Multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment of a malignant pheochromocytoma with multiple metastases / 中国肿瘤临床

ABSTRACT

Malignant pheochromocytomas are rare tumors that arise from chromaffin tissue, and the diagnostic criterion of malig-nancy is based on the development of metastases. In the case a patient suffers the tumor with liver, lung and bone metastases. However, the test results of tumor markers, gastroscopy, chest and abdominal CT, and PET-CT examination are hard to make a definite diagnosis. The patient was finally diagnosed with malignant pheochromocytoma with liver, lung and bone metastases following the needle biopsy of liver and underwent the excision of a right adrenal pheochromocytoma. Therapeutic standard for the malignant pheochromocytomas is not available so far. It is reported that chemotherapeutic CVD regimen (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and daecarbazine) and suni-tinib may be effectual in the alike cases. The patient received two cycles of CVD and one cycle of sunitinib, nevertheless, slow progres-sion of the disease remained after the treatment. The results of multi-disciplinary treatment have suggested that 131I-MIBG may just be a choice for this patient.