piperidines and Carcinoma--Neuroendocrine

This manuscript investigates cabozantinib, vandetanib, pralsetinib, and selpercatinib, four tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which are used to treat advanced and/or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Data on efficacy and safety are presented with the main focus on treatment-related hypertension, a well-known adverse effect (AE) of these TKIs. Taken together, TKI-induced hypertension is rarely a dose-limiting side effect. However, with increasing survival times of patients under treatment, hypertension-associated complications can be expected to be on the rise without proper medication.

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Humans; Hypertension; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Thyroid Neoplasms

Vandetanib is an anti-cancer drug called an antineoplastic kinase inhibitor. The FDA authorized vandetanib on April6, 2011 for the treatment of nonresectable, locally progressed, or metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma in adults. Because Vandetanib can make the Q-T interval last longer, it shouldn't be given to people with serious heart problems like congenital long QT syndrome or heart failure that hasn't been fixed yet. This chapter provides an overview of Vandetanib's physical and molecular properties, mode of action, pharmacokinetics, and common applications. In furthermore, a detailed summary of the reported techniques of Vandetanib measurement will be provided to assist analysts in selecting the most practical approach for its estimation in routine analysis. This chapter will also explain the synthesis methods developed in the preparation of vandetanib as well as pharmacology of its. In addition, this section summarizes the analytical and characterization techniques utilized to characterize vandetanib row material.

Topics: Adult; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Humans; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Thyroid Neoplasms

Vandetanib is indicated for adults with advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).. To describe the efficacy and toxicity profile of vandetanib treatment with a maximal follow-up of 11 years at Institut Gustave Roussy/France.. A review of the clinical files of the 76 MTC patients treated with vandetanib. Efficacy was estimated by markers and imaging.. A total of 76 patients received vandetanib. Nine were excluded from efficacy analysis because lack of morphological data. The overall (N = 76) median treatment duration was 17.6 (range: 0.7-130.6) months and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 22.7 (95% CI, 13.9-37.3) months. In total, 21/76 (27.6%) patients were classified as long-term users because have received vandetanib for more than 48 months, with a median treatment duration of 68.1 (range: 49.1-130.6) months. For long-term vandetanib users, the objective response rate was 85.7%, the median time to best response was 27.8 (11.6.1-110) months and the median duration of response was 70.4 (38.3-127.5) (95% CI 49.5-102.8) months with a median PFS of 73.2 (95% CI, 53.1-105.6) months. Duration of response had a significant negative correlation with patient age at diagnosis (p = 0.03) and was significantly higher in patients that did not have confirmed tumor progression before treatment onset (p = 0.007). After 48 months of vandetanib use, renal failure took place in two patients and heart failure, cholecystitis, acute pancreatitis, posterior encephalopathy, and skin cancer first occurred in one patient, each.. Our findings suggest that a substantial number of patients receiving first-/second-line vandetanib may sustain long clinical benefit and that a younger age at diagnosis and the absence of progression before treatment could be considered as predictors of durable response.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease-Free Survival; Follow-Up Studies; France; Humans; Pancreatitis; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a rare form of cancer that affects patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and survival. Cabozantinib (Cometriq. (1) To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of cabozantinib and vandetanib. (2) To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of cabozantinib and vandetanib versus each other and best supportive care. (3) To identify key areas for primary research. (4) To estimate the overall cost of these treatments in England.. Peer-reviewed publications (searched from inception to November 2016), European Public Assessment Reports and manufacturers' submissions.. A systematic review [including a network meta-analysis (NMA)] was conducted to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of cabozantinib and vandetanib. The economic analysis included a review of existing analyses and the development of a de novo model.. The intention-to-treat populations of the EXAM and ZETA trials are notably different. The analyses of ZETA subgroups may be subject to confounding as a result of differences in baseline characteristics and open-label vandetanib use. Attempts to statistically adjust for treatment switching were unsuccessful. No HRQoL evidence was identified for the MTC population.. The identified trials suggest that cabozantinib and vandetanib improve PFS more than the placebo; however, significant OS benefits were not demonstrated. The economic analyses indicate that within the EU-label population, the ICERs for cabozantinib and vandetanib are > £138,000 per QALY gained. Within the restricted EU-label population, the ICER for vandetanib is expected to be > £66,000 per QALY gained.. (1) Primary research assessing the long-term effectiveness of cabozantinib and vandetanib within relevant subgroups. (2) Reanalyses of the ZETA trial to investigate the impact of adjusting for open-label vandetanib use using appropriate statistical methods. (3) Studies assessing the impact of MTC on HRQoL.. This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42016050403.. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.. Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare form of cancer that presents as a mass of tumours in the thyroid gland of the neck. MTC affects both patients’ health-related quality of life and survival. Targeted therapies (cabozantinib and vandetanib) are currently used to treat unresectable progressive and symptomatic MTC. The evidence for the use of cabozantinib and vandetanib in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic MTC was reviewed, and two clinical trials were identified. The trials suggest that both drugs improve progression-free survival. Neither trial demonstrated significant survival benefits for cabozantinib or vandetanib. Both drugs produced frequent adverse events, often leading to dose interruption or reduction. Whether or not these therapies represent good value for money for the NHS was also assessed. Analyses indicate that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) (a measure of cost-effectiveness) for cabozantinib and vandetanib versus best supportive care (BSC) in patients with symptomatic and progressive MTC are > £138,000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Within a subgroup of patients with symptomatic and progressive MTC and carcinoembryonic antigen and/or calcitonin doubling times of ≤ 24 months, the ICER for vandetanib versus BSC remains > £66,000 per QALY gained.

Topics: Anilides; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cost-Benefit Analysis; England; Humans; Models, Economic; Piperidines; Pyridines; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Quinazolines; Technology Assessment, Biomedical; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. First line therapy is surgery, which is the only curative method of the disease. However, in non-operable cases or with tumor progression and metastases, a systemic treatment is necessary. This form of cancer is often insensitive to conventional chemotherapy, but the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as pazopanib, cabozantinib, and vandetanib, has shown promising results with an increase in progression-free survival and prolonged lifetime. Therefore, we focused on the pharmacological characteristics of TKIs, their mechanism of action, their application as a secondary treatment option for MTC, their efficacy as a cancer drug treatment, and reviewed the ongoing clinical trials. TKIs also act systemically causing various adverse events (AEs). One common AE of this treatment is hypertension, known to be associated with cardiovascular disease and can therefore potentially worsen the well-being of the treated patients. The available treatment strategies of drug-induced hypertension were discussed. The mechanism behind the development of hypertension is still unclear. Therefore, the treatment of this AE remains symptomatic. Thus, future studies are necessary to investigate the link between tumor growth inhibition and hypertension. In addition, optimized, individual treatment strategies should be implemented.

Topics: Anilides; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cardiotoxicity; Humans; Hypertension; Indazoles; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyridines; Pyrimidines; Quinazolines; Sulfonamides; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a hyperplasia of thyroid C-cells, accounting for 5-10% of all thyroid cancers. MTCs may appear as sporadic or hereditary forms, and several molecules and signaling pathways have been found to function defectively in MTC cells. Tyrosine kinases are the most well-studied molecules that have abnormal function in these tumor cells. Due to their limited response, chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy are not effective in treating patients with advanced metastatic MTC. In the past decade, significant attention has been given to the utilization of multikinase inhibitors as targeted therapeutic agents for treating MTC patients, with the most promising results arising from the study of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which generally bind to the ATP binding sites of these kinases. Two drugs-vandetanib and cabozantinib-are approved for the treatment of aggressive advanced MTC; however, the potential for toxicities and adverse effects of these agents on patient quality of life need to be considered against any therapeutic gain. According to recent data, it appears that inhibition of only one receptor or molecule in a pathway is not as effective as simultaneous inhibition of different pathways, indicating the need to use combination therapy. The main purpose of this review is to describe the clinical characteristics, molecular mechanisms, and current molecular and targeted therapeutic strategies active in clinical trials for advanced MTC treatment.

Topics: Anilides; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials as Topic; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Mutation; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) represents 3% of all clinical thyroid cancers and arises from thyroid C cells that produce calcitonin. Locally advanced or metastatic MTC requires a careful work-up including measurement of serum calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen, determination of their doubling time and comprehensive imaging to determine the extent of the disease, its aggressiveness, and the need for treatment. Cytotoxic chemotherapy can control tumor burden in some patients with response rates of around 20% in old series. For the last 10 years, systemic therapy for MTC patients with large tumor burden and documented progression of the disease has involved the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting VEGFR and ret. Progression-free survival benefits have been demonstrated for both vandetanib and cabozantinib, as compared to placebo. Although these molecules are effective, they also have specific toxicity profiles which require a thorough clinical management in specialized centers. In the present review, we describe the work-up and treatment modalities of patients with advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer with a focus on chemotherapy and targeted therapy results.

Topics: Anilides; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neoplasm Metastasis; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid cancer arises from calcitonin-producing C-cells and accounts for 3-5% of all thyroid cancers. The discovery of a locally advanced medullary thyroid cancer that is not amenable to surgery or of distant metastases needs careful work-up, including measurement of serum calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (and their doubling times), in addition to comprehensive imaging to determine the extent of the disease, its aggressiveness, and the need for any treatment. In the past, cytotoxic chemotherapy was used for treatment but produced little benefit. For the past 10 years, tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptors and RET (rearranged during transfection) have been used when a systemic therapy is indicated for large tumour burden and documented disease progression. Vandetanib and cabozantinib have shown benefits on progression-free survival compared with placebo in this setting, but their toxic effect profiles need thorough clinical management in specialised centres. This Review describes the management and treatment of patients with advanced medullary thyroid cancer with emphasis on current targeted therapies and perspectives to improve patient care. Most treatment responses are transient, emphasising that mechanisms of resistance need to be better understood and that the efficacy of treatment approaches should be improved with combination therapies or other drugs that might be more potent or target other pathways, including immunotherapy.

