Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with 177Lu or 90Y peptides provided disease control in 30 patients with malignant pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas.
30 patients from 1,500+From over 1,500 neuroendocrine tumor patients, 30 with rare malignant pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas benefited from targeted peptide radiation therapy
What the researchers found
Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with 177Lu or 90Y peptides provided disease control in patients with malignant pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas.
Why it matters
These rare tumors have very limited treatment options, especially when they have spread. Any therapy showing disease control provides hope for patients with few alternatives.
The numbers in context
30 patients identified from over 1,500 neuroendocrine tumor patients treated from 1999 to 2017. Treatment used 177Lu- or 90Y-DOTA-TATE or -TOC peptides.
How the study worked
Single-center retrospective analysis of 30 patients with malignant PCCs/PGLs treated with PRRT between 1999 and 2017, selected from over 1,500 neuroendocrine tumor patients.
Who was studied
Patients with malignant pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas treated with PRRT from 1999-2017
What this study cannot tell us
Retrospective single-center study with only 30 patients. No control group for comparison. Patient selection may have influenced outcomes.
How to read the evidence
Rated moderate: 18-year single-center retrospective experience with 30 patients. Small numbers reflect the rarity of these tumors.
When this study was published
Published in 2024, covering 18 years of treatment experience (1999–2017). Provides the longest available follow-up for PRRT in this tumor type.
The bigger picture
Malignant pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas are rare tumors with very few effective treatments. Any therapy that controls disease progression provides meaningful benefit for patients with limited options.
Questions still open
- Which patients are most likely to respond to PRRT?
- Could combination with other therapies improve outcomes?
Common questions
What is peptide receptor radionuclide therapy?
What are pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas?
Read the original research
Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with 177Lu- or 90Y-SSTR peptides in malignant pheochromocytomas (PCCs) and paragangliomas (PGLs): results from a single institutional retrospective analysis.
Endocrine, 84(2), 704-710
Citation
Rubino, Manila; Di Stasio, Giuseppe Danilo; Bodei, Lisa; Papi, Stefano; Rocca, Paola Anna; Ferrari, Mahila Esmeralda; Fodor, Cristiana Iuliana; Bagnardi, Vincenzo; Frassoni, Samuele; Mei, Riccardo; Fazio, Nicola; Ceci, Francesco; Grana, Chiara Maria. (2024). Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with 177Lu- or 90Y-SSTR peptides in malignant pheochromocytomas (PCCs) and paragangliomas (PGLs): results from a single institutional retrospective analysis.. Endocrine, 84(2), 704-710. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-024-03707-5