BACKGROUND: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. Distant metastases are the main cause of cancer-related death. Systemic chemotherapy produces only rare tumor responses. Somatostatin analogs and other available modalities are poorly effective to control symptoms. AIMS: The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of liver transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in MTC patients with predominant and progressive liver metastases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twelve MTC patients underwent 18 TACE courses (mean, 1.5; range, 1-2). Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors were used to evaluate tumor responses. Symptomatic responses were defined by more than a 25% decrease of symptoms intensity. RESULTS: Partial radiological tumor response was obtained in five patients (42%) with a median duration of 17 months (mean, 19; range, 15-28 months), stabilization in five (42%) with a median duration of 24 months (mean, 24; range, 4-39 months), and progression in the remaining two (16%). The five partial tumor responses were observed in the nine patients with less than 30% liver involvement. Clinical response was observed in two of the five patients with diarrhea. Carcinoembryonic antigen did not appear to be a useful marker in this setting. Significant grade 3-4 toxicity was observed in one patient who had a major tumor necrosis after TACE. CONCLUSION: TACE should be considered for treating MTC patients with progressive and predominant liver metastasis, and preferably at an early stage during the course of metastatic disease.
BACKGROUND: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. Distant metastases are the main cause of cancer-related death. Systemic chemotherapy produces only rare tumor responses. Somatostatin analogs and other available modalities are poorly effective to control symptoms. AIMS: The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of liver transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in MTC patients with predominant and progressive liver metastases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twelve MTC patients underwent 18 TACE courses (mean, 1.5; range, 1-2). Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors were used to evaluate tumor responses. Symptomatic responses were defined by more than a 25% decrease of symptoms intensity. RESULTS: Partial radiological tumor response was obtained in five patients (42%) with a median duration of 17 months (mean, 19; range, 15-28 months), stabilization in five (42%) with a median duration of 24 months (mean, 24; range, 4-39 months), and progression in the remaining two (16%). The five partial tumor responses were observed in the nine patients with less than 30% liver involvement. Clinical response was observed in two of the five patients with diarrhea. Carcinoembryonic antigen did not appear to be a useful marker in this setting. Significant grade 3-4 toxicity was observed in one patient who had a major tumor necrosis after TACE. CONCLUSION: TACE should be considered for treating MTC patients with progressive and predominant liver metastasis, and preferably at an early stage during the course of metastatic disease.
Authors: Samuel A Wells; Sylvia L Asa; Henning Dralle; Rossella Elisei; Douglas B Evans; Robert F Gagel; Nancy Lee; Andreas Machens; Jeffrey F Moley; Furio Pacini; Friedhelm Raue; Karin Frank-Raue; Bruce Robinson; M Sara Rosenthal; Massimo Santoro; Martin Schlumberger; Manisha Shah; Steven G Waguespack Journal: Thyroid Date: 2015-06 Impact factor: 6.568
Authors: E Grande; J Santamaría Sandi; J Capdevila; E Navarro González; C Zafón Llopis; T Ramón Y Cajal Asensio; J M Gómez Sáez; P Jiménez-Fonseca; G Riesco-Eizaguirre; J C Galofré Journal: Clin Transl Oncol Date: 2015-12-21 Impact factor: 3.405
Authors: Henning Dralle; Thomas J Musholt; Jochen Schabram; Thomas Steinmüller; Andreja Frilling; Dietmar Simon; Peter E Goretzki; Bruno Niederle; Christian Scheuba; Thomas Clerici; Michael Hermann; Jochen Kußmann; Kerstin Lorenz; Christoph Nies; Peter Schabram; Arnold Trupka; Andreas Zielke; Wolfram Karges; Markus Luster; Kurt W Schmid; Dirk Vordermark; Hans-Joachim Schmoll; Reinhard Mühlenberg; Otmar Schober; Harald Rimmele; Andreas Machens Journal: Langenbecks Arch Surg Date: 2013-03-03 Impact factor: 3.445