Topics: Anilides; Antineoplastic Agents; Biomarkers; Calcitonin; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease Progression; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Piperidines; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

The tyrosine kinase inhibitor vandetanib was approved for use in 2012 for aggressive and symptomatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease. As the first effective systemic therapy for MTC, vandetanib is a major step forward and the phase III study suggests an important role for this agent. Trials have also been performed for its use in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) though it is not yet approved for use for this indication.. The efficacy and safety of vandetanib is discussed. Studies suggest improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) without clear overall survival benefit but with manageable low grade toxicities and improved quality of life on therapy.. Vandetanib has an important role in the management of patients with progressive metastatic MTC. The use in patients with stable or asymptomatic disease has no proven benefit. The side effects can usually be managed with dose reduction, interruption, and/or specific symptomatic therapy.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quality of Life; Quinazolines; Survival Rate; Thyroid Neoplasms

Traditional therapies for advanced or metastatic progressive medullary thyroid cancer (pMTC) are poor effective. Several TKIs have been tested in clinical trials in pMTC patients. Areas covered: This paper reviews efficacy and safety of vandetanib in the treatment of pMTC. Expert commentary: Vandetanib (trade name CAPRELSA® [Vandetanib]) has been shown to improve progression-free survival (30.5 vs 19.3 months in controls) in pMTC patients. Vandetanib is approved by FDA and EMA for metastatic MTC in adults; in adolescents and children with metastatic or locally advanced MTC, vandetanib seems to be effective. The most common adverse events in vandetanib-treated patients are: diarrhea, rash, folliculitis, nausea, QTc prolongation, hypertension and fatigue. In patients with aggressive differentiated thyroid cancer, vandetanib has shown promising results. Further research is needed to determine the ideal targeted therapy, based on tumor molecular characterization and host factors, to obtain the best response in terms of survival and quality of life.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Child; Disease Progression; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quality of Life; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Although rare, medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) exemplifies the value that ever-expanding knowledge of molecular pathways and mechanisms brings to managing challenging cancers. Although surgery can be curative for MTC in many patients, a substantial proportion of patients present with locoregional or distant metastatic disease. Once distant disease occurs, treatment options are limited, and conventional cancer treatments such as cytotoxic chemotherapy are of minimal benefit. Biomarkers such as calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen are important correlates of disease burden as well as predictors of disease progress, including recurrence and survival. MTC is either sporadic (∼75%) or inherited (∼25%) as an autosomal dominant disease. Regardless, germline and somatic mutations, particularly in the rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene, are key factors in the neoplastic process. Gain-of-function RET mutations result in overactive proteins that lead to abnormal activation of downstream signal transduction pathways, resulting in ligand-independent growth and resistance to apoptotic stimuli. Specific RET mutation variants have been found to correlate with phenotype and natural history of MTC with some defects portending a more aggressive clinical course. Greater understanding of the consequence of the aberrant signaling pathway has fostered the development of targeted therapies. Two small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, vandetanib and cabozantinib, are currently available as approved agents for the treatment of advanced or progressive MTC and provide significant increases in progression-free survival. Since there have been no head-to-head comparisons, clinicians often select between these agents on the basis of familiarity, patient characteristics, comorbidities, and toxicity profile.

Topics: Anilides; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Genotype; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Phenotype; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroidectomy; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2

Advanced thyroid cancer is not amenable to therapy with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, newer advances in the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of different subtypes of thyroid cancer have provided new opportunities for the evaluation of molecularly targeted therapies. This has led to multiple clinical trials using various multi-kinase inhibitors and the subsequent US FDA approval of sorafenib for differentiated thyroid cancer and vandetanib and cabozantinib for medullary thyroid carcinoma. This review provides a summary of the current literature for the treatment of advanced thyroid carcinoma and future directions in this disease.

Topics: Anilides; Antineoplastic Agents; Axitinib; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; DNA Mutational Analysis; Drug Approval; Humans; Imidazoles; Indazoles; Indoles; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Niacinamide; Oligonucleotides; Phenylurea Compounds; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Pyridines; Pyrimidines; Pyrroles; Quinazolines; Quinolines; Sorafenib; Sulfonamides; Sunitinib; Thyroid Neoplasms; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

To review the place in therapy of vandetanib for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).. Literature searches were performed in Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar using the search terms ZD6474 OR vandetanib OR Caprelsa combined with medullary thyroid carcinoma.. Two phase 2 trials and 1 phase 3 trial were identified.. Vandetanib is approved for the treatment of unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic MTC in patients with symptomatic or progressive disease. In the phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, vandetanib 300 mg daily (n = 231) was compared with placebo (n = 100). Vandetanib-treated patients experienced a significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.31-0.69; P < .001). No difference in overall survival (OS) was seen at the time of publication. Most adverse effects were grade 1 or 2 and managed by dose interruptions or reductions. The most common grade 3/4 adverse effects were diarrhea, hypertension, QT prolongation, fatigue, and rash. Because of the potential for QT prolongation, torsades de pointes, and sudden death, vandetanib is restricted via a Risk Evaluations and Mitigation Strategy program.. Vandetanib prolongs PFS but has not been shown to improve OS. Vandetanib can be considered for patients with unresectable locoregional disease. It is a first-line option for patients with unresectable symptomatic distant metastases as well as an option for advanced disseminated symptomatic metastatic disease. Vandetanib is expected to be an important addition to the formulary of health plans that provide prescription drug benefits.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Medullary; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Disease-Free Survival; Drug Interactions; Drug Labeling; Humans; Neoplasm Metastasis; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare endocrine malignancy accounting for a significant percentage of thyroid cancer-related fatal events. Traditional treatment modalities used in the other types of thyroid carcinomas have been proved largely ineffective in advanced MTC. Better understanding of the molecular pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of MTC has led to the development of new drugs, which are implicated in the disruption of these molecular cascades.. This review provides the latest information regarding vandetanib , a new tyrosine kinase inhibitor mainly in the treatment of MTC. A collection of available data was conducted using the PubMed database as well as the ClinicalTrials.gov website, searching for vandetanib and thyroid cancer.. Vandetanib targets multiple cell-signaling pathways involved in the molecular pathogenesis of thyroid cancer, namely vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, epidermal growth factor receptor and rearranged during transfection receptor. It is an effective approach in treating advanced MTC. However, treatment toxicity issues, as well as individual patient parameters, including disease burden and progression, should be taken into consideration before initiating vandetanib treatment.

Topics: Animals; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Epidermal Growth Factor; Humans; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Thyroid Neoplasms; Transfection; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a rare cancer. Vandetanib, a RET tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, significantly increased progression free survival and is the first treatment approved in France for unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic MTC that is symptomatic or progressive. Most frequents adverse events are diarrhea, folliculitis and asthenia. The prolongation of the QT interval on electrocardiogram is frequent but in the most of cases not clinically relevant. A good selection of the patients who could benefit from this treatment and management of side effect are important for the risk-benefit assessment.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Medullary; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Humans; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Quinazolines; Rare Diseases; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is frequently diagnosed in a locally advanced or metastatic stage, and 10-year survival rates in these cases are below 20 %. Cytotoxic chemotherapy has no significant impact on overall or progression-free survival. Vandetanib (Caprelsa(®), AstraZeneca) is a once-daily oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that selectively inhibits signalling mediated by growth-factor receptor tyrosine kinase RET (constitutively activated in roughly 60 % of all MTCs), vascular endothelial growth-factor receptors 2 and 3, and epidermal growth-factor receptors. It is the first systemic drug with demonstrated anti-tumor benefits in advanced MTC, and it has recently been approved for locally advanced or metastatic MTC by the United States Food and Drug Administration (April 2011) and the European Medicines Agency (February 2012). This review, starting from the phases II and III efficacy and safety data that led to these approvals, explores important issues related to dosing, patient selection, and strategies for managing the substantial risk of toxicity associated with the drug (including life-threatening cardiac events that are the subject of a black-box warning in the United States). All these issues still remain to be defined. Vandetanib is becoming a standard of care for symptomatic, progressive, metastatic MTCs, to be used selectively in those patients who are likely to benefit from it.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease Progression; Drugs, Investigational; Humans; Medical Oncology; Piperidines; Professional Practice; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety and tolerability, drug and food interactions, cost, and place in therapy of vandetanib are reviewed.. Vandetanib is a small-molecule inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor, and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways, which are involved in the pathogenesis of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Vandetanib is currently approved as an alternative to local therapies for both unresectable and disseminated disease. Vandetanib was evaluated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase III study comparing vandetanib with placebo in adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic hereditary or sporadic MTC. Vandetanib demonstrated a statistically significant longer progression-free survival (predicted median of 30.5 months) compared with placebo (median of 19.3 months) (hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.69; p = 0.0001). The most commonly observed adverse effects of vandetanib include nausea, diarrhea, headache, rash, prolongation of the Q-T interval, and hypertension. Because it can prolong the Q-T interval, vandetanib is contraindicated for use in patients with serious cardiac complications, including congenital long QT syndrome, bradyarrhythmias, uncompensated heart failure, and a history of torsades de pointes.. Vandetanib has been shown to be more effective than placebo in the treatment of advanced MTC; however, it has not been compared with radiation, resection, or embolization. Vandetanib also has significant and fairly common cardiac toxicities. The cost, benefits, and risks of vandetanib for patients with MTC should be weighed, as alternative treatments remain an option for most patients.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials as Topic; Disease-Free Survival; ErbB Receptors; Fees, Pharmaceutical; Humans; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Vandetanib has recently demonstrated clinically meaningful benefits in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Given the potential for long-term vandetanib therapy in this setting, in addition to treatment for disease-related symptoms, effective management of related adverse events (AEs) is vital to ensure patient compliance and maximize clinical benefit with vandetanib therapy.. This expert meeting-based review aims to summarize published data on AEs associated with vandetanib therapy and to provide clinicians with specific practical guidance on education, monitoring, and management of toxicities induced in patients treated with vandetanib in advanced and metastatic MTC. The content of this review is based on the expert discussions from a multidisciplinary meeting held in October 2012.. Characteristics, frequency, and risk data are outlined for a number of dermatological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and general AEs related to vandetanib treatment. Preventive strategies, practical treatment suggestions, and points for clinical consideration are provided.. Good patient and team communication is necessary for the prevention, early detection, and management of AEs of vandetanib. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers play a critical role in providing AE management and patient support to optimize outcomes with vandetanib in MTC.

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cardiovascular Diseases; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Eruptions; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Female; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Humans; Male; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Staging; Patient Selection; Piperidines; Prognosis; Quinazolines; Risk Assessment; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

A better understanding of molecular mechanisms responsible for tumorigenesis has allowed the development of targeted drugs designed to improve the outcome of cancer. In endocrine tumors, several molecules have demonstrated efficacy in terms of progression free survival during phase III trials such as vandetanib and cabozantinib in medullary thyroid carcinoma, sorafenib in differentiated thyroid carcinoma and everolimus or sunitinib for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Rare cancer network has allowed ongoing phase III trials in malignant pheochromocytoma and adrenocortical carcinoma. However, to date no specific predictive biomarker has yet been identified for a personalized cancer medicine. We review recent advances in endocrine oncology concerning molecular targets identification, targeted therapies and predictive or prognostic markers.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Disease-Free Survival; Endocrine Gland Neoplasms; Everolimus; Humans; Indoles; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neuroendocrine Tumors; Niacinamide; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Phenylurea Compounds; Piperidines; Prognosis; Pyrroles; Quinazolines; Sirolimus; Sorafenib; Sunitinib; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Vandetanib (ZD6474, Caprelsa, AstraZeneca), an oral small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that targets the rearranged during transfection receptor (RET), VEGF receptor (VEGFR2-3), and EGF receptor (EGFR), is the first systemic therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of symptomatic or progressive advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). In a randomized phase III trial of patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic MTC, vandetanib improved progression-free survival compared with placebo [HR, 0.46; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.31-0.69; P < 0.001]. However, the benefits in delaying disease progression need to be balanced against the associated and potentially serious toxicities, including diarrhea, hypertension, and QTc prolongation. Here, we review the clinical development of vandetanib leading to its integration into the current treatment paradigm and highlight the ongoing and future challenges in TKI use in MTC.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Drug Costs; Drug Interactions; Humans; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Thyroid Neoplasms

