midori Yoneda
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yujiro Naito
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Suga
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kiyoharu Fukushima
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shohei Koyama
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kota Iwahori
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Izumi Nagatomo
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshito Takeda
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kumanogoh
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Immunopathology, WPI, Immunology Frontier Research Center (iFReC), Osaka University, 3-3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives(OTRI), Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease for Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, 2-8 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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