Radiopeptide therapy improves survival outcomes for neuroendocrine cancer patients (EurekAlert, 10 June 2013)

A new study finds that Peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is not only safe and effective but is also life-prolonging. The study, which was unveiled at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging's 2013 Annual Meeting recently, looked at the outcome of radionuclide therapy that combines specialised peptides radiolabeled with a cancer-killing and localised dose of radiation from lutetium-177 (Lu-199), yttrium-90 (Y-90) - or a combination of the two.

The retrospective study, which has been hailed as the first multi-institutional PRRT study for metastatic and inoperable NETs, involved 450 patients over a period of 18 months and represented a range of neuroendocrine cancers – 38% had a pancreatic tumour with 30% of subjects having tumours of the small intestine. The remaining tumours were colorectal, lung or of unknown origin.

It found that overall survival rates of patients was at a median of just under 5 years, with the median period that patients lived without progression of their disease from final treatment was 41 months. For neuroendocrine tumours of the pancreas, which are traditionally difficult to treat if inoperable, median progression-free survival was found to be 39 months whilst those with tumours of the small bowel had a median survival rate of 51 months without any advancement of their cancer.

Commenting on the study's findings, Samer Ezziddin, MD, PhD, a senior physician at the University of Bonn in Germany said:

“The data are both encouraging and convincing, especially considering the prospective nature of the registry and high number of patients. The progression-free survival outcomes of more than three years on average, even in pancreatic tumours, are outstanding when you look at typical outcomes associated with existing treatment options such as chemotherapy and multi-kinase inhibitors, which on average yield arrest of tumour progression in the order of one year.

“This relatively new form of therapy is substantially supported by our research and gives new hope to patients with neuroendocrine tumours. This and further research could lead to the establishment of PRRT as a truly targeted therapy for neuroendocrine tumours," he added.

Source: EurekAlert (press release)

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