This review will focus on the recent advances in molecular pathogenesis and targeted therapies for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Unlike hereditary MTC in which rearranged during transfection (RET) mutations are the most important precipitating events, in sporadic MTC the genetic or molecular biomarkers are yet to be established.. Targeted molecular therapies that inhibit RET and other tyrosine kinase receptors involved in angiogenesis have shown great promise in the treatment of metastatic or locally advanced MTC and are under investigation. In addition, the recent findings of H-RAS mutations in 56% of RET-negative sporadic MTC and the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) intracellular signaling pathway in hereditary MTC suggests that additional or alternative genetic events are important for MTC pathogenesis.. Recently, vandetanib (ZD6474), an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) 2 and VEGFR 3, RET, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), was approved for the treatment of adults with symptomatic or progressive MTC. Significant advantages for vandetanib over placebo were seen in terms of response rate, disease control rate, and biochemical response in a phase III study. Furthermore, cabozantinib (XL184), an inhibitor of VEGFR 1 and VEGFR 2, hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET), and RET, was associated with partial response and stable disease in 29 and 41%, respectively.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Female; Humans; Male; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Mutation; Piperidines; Prognosis; Quinazolines; Signal Transduction; Thyroid Neoplasms; Time Factors; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Vandetanib is an oral inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor, and rearranged during transfection tyrosine kinases. It is approved for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer. Its use may be hindered due to adverse events, including rash. The reported incidence and risk of rash to vandetanib varies widely and has not been more closely investigated. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to determine the incidence and risk of developing a rash.. Databases from PubMed from 1996 through July 2011 and abstracts presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meetings from 2004 through July 2011 were searched for relevant studies.. Eligible studies were prospective trials that described side effects of all-grade or high-grade rash for patients who received vandetanib 300 mg as a single agent. The incidence of all-grade and high-grade rash and relative risk were calculated using random-effects or fixed-effects models.. Of 63 studies initially identified, nine met the selection criteria and were included for the study. A total of 2961 patients were included for analysis. The summary incidences of all-grade and high-grade rash were 46.1% [95% confidence interval (CI), 40.6-51.8%] and 3.5% (95% CI, 2.5-4.7%), respectively. From randomized controlled trials, patients who received vandetanib 300 mg had a significantly increased risk of developing all-grade rash in comparison with controls, with a relative risk of 2.43 (95% CI, 1.37-4.29; P = 0.002).. There is a significant risk of developing rash in cancer patients receiving vandetanib. Awareness and treatment of this adverse event is critical to ensure adherence and maximize dosing, guaranteeing the best possible clinical benefit.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Breast Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Drug Eruptions; ErbB Receptors; Female; Humans; Incidence; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Quinazolines; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; Risk; Severity of Illness Index; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma; Thyroid Neoplasms

The recent availability of molecular targeted therapies leads to a reconsideration of the treatment strategy for patients with distant metastases from medullary thyroid carcinoma. In patients with progressive disease, treatment with kinase inhibitors should be offered.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Medullary; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Patient Selection; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Vandetanib, an orally active, small-molecule, multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, demonstrates potent inhibitory activity against vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2 and -3, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the rearranged during transfection (RET) tyrosine kinase receptor. The large (n=331), randomized, double-blind, multinational ZETA trial compared vandetanib at a dosage of 300 mg once daily with placebo in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, hereditary or sporadic, medullary thyroid cancer. During a median follow-up period of 2 years, vandetanib demonstrated statistically significant clinical benefits over placebo with respect to the primary endpoint, namely progression-free survival (PFS), and a range of secondary endpoints, which included objective response rate, disease control rate, time to worsening of pain and calcitonin biochemical response rate. The PFS benefit with vandetanib was mostly consistent across patient subgroups based on baseline characteristics and disease status. Although the correlation between RET mutation status and clinical outcome could not be clearly evaluated in this trial, it is notable that, among patients with sporadic disease, vandetanib not only demonstrated a PFS benefit in the subgroup confirmed as having a RET mutation, but also in the subgroup for whom the RET mutation status was unknown. Vandetanib was generally well tolerated in the ZETA trial; the majority of adverse events were manageable according to standard clinical practice alone or in combination with vandetanib dose reductions. The adverse event of most concern is corrected QT interval prolongation, particularly in view of the long terminal elimination half-life of the drug.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Molecular Structure; Neoplasm Metastasis; Piperidines; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Quinazolines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Thyroid Neoplasms

Vandetanib (Caprelsa™) provides an acceptable treatment option in patients with advanced medullary thyroid cancer for whom, historically, there have been no effective therapies. Vandetanib, an orally active, multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, improves progression-free survival and tumor response in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer. It has an acceptable tolerability profile in this patient population, although it does have the potential to prolong the corrected QT interval.

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; Piperidines; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vandetanib in April 2011 for the treatment of unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). In Europe it was approved in March 2012, but only for the treatment of aggressive and symptomatic MTC. This small molecule is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of several growth factors involved in cellular proliferation and angiogenesis, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 2 and 3 (VEGFR-2, VEGFR-3). In addition, vandetanib is an inhibitor of the RET (rearranged during transfection) gene, a proto-oncogene often mutated in familial MTC. Since MTC is a rare disease, for which no previous medical therapies are approved, vandetanib is the first drug shown to be effective in a large phase III trial treating patients with metastatic or locally advanced MTC. Common adverse events are diarrhea, nausea, hypertension, headache and QT prolongation that are manageable and are commonly outweighed by the benefits of vandetanib in terms of delaying disease progression and inducing tumor response.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Drug Interactions; ErbB Receptors; Humans; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Quinazolines; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; Thyroid Neoplasms

Vandetanib at a dose of 300 mg orally every day plus bortezomib 1.3 mg/m. The proto-oncogene RET (. Patients with advanced solid tumors were treated with escalating doses of bortezomib or vandetanib to assess the safety and tolerability of daily oral vandetanib and intravenous (IV) bortezomib administered on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of a 28-day cycle. The MTD of the combination was established as bortezomib, 1.3 mg/m

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Bortezomib; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Humans; Male; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Vandetanib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for treatment of advanced symptomatic or progressive medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). The current study (Nbib1496313) evaluated the benefit-risk of two starting doses of vandetanib in patients with symptomatic or progressive MTC. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive vandetanib 150 or 300 mg daily and followed for a maximum of 14 months (Part A), with the option to then enter an open-label phase (Part B) investigating vandetanib 100, 150, 200 and 300 mg daily doses. Efficacy was assessed in Part A, and safety and tolerability during Parts A and B up to 2 years post randomization. Eighty-one patients were randomized in Part A and 61 patients entered Part B, of whom 37 (60.7%) received 2 years of treatment. Overall, 25% of patients experienced an objective response (OR) at 14 months (OR rate, 0.29 (95% CI, 0.176-0.445) for 300 mg, and 0.20 (95% CI, 0.105-0.348) for 150 mg; one-sided P value approximately 0.43). The most common adverse events (AEs) included diarrhea, hypocalcemia, asthenia, QTc prolongation, hypokalemia and keratopathy, all at generally higher incidence with 300 vs 150 mg (Part A). Part B safety and tolerability was consistent with Part A. OR was observed with both vandetanib doses; the 300 mg dose showed a more favorable trend vs 150 mg as initial dose. Thus, for most patients, 300 mg vandetanib is the most appropriate starting dose; dose reductions to manage AEs and lower initial doses for patients with particular comorbidities can be considered.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Young Adult

Alterations involving the RET kinase are implicated in the pathogenesis of lung, thyroid and other cancers. However, the clinical activity of multikinase inhibitors (MKIs) with anti-RET activity in RET-altered patients appears limited, calling into question the therapeutic potential of targeting RET. LOXO-292 is a selective RET inhibitor designed to inhibit diverse RET fusions, activating mutations and acquired resistance mutations.. Potent anti-RET activity, high selectivity, and central nervous system coverage were confirmed preclinically using a variety of in vitro and in vivo RET-dependent tumor models. Due to clinical urgency, two patients with RET-altered, MKI-resistant cancers were treated with LOXO-292, utilizing rapid dose-titration guided by real-time pharmacokinetic assessments to achieve meaningful clinical exposures safely and rapidly.. LOXO-292 demonstrated potent and selective anti-RET activity preclinically against human cancer cell lines harboring endogenous RET gene alterations; cells engineered to express a KIF5B-RET fusion protein -/+ the RET V804M gatekeeper resistance mutation or the common RET activating mutation M918T; and RET-altered human cancer cell line and patient-derived xenografts, including a patient-derived RET fusion-positive xenograft injected orthotopically into the brain. A patient with RET M918T-mutant medullary thyroid cancer metastatic to the liver and an acquired RET V804M gatekeeper resistance mutation, previously treated with six MKI regimens, experienced rapid reductions in tumor calcitonin, CEA and cell-free DNA, resolution of painful hepatomegaly and tumor-related diarrhea and a confirmed tumor response. A second patient with KIF5B-RET fusion-positive lung cancer, acquired resistance to alectinib and symptomatic brain metastases experienced a dramatic response in the brain, and her symptoms resolved.. These results provide proof-of-concept of the clinical actionability of RET alterations, and identify selective RET inhibition by LOXO-292 as a promising treatment in heavily pretreated, multikinase inhibitor-experienced patients with diverse RET-altered tumors.

Topics: Adult; Brain Neoplasms; Carbazoles; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cell Line, Tumor; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Female; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; Piperidines; Proof of Concept Study; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Pyrazoles; Pyridines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

In a phase III trial, Western patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) treated with the oral multikinase inhibitor vandetanib showed significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate (ORR) compared with placebo. The biology of MTC and pharmacokinetics (PK) are similar for Japanese and Western patients; therefore, similar clinical benefit is anticipated in the Japanese population. This study evaluated the safety and tolerability of vandetanib in Japanese patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic MTC.. This was a phase I/II, open-label, nonrandomized study. Patients received vandetanib (300 mg daily) until objective disease progression. The primary endpoints were safety and tolerability. Secondary endpoints included efficacy and PK. Final data analysis was conducted once all patients with measurable baseline disease had been followed to progression, or for 56 weeks.. Fourteen patients received vandetanib. All patients experienced at least one adverse event (AE), and 7 patients (50%) experienced grade ≥3 AEs. Common AEs included diarrhea (79%), hypertension (64%), and rash (43%). Four patients reported a total of five serious AEs (SAEs). Eleven patients (79%) had dose interruptions, and 8 patients (57%) had dose reductions. One patient discontinued treatment because of an SAE (interstitial lung disease). No patients met the prespecified criterion for QTc prolongation. The ORR was 38% and PFS at 12 months was 85%.. Safety and efficacy data were comparable to those previously reported, and AEs were generally manageable by standard clinical practice or dose modifications. Overall, vandetanib was considered to be beneficial for Japanese MTC patients.. AE = adverse event CI = confidence interval C

