(68)Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT provides accurate tumour extent in patients with extraadrenal paraganglioma compared to (123)I-MIBG SPECT/CT.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of (123)I-MIBG SPECT/CT with that of (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT for staging extraadrenal paragangliomas (PGL) using both functional and anatomical images (i.e. combined cross-sectional imaging) as the reference standards. METHODS: The study included three men and seven women (age range 26 to 73 years) with anatomical and/or histologically proven disease. Three patients had either metastatic head and neck PGL (HNPGL) or multifocal extraadrenal PGL, and seven patients had nonmetastatic extraadrenal disease. Comparative evaluation included morphological imaging with CT, functional imaging with (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET, and (123)I-MIBG imaging. The imaging results were analysed on a per-patient and on a per-lesion basis. RESULTS: On a per-patient basis, the detection rate of (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET was 100 %, whereas that of planar (123)I-MIBG imaging was 10.0 % and with SPECT/CT 20.0 % for both nonmetastatic and metastatic/multifocal extraadrenal PGL. On a per-lesion basis, the overall sensitivity of (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET was 100 % (McNemar p < 0.5), that of planar (123)I-MIBG imaging was 3.4 % (McNemar p < 0.001) and that of SPECT/CT was 6.9 % (McNemar p < 0.001). Both (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET and anatomical imaging identified 27 lesions. Planar (123)I-MIBG imaging identified only one lesion, and SPECT/CT two lesions. Two additional lesions were detected by (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET but not by either (123)I-MIBG or CT imaging. CONCLUSION: Our analysis in this patient cohort indicated that (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT is superior to (123)I-MIBG SPECT/CT, particularly in head and neck and bone lesions, and provides valuable information for staging extraadrenal PGL, particularly in patients with surgically inoperable tumours or multifocal/malignant disease.

First experience with proteasome inhibitor treatment of radioiodine nonavid thyroid cancer using bortezomib.

PURPOSE: Radioiodine nonavid thyroid cancer (TC) is a rare disease entity with a poor prognosis. Despite a multimodal therapeutic approach including surgery, chemotherapy, and external beam radiation, radioiodine nonavid TC accounts for a high number of TC-associated deaths. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the response rate of progressive TC patients to treatment with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients with inoperable, metastasized progressive TC proven to be radioiodine nonavid were included into this pilot study. Patients received bortezomib intravenously with a standardized dose of 1.3 mg/m on days 1, 4, 8, and 11. All patients underwent 3 therapeutic cycles with an interval of 10 days. [F]2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography (F-FDG PET) and measurements of thyroglobulin levels were performed before, during, and after therapy, with a 6-week interval to post-therapeutic follow-up. RESULTS: Stable disease was seen after proteasome inhibitor therapy in 4 of the 7 patients. Two of the 7 patients showed decrease of maximum standardized uptake value in both post-therapeutic follow-up investigations, and one of these cases also had decreasing thyroglobulin levels. Two patients experienced stable disease during the posttherapeutic follow-up. Two patients showing a mixed response had an improvement in their clinical situation. One patient had rapidly progressive disease, and died 3 months after the last therapeutic cycle. Adverse events included mild polyneuropathy in 2 patients and alterations of the blood count up to WHO (World Health Organization) grade 2 in 5 patients. CONCLUSION: Proteasome inhibitor treatment with bortezomib is a promising therapeutic approach in TC patients without an established treatment alternative. The development of a specific therapeutic regimen for the treatment of radioiodine nonavid TC is warranted.