Was Mansoor

Routine measurement of plasma chromogranin B has limited clinical utility in the management of patients with neuroendocrine tumours

Chromogranin A (CgA) and B (CgB) are markers for monitoring disease status in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). These are specialized diagnostic tests often necessitating referral of specimens to a supraregional assay service (SAS) laboratory for analysis. The aim of this audit was to assess whether measurement of either plasma CgA or CgB alone provides sufficient clinical information in comparison with the current practice of measuring both markers together.

Health-related quality of life, anxiety, depression and impulsivity in patients with advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours

AIM To compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety, depression, and impulsivity scores in patients with and without carcinoid syndrome (CS), and correlated them with serum 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels. METHODS Patients with advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEPNET), with and without CS completed HRQoL QLQ-C30 and QLQ-GI.NET21, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) questionnaires. Two-sample Wilcoxon test was applied to assess differences in serum 5-HIAA levels, two-sample Mann-Whitney U test for HRQoL and BIS, and proportion test for HADS, between those with and without CS. RESULTS Fifty patients were included; 25 each with and without CS. Median 5-HIAA in patients with and without CS was 367nmol/L and 86nmol/L, respectively (P = 0.003). Scores related to endocrine symptoms were significantly higher amongst patients with CS (P = 0.04) and scores for disease-related worries approached significance in the group without CS, but no other statistically-significant differences were reported between patients with and without CS in responses on QLQ-C30 or QLQ-GI.NET21. Fifteen patients (26%) scored ≥ 8/21 on anxiety scale, and 6 (12%) scored ≥ 8/21 on depression scale. There was no difference in median 5-HIAA between those scoring < or ≥ 8/21 on anxiety scale (P = 0.53). There were no statistically significant differences between groups in first or second-order factors (BIS) or total sum (P = 0.23). CONCLUSION Excepting endocrine symptoms, there were no significant differences in HRQoL, anxiety, depression or impulsivity between patients with advanced GEPNET, with or without CS. Over one quarter of patients had high anxiety scores, unrelated to peripheral serotonin metabolism.

Somatostatin analogue-induced pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in patients with neuroendocrine tumors: results of a prospective observational study

ABSTRACT Background: Patients with advanced well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours (Wd-NETs) are commonly treated with somatostatin analogues (SSAs). Some patients may develop SSA-related side effects such as pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI). Methods: In this prospective, observational study, the frequency of SSA-induced PEI in 50 sequential patients with advanced Wd-NETs treated with SSAs was investigated. Toxicity was assessed monthly and faecal elastase-1 (FE1) and quality of life (QoL) were assessed 3-monthly. Results: The median age was 65.8 years, 58% were male and the majority (92%) of patients had metastatic disease; patients received 4-weekly long acting octreotide (60%) or lanreotide (40%). Twelve patients (24%) developed SSA-related PEI after a median of 2.9 months from SSA initiation; FE1 was a reliable screening tool for PEI, especially in symptomatic (abdominal bloating, flatulence and/or diarrhea) patients (risk ratio 8.25 (95% confidence interval 1.15–59.01)). Most of these patients (11/12; 92%) required PERT. Other SSA-related adverse events (any grade) included flatulence (50%), abdominal pain (32%), diarrhoea (30%) and fatigue (20%). Development of PEI did not significantly worsen overall QoL, however gastrointestinal symptoms and diarrhoea were increased. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that PEI occurs at a higher rate than previously reported; clinicians need to diagnose and treat this SSA-related adverse-event which occurs in 1 in 4 patients with Wd-NETs treated with SSAs. Screening with FE1 in symtomatic patients is recommend.

Intractable hypoglycaemia in a patient with advanced carcinoid syndrome successfully treated with hepatic embolization.

A male patient presented at the age of 54 years with metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (NET). He was managed with interferon and multiple courses of MIBG therapy which controlled his disease for about seven years. He then developed symptomatic hypoglycaemia which resolved with the introduction of somatostatin analogue treatment and further therapeutic MIBG. However, three years later he was admitted to hospital with severe and intractable hypoglycaemia, which persisted despite treatment with dietary manipulation, diazoxide, long-acting octreotide injections, intravenous infusion of dextrose and octreotide and everolimus. Bland hepatic embolization was attempted as a last resort and resulted in prompt and dramatic improvement of his condition with no hypoglycaemia for five months. We recommend that hepatic embolization should be considered in patients with advanced and metastatic NETs accompanied by refractory hypoglycaemia, with the aim of symptomatic relief and palliation, and possibly some survival benefit.