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents; Asian People; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease-Free Survival; ErbB Receptors; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Vandetanib was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Association for the treatment of advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Because body weight (BW) loss is observed in MTC and because low skeletal muscle mass (SM) is associated with drug toxicity, this study assessed effects of vandetanib on SM and adipose tissue (AT) and explored the association between SM, toxicity, and serum concentration of vandetanib.. Thirty-three patients with MTC received vandetanib (n = 23) or placebo (n = 10) in the ZETA study. Visceral AT (VAT), sc AT (SAT), and SM were assessed with computed tomography imaging by measuring tissue cross-sectional areas (square centimers per square meter). Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were prospectively recorded.. Early at 3 months, compared with placebo group who lost BW, muscle, and SAT, patients treated with vandetanib gained 1.5 kg BW (P = 0.02), 1.3 cm(2)/m(2) (∼0.7 kg) of SM (P = 0.009), and 4.5 cm(2)/m(2) (∼0.5 kg) of SAT (P = 0.004) and gained more VAT, 5.1 cm(2)/m(2) (∼0.7 kg) (P = 0.02). Patients with DLT had lower SM index (37.2 vs 44.3 cm(2)/m(2), P = 0.003) and a higher vandetanib serum concentration (1091 vs 739 ng/mL, P = 0.03). Patients with SM index <43.1 cm(2)/m(2) had a higher probability of DLT (73% vs 14%, P = 0.004) and a higher vandetanib serum concentration (1037 vs 745 ng/mL, P = 0.04). Patients with the highest compared with the intermediate and lower levels of vandetanib serum concentration experienced more DLT, respectively, 78% vs 40% vs 20% (P = 0.04).. Muscle and adipose tissues are restored after only 3 months of vandetanib treatment. Patients with low muscle mass had high vandetanib serum concentration and high incidence of toxicities.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Body Composition; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cross-Over Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle, Skeletal; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a manifestation of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) syndromes caused by germline, activating mutations in the RET (REarranged during Transfection) proto-oncogene. Vandetanib, a VEGF and EGF receptor inhibitor, blocks RET tyrosine kinase activity and is active in adults with hereditary MTC.. We conducted a phase I/II trial of vandetanib for children (5-12 years) and adolescents (13-18 years) with MTC to define a recommended dose and assess antitumor activity. The starting dose was 100 mg/m(2) administered orally, once daily, continuously for 28-day treatment cycles. The dose could be escalated to 150 mg/m(2)/d after two cycles. Radiographic response to vandetanib was quantified using RECIST (v1.0), biomarker response was measured by comparing posttreatment serum calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels to baseline, and a patient-reported outcome was used to assess clinical benefit.. Sixteen patients with locally advanced or metastatic MTC received vandetanib for a median (range) 27 (2-52) cycles. Eleven patients remain on protocol therapy. Diarrhea was the primary dose-limiting toxicity. In subjects with M918T RET germline mutations (n = 15) the confirmed objective partial response rate was 47% (exact 95% confidence intervals, 21%-75%). Biomarker partial response was confirmed for calcitonin in 12 subjects and for CEA in 8 subjects.. Using an innovative trial design and selecting patients based on target gene expression, we conclude that vandetanib 100 mg/m(2)/d is a well-tolerated and highly active new treatment for children and adolescents with MEN2B and locally advanced or metastatic MTC.

Topics: Adolescent; Carcinoma, Medullary; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Child; Child, Preschool; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Germ-Line Mutation; Humans; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Piperidines; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Targeted biologic agents showed clinically meaningful efficacy as front-line therapy for advanced radioiodine-refractory and medullary thyroid cancer. The clinical benefit of these agents beyond the front line has yet to be established.. We assessed the clinical benefit of targeted agents in patients with advanced differentiated and medullary thyroid cancer treated at a single academic cancer center. We determined efficacy and compared front-line and second-line benefit using biochemical and anatomic response, time to treatment failure, and progression-free survival (PFS). Statistical differences were assessed by t test and chi-square test. Survival curves were generated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in survival were assessed using the log-rank test, and a p value <.05 was considered significant.. We identified 39 patients with advanced differentiated and medullary thyroid cancer treated with targeted biologic agents. Median age was 56.3 years. Overall, 25 men and 14 women participated. Histology showed 23% medullary and 77% differentiated cancer. Nineteen patients progressed on front-line therapy and subsequently received second-line therapy. Targeted agents conferred clinically meaningful benefit in the second-line setting in terms of biochemical response (13.3%), clinical benefit (83.3%), median time to treatment failure (4.0 months; 95% confidence interval: 2.6-8.2), and median PFS (4.6 months; 95% confidence interval: 3.2-8.2). Second-line benefit (median PFS) was more modest in comparison to the front-line setting in both genders (women: 3 months vs. 12.2 months; men: 6 months vs. 19.7 months), in differentiated cancers (4.1 months vs. 15.7 months), and with vascular targeting agents (4.4 months vs. 20.1 months).. Patients with advanced thyroid cancer derived meaningful clinical benefit from additional therapy with a biologic agent following disease progression on front-line targeted therapy.

Topics: Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease-Free Survival; Everolimus; Female; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Middle Aged; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Niacinamide; Phenylurea Compounds; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Retrospective Studies; Sirolimus; Sorafenib; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

There is no effective therapy for patients with advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Vandetanib, a once-daily oral inhibitor of RET kinase, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, and epidermal growth factor receptor signaling, has previously shown antitumor activity in a phase II study of patients with advanced hereditary MTC.. Patients with advanced MTC were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive vandetanib 300 mg/d or placebo. On objective disease progression, patients could elect to receive open-label vandetanib. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS), determined by independent central Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) assessments.. Between December 2006 and November 2007, 331 patients (mean age, 52 years; 90% sporadic; 95% metastatic) were randomly assigned to receive vandetanib (231) or placebo (100). At data cutoff (July 2009; median follow-up, 24 months), 37% of patients had progressed and 15% had died. The study met its primary objective of PFS prolongation with vandetanib versus placebo (hazard ratio [HR], 0.46; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.69; P < .001). Statistically significant advantages for vandetanib were also seen for objective response rate (P < .001), disease control rate (P = .001), and biochemical response (P < .001). Overall survival data were immature at data cutoff (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.48 to 1.65). A final survival analysis will take place when 50% of the patients have died. Common adverse events (any grade) occurred more frequently with vandetanib compared with placebo, including diarrhea (56% v 26%), rash (45% v 11%), nausea (33% v 16%), hypertension (32% v 5%), and headache (26% v 9%).. Vandetanib demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in a phase III trial of patients with advanced MTC (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00410761).

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease Progression; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Piperidines; Placebos; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

On April 6, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved vandetanib (Caprelsa tablets; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP) for the treatment of symptomatic or progressive medullary thyroid cancer in patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic disease. Vandetanib is the first drug approved for this indication, and this article focuses on the basis of approval. Approval was based on the results of a double-blind trial conducted in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma. Patients were randomized 2:1 to vandetanib, 300 mg/d orally (n = 231), or to placebo (n = 100). The primary objective was demonstration of improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) with vandetanib compared with placebo. Other endpoints included evaluation of overall survival and objective response rate. The PFS analysis showed a marked improvement for patients randomized to vandetanib (hazard ratio = 0.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.53; P < 0.0001). The objective response rate for the vandetanib arm was 44% compared with 1% for the placebo arm. The most common grade 3 and 4 toxicities (>5%) were diarrhea and/or colitis, hypertension and hypertensive crisis, fatigue, hypocalcemia, rash, and corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation. This approval was based on a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in PFS. Given the toxicity profile, which includes prolongation of the QT interval and sudden death, only prescribers and pharmacies certified through the vandetanib Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy Program are able to prescribe and dispense vandetanib. Treatment-related risks should be taken into account when considering the use of vandetanib in patients with indolent, asymptomatic, or slowly progressing disease.

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease-Free Survival; Drug Approval; Humans; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration

MTC has varying clinical course. In cases with metastatic disease (meta-MTC) further therapeutic modalities (locoregional and/or Tyrosine-Kinase-Inhibitors, TKIs) are needed. Clinical features, disease progression, response to therapy and possible factors predisposing to TKIs response-resistance in meta-MTCs were investigated.. Out of 338 MTC patients 54 had meta-MTC and were followed for 0.7-46 years (median 10.5); therapeutic interventions and response to therapy were recorded retrospectively.. Of 54 meta-MTC patients, 34/54 were men, 44/54 sporadic (age-at-diagnosis 47 ± 17.4 years, range: 5-78). Distant metastases at diagnosis were present in 12/54 (≥2 loci in 8/12), 7/12 received TKIs; During follow-up metastases occurred in 42/54 (within 0.6-25 years from diagnosis, median 5 yrs). Locoregional therapies were administered to 44/54 (81.5%) and TKIs to 40/54 (74.1%). Vandetanib was administered in 30 patients (24 as first-line therapy). The median progression-free-survival, PFS) was 48 months (range 4-120), partial response (PR): 26.7%, stable disease (SD): 23.3%, progressive disease (PD): 50.0%, cancer-specific survival: 44.8%, (16 in ongoing-therapy). More favorable disease course was recorded in familial-MTC compared to sporadic (p = 0.02) and in those patients with serious-adverse-events (SAEs) under treatment (p = 0.027). Those with biochemical progression under vandetanib, later showed more frequently structural progression (p = 0.007). Ten patients received cabozantinib (8/10 as second-line therapy, median PFS:11 months (3-36 months), 8/10 died). Three RET-mutant patients received selpercatinib; all showed PR. Within the total follow-up period, the response to therapy was: PR: 8/54 (14.8%), SD: 15/54 (27.8%), PD: 31/54 (57.4%), cancer-specific survival 46.3%. Mortality was higher in older patients (≥60 years) compared to younger ones (<60 yrs) (83.3 vs 45.2%, p = 0.021). Outcome was better in familial-MTC vs sporadic (PR: 50 vs 6.8%, SD: 20 vs 29.5%, PD: 30 vs 59.1%, p = 0.007).. Meta-MTCs treatment results in disease stabilization in 42.6% during a median 10.5 year follow-up. Combination of locoregional and systemic therapies may result in more favorable PFS. Family history, younger age, SAEs may predict better response; biochemical escape under TKI needs to be followed-up closely as it may indicate disease progression.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Child; Child, Preschool; Disease Progression; Drug Resistance; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Retrospective Studies; Thyroid Neoplasms; Young Adult

We report a rare case of stage IV pulmonary combined large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) and adenocarcinoma (ACA), both demonstrating anaplastic lymphoma kinase (

Topics: Adenocarcinoma of Lung; Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; Carbazoles; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors

Not required for Clinical Vignette.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Humans; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been a breakthrough in the treatment of advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), and they can prolong progression-free survival (PFS).. A patient with MTC and metastatic spread to the lymph nodes, lungs, bones, breast, and cerebellum started treatment with vandetanib. During treatment, she developed secondary adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. After 9 years of vandetanib therapy, the disease has not progressed and the patient maintains a complete response of the breast metastases and a partial response of the other metastatic lesions.. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of secondary adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism related to therapy with vandetanib. Moreover, the prolonged PFS and the complete disappearance of some of the metastatic lesions in this patient are truly unusual.

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Humans; Hypopituitarism; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

The tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) vandetanib and cabozantinib are approved as targeted therapies in advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) with symptoms or high tumour burden. Only recently, toxicity in long-time TKI usage was analysed. However, little is known about the impact of TKI discontinuation on MTC disease course after longer-term therapy. Here, we report our experience in a series of 7 MTC patients with vandetanib treatment of up to 87 months followed by discontinuation for concerns of toxicity or due to side-effects. The discontinuation of TKI therapy is a relevant clinical scenario. To our knowledge we present the largest single center series on an important aspect of TKI management.. Retrospective analysis of MTC patients with continued discontinuation of vandetanib treatment in a tertiary referral endocrine tumour centre. Analysis included a review of patients' records for TKI indication, and treatment response as well indications for continued TKI discontinuation and follow-up by clinical assessment, calcitonin and CEA doubling times as well as imaging (ultrasound, CT).. Seven MTC patients [6 sporadic MTC, 1 Multiple Endocrine Neplasie Type 2a (MEN2a)] with previous vandetanib treatment (median: 41 months; range 7-87 months) and continued TKI discontinuation were identified out of 161 analysed MTC files. TKI treatment was initiated due to high tumour burden and symptoms or RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors) progression in all patients. Two patients (29%) remained stable after discontinuation of vandetanib until now (follow-up of 47 and 61 months). Both patients had been on TKI therapy for 73 and 58 months. Five patients (71%) developed progressive disease after TKI discontinuation. In 2 patients, vandetanib was restarted after 45 and 52 months resulting again in disease control. One patient was enrolled in a new RET kinase inhibitor trial after 45 months of vandetanib discontinuation. Two patients declined restart of treatment due to mental health issues leading to discontinuation of vandetanib in the first place (after 7 and 38 months of treatment) and both patients died of rapidly progressive disease. At time points of tumour progression, calcitonin-doubling time (CDT) was < 2 years in all patients.. This case series suggests that discontinuation of long-term vandetanib treatment with documented stable disease does not automatically result in rapid disease progression but may be followed by prolonged "TKI free" stable disease in individual patients. Analysis of calcitonin and CDT during discontinuation is indicated as it will unmask tumour progression earlier than imaging. Restart with the same TKI is possible in case of progression.

Topics: Adult; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Prognosis; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Retrospective Studies; Thyroid Neoplasms; Withholding Treatment; Young Adult

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is infrequently found among all thyroid nodules in previously iodine deficient regions. Measurement of serum calcitonin is an important tool for early identification of MTC among the large number of thyroid nodules. With the use of modern laboratory assays and sex-specific reference intervals, clinical diagnostic specificity has considerably improved. While the prognosis of MTC confined to the thyroid (stage I/II tumors) is favorable with a disease specific survival similar to the general population, biochemical cure rates by surgery decreases in extensive disease. Few patients present with aggressive tumours that show rapid progression or advanced disease at diagnosis. Oncogenic mutations in the RET protooncogene occur in ~25 % of patients as part of the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 syndromes and are present as somatic mutations in 60 % of all MTC and up to 90 % of metastatic cases.The multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors vandetanib and cabozantinib have been approved for progressive advanced disease but have low specificity for the RET tyrosine kinase. With the advent of highly selective RET inhibitors selpercatinib and pralsetinib, the treatment landscape has profoundly changed. Selpercatinib is approved in the EU for treatment in the second and later lines of treatment. They have demonstrated a favorable safety profile and high objective response rates also in previously treated MTC patients. The use of selective RET inhibitors in the first line setting is currently the subject of clinical trials.. Calcitonin ist ein sensitiver und spezifischer Tumormarker zur Früherkennung und Verlaufskontrolle des MTC. Daneben kommt dem Ultraschall der Schilddrüse eine entscheidende Rolle zu.. Das medulläre Schilddrüsenkarzinom (MTC) nimmt seinen Ursprung aus den parafollikulären Calcitonin-produzierenden C-Zellen. Es macht nur ca. 3–8 % aller Schilddrüsenkarzinome aus. Aktivierende Mutationen im RET (rearranged during transfection)-Gen liegen bei etwa 25 % der Patienten in der Keimbahn vor, werden aber auch beim sporadischen MTC als somatische Mutationen in ca. 60 % der Fälle beobachtet. Bei metastasierter Erkrankung findet sich in 90 % eine RET-Mutation. RET-Mutationen gelten als Treibermutationen und schließen weitere Treibermutationen weitestgehend aus. Seltener sind somatische Mutationen der RAS-Gene.. Die chirurgische Resektion ist bis heute der einzige kurative Therapieansatz. Entscheidend für eine frühzeitige Diagnosestellung ist die Bestimmung des Serum-Calcitonins bei Nachweis von Schilddrüsenknoten. Die chirurgische Therapie steht auch bei der Behandlung lokoregionärer Rezidive oder lokal angehbarer Metastasen im Zentrum.. Bei irresektabel fortgeschrittener und progredienter Erkrankung mit signifikanter Tumorlast kann eine systemische Therapie erforderlich werden. Neuerdings ist die Kenntnis einer RET-Mutation im Tumorgewebe therapeutisch relevant, da mit den selektiven RET-Inhibitoren Selpercatinib und zukünftig Pralsetinib neue, effektive und gut verträgliche Systemtherapien zur Verfügung stehen. Ihr Einsatz ist nach Vortherapie mit einem der Multityrosinkinase-Inhibitoren Vandetanib oder Cabozantinib zugelassen und wird derzeit in der Erstlinientherapie in klinischen Studien untersucht.

Topics: Anilides; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Humans; Piperidines; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Topics: Adult; Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; Carbazoles; Carcinoma, Large Cell; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Piperidines; Treatment Outcome

Cases of neurofibromatosis type 1 (

Topics: Adolescent; Antineoplastic Agents; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Germ-Line Mutation; Homozygote; Humans; Male; Neurofibromatosis 1; Neurofibromin 1; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anilides; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Germany; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Progression-Free Survival; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Registries; Retrospective Studies; Thyroid Neoplasms; Time Factors; Young Adult

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a tumor deriving from the thyroid C cells. Vandetanib (VAN) and cabozantinib (CAB) are two tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting REarranged during Transfection (RET) and other kinase receptors and are approved for the treatment of advanced MTC. We aim to compare the in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity of VAN and CAB in MTC. The effects of VAN and CAB on viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis of TT and MZ-CRC-1 cells are evaluated in vitro using an MTT assay, DNA flow cytometry with propidium iodide, and Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining, respectively. In vivo, the anti-angiogenic potential of VAN and CAB is evaluated in

Topics: Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Anilides; Animals; Apoptosis; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cell Cycle; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Disease Models, Animal; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Humans; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Neovascularization, Physiologic; Piperidines; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Zebrafish

Vandetanib is an important treatment option for advanced metastatic medullary thyroid cancer. The aims of this study were to evaluate the predictors of both a longer response to vandetanib and the outcome. Medical records of 79 medullary thyroid cancer patients treated with vandetanib at our center were analysed. Twenty-five patients were treated for <12 months, 54 were treated for ≥12 months and 24 of these latter were treated for ≥48 months (short-, long- and very long-term). The median progression free survival of the long and very long-term treated patients was significantly longer than in the ZETA trial. When comparing the groups of short - and long-term treated patients the only significant difference was that these latter were less frequently previously treated with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. However, the long-term treated patients had a younger age, both at diagnosis and enrolment, which was statistically significant in the very long-term treated patients. In the long-term treated group, younger age, enrolment for symptoms and development of adverse events were significantly correlated with a better outcome. The enrolment for symptoms remained the only statistically significant predictor of a good outcome in the very long-term treated patients. In conclusion, early treatment with vandetanib, when patients are younger, with a good ECOG performance status and symptomatic disease, not necessarily progressing for RECIST, seem to be the best predictors of a longer and durable response. Further studies are needed to confirm these results

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Young Adult

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is the third most common thyroid cancer.

Topics: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Female; Gene Silencing; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Mice; Mice, Nude; Mutation; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Quinazolines; Signal Transduction; Thyroid Neoplasms; Transcription Factors; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; YAP-Signaling Proteins

Since patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) often have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, the development of efficient systemic treatment options for MTC is important. Vandetanib and cabozantinib are two tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that were recently approved by FDA and EMA for systemic treatment of metastatic MTC. Additionally, since MTC is of a neuroendocrine tumour type, treatment with radiolabelled somatostatin analogues (e.g. 177Lu-octreotate) is a valid option for patients with MTC. The aim of this study was to investigate the potentially increased therapeutic effect of combining radiation therapy with these TKIs for treatment of MTC in a mouse model. Nude mice carrying patient-derived MTC tumours (GOT2) were treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and/or one of the two TKIs vandetanib or cabozantinib. The tumour volume was determined and compared with that of mock-treated controls. The treatment doses were chosen to give a moderate effect as monotherapy to be able to detect any increased therapeutic effect from the combination therapy. At the end of follow-up, tumours were processed for immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses. The animals in the combination therapy groups showed the largest reduction in tumour volume and the longest time to tumour progression. Two weeks after start of treatment, the tumour volume for these mice was reduced by about 70-75% compared with controls. Furthermore, also EBRT and TKI monotherapy resulted in a clear anti-tumour effect with a reduced tumour growth compared with controls. The results show that an increased therapeutic effect could be achieved when irradiation is combined with TKIs for treatment of MTC. Future studies should evaluate the potential of using 177Lu-octreotate therapy in combination with TKIs in patients.

Topics: Anilides; Animals; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Chemoradiotherapy; Female; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Neoplasm Proteins; Piperidines; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

We conducted a post hoc analysis of the vandetanib phase III trial involving patients with advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) to assess the efficacy and safety of vandetanib in patients with progressive and symptomatic MTC. The primary objective of the analysis was to determine progression-free survival (PFS) of these patients.. Eligible patients from the ZETA trial were divided into 4 disease severity subgroups: progression and symptoms, symptoms only, progression only, and no progression and no symptoms assessed at baseline. PFS, determined from objective tumor measurements performed by the local investigator, overall survival (OS), time to worsening of pain (TWP), and objective response rate (ORR) were evaluated.. Of the 331 patients in this trial, 184 had symptomatic and progressive disease at baseline. In this subgroup, results were similar in magnitude to those observed in the overall trial for PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.43; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.64;. Vandetanib demonstrated clinical benefit-specifically, increased PFS-in patients with symptomatic and progressive MTC.

Topics: Adult; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Survival Analysis; Thyroid Neoplasms

Vandetanib is the most widely used tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the treatment of patients with advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). However, only limited data regarding its use outside clinical trials are available. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vandetanib in patients with advanced MTC in routine clinical practice.. In this multicenter retrospective study, 12 patients with locally advanced or metastatic MTC treated with vandetanib at four tertiary hospitals were included. The primary outcome was the objective response rate (ORR) based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. The progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicities were also evaluated.. Eleven patients (92%) had distant metastasis and 10 (83%) had disease progression at enrollment. Partial response was observed in five patients (ORR, 42%) and stable disease lasting ≥24 weeks was reported in an additional five patients (83%). During the median 31.7 months of follow-up, disease progression was seen in five patients (42%); of these, two died due to disease progression. The median PFS was 25.9 months, while the median OS was not reached. All patients experienced adverse events (AEs) which were generally consistent with the known safety profile of vandetanib. Vandetanib was discontinued in two patients due to skin toxicity.. Consistent with the phase III trial, this study confirmed the efficacy of vandetanib for advanced MTC in terms of both ORR and PFS in the real-world setting. Vandetanib was well tolerated in the majority of patients, and there were no fatal AEs.

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Republic of Korea; Retrospective Studies; Thyroid Neoplasms

Thyroid cancer is becoming increasingly common worldwide, but little is known about the epidemiology of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). This study investigated the current status of the incidence and treatment of MTC using Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) data for the entire Korean population from 2004 to 2016.. This study included 1,790 MTC patients identified from the NHIS database.. The age-standardized incidence rate showed a slightly decreasing or stationary trend during the period, from 0.25 per 100,000 persons in 2004 to 0.19 in 2016. The average proportion of MTC among all thyroid cancers was 0.5%. For initial surgical treatment, 65.4% of patients underwent total thyroidectomy. After surgery, external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) was performed in 10% of patients, a proportion that increased from 6.7% in 2004 to 11.0% in 2016. Reoperations were performed in 2.7% of patients (n=49) at a median of 1.9 years of follow-up (interquartile range, 1.2 to 3.4). Since November 2015, 25 (1.4%) patients with MTC were prescribed vandetanib by December 2016.. The incidence of MTC decreased slightly with time, and the proportion of patients who underwent total thyroidectomy was about 65%. EBRT, reoperation, and tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy are additional treatments after initial surgery for advanced MTC in Korea.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Child; Child, Preschool; Databases, Factual; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Forecasting; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Middle Aged; National Health Programs; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Radiotherapy; Reoperation; Republic of Korea; Retrospective Studies; Sex Distribution; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroidectomy; Young Adult

Vandetanib has been shown to improve progression-free survival in adults with advanced medullary thyroid cancer. This article describes a pediatric patient with metastatic medullary thyroid cancer secondary to sporadic multiple endocrine neoplasia 2B, treated with vandetanib. At presentation, he had an inoperable primary tumor, with carotid encasement, and pulmonary metastases. Vandetanib induced a significant response: calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen levels both fell considerably, primary tumor maximal diameter decreased by 68%, and pulmonary metastases became no longer detectable. This allowed surgical resection of the primary tumor. The patient remains well after over 6 years of vandetanib therapy, with no treatment toxicity.

Topics: Calcitonin; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Child; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Burden

Two tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), lenvatinib and vandetanib, are often used to treat advanced radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAI-R DTC) and medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), respectively. Fatigue is a common adverse event during treatment with these and other TKIs and a common cause of drug discontinuation or dosage reduction.. We evaluated the basal and stimulated adrenal function in 12 patients with advanced RAI-R DTC and MTC treated with lenvatinib or vandetanib, respectively. Ten patients complaining of fatigue showed a progressive ACTH increase with normal cortisol levels. Moreover, six of 10 patients had a blunted cortisol response after ACTH stimulation, thus confirming the diagnosis of primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI). The causal relationship between TKIs and PAI onset was also demonstrated by the repeated testing of adrenal function before and during treatment. Patients with PAI received cortisone acetate replacement therapy, with a substantial and prompt improvement in the degree of fatigue, as assessed by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.03, thus supporting the major impact of impaired adrenal function in the genesis of this adverse event.. We show that the occurrence of PAI may be a common cause of fatigue during lenvatinib and vandetanib treatment, and we therefore recommend testing adrenal function for a prompt start of replacement therapy to avoid treatment discontinuation, dosage reduction, and potentially severe PAI complications.

Topics: Addison Disease; Adult; Aged; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Child; Cortisone; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fatigue; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Phenylurea Compounds; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Quinolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement is most commonly observed in lung adenocarcinoma in a subset of lung cancer. Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) harboring an ALK rearrangement is very rare. Based on the findings from a transbronchial lung biopsy, a 75-year-old non-smoking woman was diagnosed with LCNEC with multiple liver and bone metastases. After seven cycles of cytotoxic chemotherapy, her genotype testing demonstrated ALK rearrangement. Subsequently, she was administered alectinib and exhibited a partial response.

Topics: Aged; Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; Bone Neoplasms; Carbazoles; Carcinoma, Large Cell; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Gene Rearrangement; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

Topics: Adult; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Humans; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a; Mutation, Missense; Neoplasm Metastasis; Piperidines; Pregnancy; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Young Adult

Metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is incurable and FDA-approved kinase inhibitors that include oncogenic RET as a target do not result in complete responses. Association studies of human MTCs and murine models suggest that the CDK/RB pathway may be an alternative target. The objective of this study was to determine if CDKs represent therapeutic targets for MTC and to define mechanisms of activity. Using human MTC cells that are either sensitive or resistant to vandetanib, we demonstrate that palbociclib (CDK4/6 inhibitor) is not cytotoxic to MTC cells but that they are highly sensitive to dinaciclib (CDK1/2/5/9 inhibitor) accompanied by reduced CDK9 and RET protein and mRNA levels. CDK9 protein was highly expressed in 83 of 83 human MTCs and array-comparative genomic hybridization had copy number gain in 11 of 30 tumors. RNA sequencing demonstrated that RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription was markedly reduced by dinaciclib. The CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 also demonstrated high potency and reduced RET and CDK9 levels. ChIP-sequencing using H3K27Ac antibody identified a superenhancer in intron 1 of RET. Finally, combined inhibition of dinaciclib with a RET kinase inhibitor was synergistic. In summary, we have identified what we believe is a novel mechanism of RET transcription regulation that potentially can be exploited to improve RET therapeutic targeting.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cell Line, Tumor; Cyclic N-Oxides; Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Drug Synergism; Enhancer Elements, Genetic; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Indolizines; Introns; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Oncogene Addiction; Piperazines; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Pyridines; Pyridinium Compounds; Quinazolines; Thyroid Gland; Thyroid Neoplasms; Tissue Array Analysis; Transcription, Genetic

Topics: Administration, Oral; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Europe; Humans; Medical Oncology; Piperidines; Placebos; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Progression-Free Survival; Quinazolines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Societies, Medical; Thyroid Neoplasms

Topics: Anilides; Animals; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cell Cycle; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Mice; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Dynamics; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Cabozantinib is an oral multiple tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor (ITK): VEGFR2, c-MET and RET. Inhibition of VEGFR and c-MET decrease resistance of VEGFR inhibitor via c-MET axis. Cabozantinib improve progression-free survival (PFS) in progressive metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC): 4 months in the placebo group and 11.2 months in the cabozantinib group (P<0.001) in all patient subgroups including those with or without prior ITK and RET mutation status. Cabozantinib increased overall survival (OS) compared with everolimus in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who progressed after previous VEGFR ITK treatment: 21.4 months in cabozantinib group and 16.5 months in everolimus group (P<0.0003). Cabozantinib obtained the AMM for the treatment of progressive metastatic MTC and advanced renal cell carcinoma. Cabozantinib is a new option in the treatment of MTC by inclusion in therapeutic trials (no payment in this indication) and advanced renal cell carcinoma (hospital delivery). Its tolerance is similar to anti-angiogenic therapies and justifies an optimal management of the secondary effect.

Topics: Anilides; Antineoplastic Agents; Bone Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Carcinoma, Renal Cell; Clinical Trials as Topic; Disease-Free Survival; Everolimus; Humans; Kidney Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Piperidines; Prostatic Neoplasms; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Thyroid Neoplasms; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2

Dominant-activating mutations in the RET (rearranged during transfection) proto-oncogene, which encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase, is often associated with the development of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The proximal promoter region of the RET gene consists of a guanine-rich sequence containing five runs of three consecutive guanine residues that serve as the binding site for transcriptional factors. As we have recently shown, this stretch of nucleotides in the promoter region is highly dynamic in nature and tend to form non-B DNA secondary structures called G-quadruplexes, which suppress the transcription of the RET gene. In the present study, ellipticine and its derivatives were identified as excellent RET G-quadruplex stabilizing agents. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic studies revealed that the incorporation of a piperidine ring in an ellipticine derivative, NSC311153 improves its binding with the G-quadruplex structure and the stability induced by this compound is more potent than ellipticine. Furthermore, this compound also interfered with the transcriptional mechanism of the RET gene in an MTC derived cell line, TT cells and significantly decreased the endogenous RET protein expression. We demonstrated the specificity of NSC311153 by using papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cells, the TPC1 cell line which lacks the G-quadruplex forming sequence in the promoter region due to chromosomal rearrangement. The RET downregulation selectively suppresses cell proliferation by inhibiting the intracellular Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways in the TT cells. In the present study, we also showed that the systemic administration of a water soluble NSC311153 analog in a mouse MTC xenograft model inhibited the tumor growth through RET downregulation.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carbazoles; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Carcinoma, Papillary; Cell Proliferation; Ellipticines; G-Quadruplexes; Humans; Male; Mice; Mice, SCID; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Pyridines; Signal Transduction; Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; Thyroid Neoplasms; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTCs) complicated by ectopic Cushing's syndrome (CS) have a poor prognosis, partially due to the difficulty in controlling hypercortisolism by adrenal blocking drugs. Recent reports (including the initial follow-up of this patient) have suggested that tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may be a therapeutic option due to an anti-secretory action on ACTH. However, there is a lack of long-term follow-up studies.. The case is reported of a 58-year-old man with MTC-related CS resistant to a combination of several anti-cortisolic drugs. Vandetanib, an oral multi-TKI that targets RET in particular, was initiated, and a rapid reversal of the hypercortisolism was observed without any change in tumor size. Vandetanib was briefly interrupted twice, once for 45 days because of side effects and a second time for 10 days to schedule surgical debulking. Each time, plasma cortisol and calcitonin levels increased after TKI withdrawal and were rapidly lowered by vandetanib reintroduction. As described in other cases of CS caused by MTC, a marked ACTH increase after desmopressin stimulation was observed before vandetanib therapy. In contrast, a blunted ACTH response to desmopressin was documented throughout the course of vandetanib treatment. This modulation of the tumoral ACTH production is a strong argument in favor of a TKI anti-secretory action. A left thyroid lobectomy and a modified neck dissection were performed one year after the initiation of vandetanib in order to reduce the tumor mass. An activating M918T RET (c.2753T>C) somatic mutation was identified in a lymph node metastasis.. Three years and eight months after vandetanib initiation, there was no sign of recurrence of hypercortisolism. This case illustrates the long-term effectiveness of vandetanib in maintaining the control of hypercortisolism in MTC-related CS.

Topics: Calcitonin; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cushing Syndrome; Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Male; Middle Aged; Neck Dissection; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroidectomy

The oncogenic activation of the rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene has a main role in the pathogenesis of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Several lines of evidence suggest that RET function could be influenced by cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) activity. We evaluated the in vitro anti-tumor activity of 8-chloroadenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Cl-cAMP) and PKA type I-selective cAMP analogs [equimolar combination of the 8-piperidinoadenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-PIP-cAMP) and 8-hexylaminoadenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-HA-cAMP) in MTC cell lines (TT and MZ-CRC-1)]. 8-Cl-cAMP and the PKA I-selective cAMP analogs showed a potent anti-proliferative effect in both cell lines. In detail, 8-Cl-cAMP blocked significantly the transition of TT cell population from G2/M to G0/G1 phase and from G0/G1 to S phase and of MZ-CRC-1 cells from G0/G1 to S phase. Moreover, 8-Cl-cAMP induced apoptosis in both cell lines, as demonstrated by FACS analysis for annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide, the activation of caspase-3 and PARP cleavage. On the other hand, the only effect induced by PKA I-selective cAMP analogs was a delay in G0/G1-S and S-G2/M progression in TT and MZ-CRC-1 cells, respectively. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that cAMP analogs, particularly 8-Cl-cAMP, significantly suppress in vitro MTC proliferation and provide rationale for a potential clinical use of cAMP analogs in the treatment of advanced MTC.

Topics: 2-Chloroadenosine; 8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; Amines; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cell Cycle; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cyclic AMP; Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; Humans; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Thyroid Neoplasms

We describe a child with advanced, metastatic, inoperable medullary carcinoma of thyroid associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia 2B and rearranged during transfection mutation with a positive response to vandetanib treatment. He responded well with a fall in calcitonin levels and a reduction in size of the thyroid malignancy, lymph nodes, and pulmonary metastases. He has been on vandetanib for 4 years with good clinical and biochemical response. Vandetanib has a role in the treatment of patients including children with inoperable locally advanced and metastatic medullary carcinoma of thyroid. More information is needed on its use in children and long-term outcome.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Child; Humans; Male; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for medullary thyroid cancer. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is generally ineffective in patients with progressive, inoperable, advanced-stage or metastatic tumours. Vandetanib is also authorised in this setting, but it has more harms than benefits. Cabozantinib, like vandetanib, inhibits several tyrosine kinases involved in angiogenesis. Cabozantinib has been authorised in the European Union for use in this setting. In a randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 330 patients, adding cabozantinib to tailored symptomatic treatment did not prolong survival or improve symptoms, despite a favourable effect on tumour imaging and certain laboratory parameters. On the contrary, cabozantinib appeared to undermine quality of life and aggravate diarrhoea. The known adverse effects of cabozantinib are numerous and often severe: diarrhoea, hand-foot syndrome, hypertension, venous and arterial thrombosis, bleeding and fistulae. Deaths unrelated to tumour progression were more frequent with cabozantinib than with placebo. Cabozantinib carries a risk of multiple pharmacokinetic interactions by interfering with cytochrome P450 isoenzyme CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein. In animals, cabozantinib is teratogenic and also impairs male and female fertility. Contraception is required for women, and also for the partners of treated men, who must use condoms. These precautions must be maintained for at least 4 months after the end of treatment. In practice, in mid-2015, cabozantinib, like vandetanib, has an unfavourable harm-benefit balance in medullary thyroid cancer. The focus should remain on tailored symptomatic care.

Topics: Anilides; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Humans; Male; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyridines; Quality of Life; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

In this study, we performed microRNA (miRNA) expression profiling on a large series of sporadic and hereditary forms of medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTC). More than 60 miRNAs were significantly deregulated in tumor vs adjacent non-tumor tissues, partially overlapping with results of previous studies. We focused our attention on the strongest up-regulated miRNA in MTC samples, miR-375, the deregulation of which has been previously observed in a variety of human malignancies including MTC. We identified miR-375 targets by combining gene expression signatures from human MTC (TT) and normal follicular (Nthy-ori 3-1) cell lines transfected with an antagomiR-375 inhibitor or a miR-375 mimic, respectively, and from an in silico analysis of thyroid cell lines of Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia datasets. This approach identified SEC23A as a bona fide miR-375 target, which we validated by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry of non-tumor and pathological thyroid tissue. Furthermore, we observed that miR-375 overexpression was associated with decreased cell proliferation and synergistically increased sensitivity to vandetanib, the clinically relevant treatment of metastatic MTC. We found that miR-375 increased PARP cleavage and decreased AKT phosphorylation, affecting both cell proliferation and viability. We confirmed these results through SEC23A direct silencing in combination with vandetanib, highlighting the importance of SEC23A in the miR-375-associated increased sensitivity to vandetanib.Since the combination of increased expression of miR-375 and decreased expression of SEC23A point to sensitivity to vandetanib, we question if the expression levels of miR-375 and SEC23A should be evaluated as an indicator of eligibility for treatment of MTC patients with vandetanib.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cell Line; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Male; MicroRNAs; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Quinazolines; RNA Interference; Thyroid Neoplasms; Vesicular Transport Proteins

The aim of this study was to determine the genomic alterations of cancer-related genes in advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma during the course of clinical care.. Hybrid-capture-based comprehensive genomic profiling was performed on 34 consecutive medullary thyroid carcinoma cases to identify all four classes of genomic alterations, and outcome for an index patient was collected.. RET was mutated in 88% (30/34) of cases, with RET M918T being responsible for 70% (21/30) of the RET alterations. The other RET alterations were RET E632_L633del, C634R, C620R, C618G/R/S, V804M, and RET amplification. Two of the four RET wild-type patients harbored mutations in KRAS or HRAS (1/34 each). The next most frequent genomic alterations were amplifications of CCND1, FGF3, and FGF19 and alterations in CDKN2A (3/34 each). One case with a RET M918T mutation developed acquired resistance to progressively dose-escalated vandetanib. When the mTOR inhibitor everolimus was added to continued vandetanib treatment, the patient achieved a second 25% reduction of tumor volume (RECIST 1.1) for 8 months.. Comprehensive genomic profiling identified the full breadth of RET alterations in metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma and possible cooperating oncogenic driver alterations. This approach may refine the use of targeted therapy for these patients.

Topics: Aged; Anilides; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cyclin D1; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Everolimus; Female; Fibroblast Growth Factor 3; Fibroblast Growth Factors; Gene Amplification; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Male; Methionine; Middle Aged; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Mutation; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); Pyridines; Quinazolines; Threonine; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare cancer during childhood. MTC is sporadic in approximately 80% of cases and hereditary in 20%. When hereditary, it can be associated with other endocrine neoplasias and/or typical nonendocrine diseases, thus configuring the multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes. Children with clinically obvious MTC belong to MEN 2A or 2B families, related to RET mutations. The standard treatment is total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection. However, treatment of advanced MTC has not yet been standardized, even if a new tyrosine kinase inhibitor specific to RET mutation has changed the outcome of such patients. Vandetanib plays a role in the treatment of children with metastatic, locally advanced and nonoperable MTC, with good tolerance. We report the 5-year treatment of an 11-year-old patient, with vandetanib and without thyroid surgery.

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Child; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Topics: Adult; Alopecia Areata; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Humans; Male; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

A randomized phase III trial demonstrated that vandetanib treatment is effective in patients with metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), leading to regulatory approval, but its use may be associated with toxicities that require specific monitoring and management. The objective of the present study performed in France was to describe the toxicity profile and efficacy of vandetanib treatment when given outside any trial.. Sixty-eight patients were treated with vandetanib in the frame of a temporary use authorization (ATU) in France from August 2010 to February 2012, when the drug was available on request for patients with locally advanced or metastatic MTC. Patients were registered by the French health authorities, and characteristics, treatment parameters, toxicity profile, and efficacy were retrospectively reviewed. Eight patients were excluded from the analysis because vandetanib treatment was not administered (n=3), had been given in a trial before ATU (n=3), or was given for a non-MTC cancer (n=2).. Data from the 60 MTC patients were analyzed. Mean age was 58 years (range 11-83 years), 39 patients were male, and six had hereditary MTC. Fifty-six (93%) had metastatic disease in the mediastinum (82%), bones (65%), liver (53%), or lung (53%), and four had only locally advanced disease. At the time of study evaluation, with a median follow-up of 20 months and a median duration of treatment of 9.7 months (range 0.3-36 months), 15 patients were continuing vandetanib treatment (range 18-36 months). Median progression-free survival was 16.1 months. Twenty-five patients discontinued treatment for disease progression (range 0.3-29 months). Best tumor response was a complete response in one patient, a partial response in 12 (20%), stable disease in 33 (55%), and progression in seven patients (12%). All patients had at least one adverse event (AE) during treatment. The main AEs were skin toxicity, diarrhea, and asthenia. Sixteen patients (27%) discontinued treatment for toxicity, and one patient died from vandetanib-induced cardiac toxicity.. Vandetanib is an effective option for patients with advanced MTC. AEs should be monitored carefully and should be minimized by educating both patients and care providers and by applying symptomatic treatment and dose reduction.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Child; Female; France; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Thyroid Neoplasms; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) may rarely present with paraneoplastic syndromes. Among the most frequent ones are the appearance of diarrhea and ectopic Cushing syndrome (ECS). The ECS in the context of MTC is usually present in patients with distant metastatic disease. The use of drugs such as ketoconazole, metyrapone, somatostatin analogs and etomidate have been ineffective alternatives to control hypercortisolism in these patients. Bilateral adrenalectomy is often required to manage this situation. Recently, the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors has been shown to be a useful tool to achieve eucortisolism in patients with metastatic MTC and ECS. We present a patient with sporadic advanced persistent and progressive MTC with lymph node and liver metastases, which after 16 years of follow-up developed an ECS. After one month of 300 mg/day vandetanib treatment, a biochemical and clinical response of the ECS was achieved but it did not result in significant reduction of tumor burden. However the patient reached criteria for stable disease according to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST 1.1) after 8 months of follow-up.

Topics: Adult; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cushing Syndrome; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Neoplasm Staging; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Clinical evidence shows that dual inhibition of kinases as well angiogenesis provides ideal therapeutic option in the treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) than inhibiting either of these with the events separately. Although treatment with dual inhibitors has shown good clinical responses in patients with MTC, it has been associated with serious side effects. Some inhibitors are active agents for both angiogenesis or kinase activity. Owing to narrow therapeutic window of established inhibitors, the present study aims to identify high affinity dual inhibitors targeting RET and VEGFR2 respectively for kinase and angiogenesis activity. Established inhibitors like Vandetanib, Cabozantinib, Motesanib, PP121, RAF265 and Sunitinib served as query parent compounds for identification of structurally similar compounds by Tanimoto-based similarity searching with a threshold of 95% against the PubChem database. All the parent inhibitors and respective similar compounds were docked against RET and VEGFR2 in order to retrieve high affinity compounds with these two proteins. AGN-PC-0CUK9P PubCID: 59320403 a compound related to PPI21 showed almost equal affinity for RET and VEGFR2 and unlike other screened compounds with no apparent bias for either of the receptors. Further, AGN- PC-0CUK9P demonstrated appreciable interaction with both RET and VEGFR2 and superior kinase activity in addition to showed optimal ADMET properties and pharmacophore features. From our in silico investigation we suggest AGN-PC-0CUK9P as a superior dual inhibitor targeting RET and VEGFR2 with high efficacy which should be proposed for pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies for improved treatment of MTC.

Topics: Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Anilides; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Databases, Chemical; Drug Discovery; Humans; Imidazoles; Indoles; Molecular Docking Simulation; Molecular Structure; Niacinamide; Oligonucleotides; Piperidines; Protein Binding; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Pyrazoles; Pyridines; Pyrimidines; Pyrroles; Quinazolines; Sunitinib; Thyroid Neoplasms; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as vandetanib have shown clinical effectiveness in advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). During TKI treatment, fluctuations in the tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and calcitonin (CTN) are frequently observed. Their role for treatment monitoring and the decision-making process has not been fully elucidated yet.Twenty-one patients (male, 16, female, 5; mean age, 49 ± 13 years) with progressive MTC receiving vandetanib (300 mg orally per day) were considered. Tumor restaging was performed every 3 months including contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). Response was assessed according to recent criteria (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, RECIST 1.1). Additionally, CEA and CTN were measured at the day of CT imaging and alterations observed in tumor markers were compared to respective imaging findings (partial response, PR; stable disease, SD; progressive disease, PD).During long-term follow-up (510 ± 350 days [range, 97-1140 days]), CTN and CEA levels initially dropped in 71.4% and 61.9% of the patients followed by fluctuations in serum marker levels. A rise in CTN ≥39.5% between 2 subsequent measurements (defined by ROC analysis) had a sensitivity of 70.6% and a specificity of 83.2% in predicting PD with an accuracy of 82.0% (area under the curve (AUC), 0.76). Oscillations in CEA levels were not predictive for PD.Whereas tumor marker fluctuations in MTC patients undergoing TKI treatment are a frequent phenomenon, a significant rise in CTN ≥40% turns out to as an early indicator of tumor progression.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents; Biomarkers, Tumor; Calcitonin; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Staging; Piperidines; Prognosis; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare tumor that is caused by activating mutations in the proto-oncogene RET. Vandetanib, a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, has been recently approved to treat adult patients with metastatic MTC. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in signaling pathways induced by vandetanib treatment in preclinical MTC models, using the reverse-phase protein array method (RPPA).. The human TT cell line was used to assess in vitro and in vivo activity of vandetanib. Protein extracts from TT cells or TT xenografted mice, treated by increasing concentrations of vandetanib for different periods of time, were probed with a set of 12 antibodies representing major signaling pathways, using RPPA. Results were validated using two distinct protein detection methods: Western immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry.. Vandetanib displays antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activities and inhibits RET autophosphorylation. The MAPK and AKT pathways were the two major signaling pathways inhibited by vandetanib. Interestingly, phosphorylated levels of NFκB-p65 were significantly increased by vandetanib. Comparable results were obtained in both the in vitro and in vivo approaches, as well as for the protein detection methods. However, some discrepancies were observed between RPPA and Western immunoblotting, possibly due to lack of specificity of the primary antibodies used.. Overall, our results confirmed the interest of RPPA for screening global changes induced in signaling pathways by kinase inhibitors. MAPK and AKT were identified as the main pathways involved in vandetanib response in MTC models. Our results also suggest alternative routes for controlling the disease, and provide a rationale for the development of therapeutic combinations based on the comprehensive identification of molecular events induced by inhibitors.

Topics: Adult; Animals; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Humans; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Mice; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Quinazolines; Signal Transduction; Thyroid Neoplasms

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used to treat patients with advanced thyroid cancers. We retrospectively investigated the efficacy of TKIs administered outside of clinical trials in metastatic sites or locally advanced thyroid cancer patients from five French oncology centers.. THERE WERE 62 PATIENTS (37 MEN, MEAN AGE: 61 years) treated with sorafenib (62%), sunitinib (22%), and vandetanib (16%) outside of clinical trials; 22 had papillary, five had follicular, five had Hürthle cell, 13 had poorly differentiated, and 17 had medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Thirty-three, 25, and four patients were treated with one, two, and three lines of TKIs respectively. Primary endpoints were objective tumor response rate and progression-free survival (PFS). Sequential treatments and tumor response according to metastatic sites were secondary endpoints.. Among the 39 sorafenib and 12 sunitinib treatments in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients, partial response (PR) rate was 15 and 8% respectively. In the 11 MTC patients treated with vandetanib, 36% had PR. Median PFS was similar in second-line compared with first-line sorafenib or sunitinib therapy (6.7 vs 7.0 months) in DTC patients, but there was no PR with second- and third-line treatments. Bone and pleural lesions were the most refractory sites to treatment.. This is the largest retrospective study evaluating TKI therapies outside of clinical trials. DTC patients treated with second-line therapy had stable disease as best response, but had a similar median PFS compared with the first-line treatment.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adenocarcinoma, Follicular; Adenoma, Oxyphilic; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents; Bone Neoplasms; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Carcinoma, Papillary; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Humans; Indoles; Liver Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Middle Aged; Niacinamide; Phenylurea Compounds; Piperidines; Pleural Neoplasms; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Pyrroles; Quinazolines; Retrospective Studies; Sorafenib; Sunitinib; Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Ectopic Cushing syndrome due to ACTH secretion from metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.. The aim of the study was to describe the first case of Cushing syndrome associated with MTC in a pediatric patient and the successful reversal of Cushing syndrome with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (vandetanib) therapy.. A 17-year-old Brazilian adolescent presented with metastatic MTC and associated ACTH-dependent ectopic Cushing syndrome in the context of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B. When the patient was treated with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor vandetanib, rapid decrease in serum cortisol and improvement of clinical symptoms were observed.. We describe the first pediatric case of clinical and biochemical improvement of paraneoplastic MTC-related Cushing syndrome after treatment with vandetanib. Vandetanib and possibly other tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be a novel beneficial option in patients with neuroendocrine tumor-related ectopic Cushing syndrome.

Topics: Adolescent; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; Cushing Syndrome; Humans; Male; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b; Neoplasms, Second Primary; Piperidines; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a rare form of thyroid cancer comprising approximately 4% of all thyroid cancers. The majority of patients have a relatively good prognosis; however, a subgroup of patients will require systemic therapy. Large phase III randomized trials led to the approval of two drugs--vandetanib and cabozantinib--for progressive or symptomatic MTC. The decision regarding which drug to initiate first is not entirely clear and is a common concern amongst treating physicians.. A review of the literature in English was conducted, and data were summarized and integrated into a decision matrix.. The decision regarding which drug to initiate first for progressive MTC should be based on a careful review of the medical history, physical examination findings, medication list, electrocardiogram, laboratory results, and tumor characteristics. It is necessary to consider the relative contraindications when choosing which drug to initiate first.

Topics: Anilides; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; DNA Mutational Analysis; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Piperidines; Precision Medicine; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroidectomy

Topics: Biopsy, Fine-Needle; Calcitonin; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Lymph Nodes; Lymphatic Diseases; Middle Aged; Neck; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; Thyroid Gland; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroid Nodule; Thyrotropin; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ultrasonography

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) accounts for 3-4% of all malignant thyroid neoplasias. Vandetanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, epidermal growth factor receptor, and RET, has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic MTC. The heart seems to be particularly susceptible to adverse effects associated with TKI therapy, and virtually all TKIs have been associated with cardiovascular events.. We report the case of a patient with metastatic MTC who was enrolled in the Phase III clinical study (NCT00410761) and presented a favorable response to vandetanib therapy, displaying marked decrease in the level of serologic tumor markers and shrinkage of metastatic lesions. After 14 months of therapy, the patient developed a fatal cardiac failure. Myocardial infarction was excluded by serial measurements of specific cardiac markers (serial troponin-T measurements varied from 0.037 to 0.042 ng/ml) and serologic tests for Chaga's disease were negative. Postmortem examination of the heart revealed cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and marked myocyte degeneration in the subendocardial zones and papillary muscles of the myocardium. These pathological changes are similar to those observed in TKI-treated rats and are suggestive of drug-induced cardiotoxicity.. This case illustrates a previously unreported serious vandetanib-related adverse effect and highlights the need for close monitoring of patients under TKI therapy in order to identify early signs of congestive heart failure or myocardium damage.

Topics: Adult; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cardiomyopathies; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Fatal Outcome; Female; Heart Failure; Humans; Male; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a neuroendocrine tumor mainly caused by mutations in the RET proto-oncogene. For MTC therapy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved vandetanib and cabozantinib, multikinase inhibitors targeting RET and other tyrosine kinase receptors of vascular endothelial growth factor, epidermal growth factor, or hepatocyte growth factor. Nevertheless, not all patients with the progressive MTC respond to these drugs, requiring the development of additional therapeutic modalities that have distinct activity.. We aimed to evaluate mitochondria-targeted carboxy-proxyl (Mito-CP), a mitochondria-targeted redox-sensitive agent, for its tumor-suppressive efficacy against MTC.. In vitro cultures of 2 human MTC cell lines, TT and MZ-CRC-1, and TT xenografts in mice were treated with Mito-CP in comparison with vandetanib. The effects on cell survival/death, RET expression, mitochondrial integrity, and oxidative stress were determined.. Contrary to vandetanib, Mito-CP induced RET downregulation and strong cytotoxic effects in both cell lines in vitro, including caspase-dependent apoptosis. These effects were accompanied by mitochondrial membrane depolarization, decreased oxygen consumption, and increased oxidative stress in cells. Intriguingly, Mito-CP-induced cell death, but not RET downregulation, was partially inhibited by the reactive oxygen species scavenger, N-acetyl-cysteine, indicating that Mito-CP mediates tumor-suppressive effects via redox-dependent as well as redox-independent mechanisms. Orally administered Mito-CP effectively suppressed TT xenografts in mice, with an efficacy comparable to vandetanib and relatively low toxicity to animals.. Our results suggest that Mito-CP can effectively suppress MTC cell growth/survival via a mechanism distinct from vandetanib effects. Mitochondrial targeting may be a potential strategy for MTC therapy.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Cyclic N-Oxides; Drug Delivery Systems; Female; Humans; Mice; Mice, Nude; Mitochondria; Nitrogen Oxides; Organophosphorus Compounds; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Topics: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Calcitonin; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cushing Syndrome; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin; Humans; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Middle Aged; Paraneoplastic Syndromes; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; Thyroid Neoplasms

Topics: Anilides; Biomarkers, Tumor; Calcitonin; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Disease Progression; Humans; Piperidines; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Pyridines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Humans; Male; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Female; Humans; Male; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms

Topics: Anticoagulants; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzimidazoles; beta-Alanine; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dabigatran; Drug Approval; Efficiency, Organizational; Fingolimod Hydrochloride; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Multiple Sclerosis; Patient Safety; Piperidines; Propylene Glycols; Quinazolines; Risk; Sphingosine; Stroke; Thyroid Neoplasms; Time Factors; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration

Treatment of medullary thyroid cancer is mainly based on surgery. Life expectancy exceeds 10 years in almost half of patients with inoperable advanced or metastatic disease. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is generally ineffective when this malignancy progresses. Vandetanib (Caprelsa, AstraZeneca), a multiple kinase inhibitor, is authorised in the European Union for use in this setting. Its clinical evaluation is mainly based on a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 331 patients, 70% of whom had progressed within the previous 6 months. Median follow-up (2 years) is too short to detect an impact on overall survival (about 85% in both groups). Analyses based on other outcomes (progression-free survival and pain) are unreliable, due to the large amount of missing data. The adverse effect profile of vandetanib is unfavourable: it includes diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular disorders, and cutaneous, neuropsychological, haemorrhagic and metabolic disorders. Visual disturbances have also been observed. Vandetanib also prolongs the QT interval: 3 cases of torsades de pointes and 9 sudden deaths have already been reported. Renal failure increases this risk. Numerous pharmacokinetic interactions are likely to occur, notably via cytochrome P450 isoenzyme CYP 3A4. Vandetanib reduces the effectiveness of levothyroxine. Vandetanib should not be combined with other drugs that prolong the QT interval. The long half-life of vandetanib (about 3 weeks) must be taken into account when managing interactions and adverse effects. There is no firm evidence that vandetanib has a favourable harm-benefit balance in patients with inoperable advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Patient Safety; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinazolines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Thyroid Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Topics: Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Contraindications; Humans; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia; Mutation; Piperidines; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Quinazolines; Research; Syndrome; Thyroid Neoplasms

Vandetanib is an orally active antagonist of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR or HER1 or ErbB1) and RET kinase, and is now available in the US for the treatment of metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Regulatory submissions for this indication have been filed in the EU and Canada, with clinical development in malignant MTC ongoing in several other countries. Vandetanib is being developed by AstraZeneca, and is also in phase II development for biliary, breast and prostate cancer. Earlier, AstraZeneca withdrew regulatory filings for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the US and EU, and later discontinued development. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of vandetanib leading to this first approval in malignant MTC.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Drug Approval; Drug Design; Humans; Neoplasm Metastasis; Piperidines; Quinazolines; Thyroid Neoplasms; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2