Jazdarehee Aria, Abdel-Rahman Omar, Jacquier Jennifer E
Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R7, Canada.
Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1Z2, Canada.
JCEM Case Rep. 2024 Jan 27;2(2):luad174. doi: 10.1210/jcemcr/luad174. eCollection 2024 Feb.
Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a neuroendocrine tumor associated with activating mutations of the rearranged during transfection () proto-oncogene. These tumors may rarely secrete adrenocorticotropin or corticotropin-releasing hormone, resulting in a paraneoplastic ectopic Cushing syndrome (ECS). Paraneoplastic ECS carries a high risk of mortality, and management is difficult due to the lack of response to antiadrenal therapies. We report on a 37-year-old man who was diagnosed with metastatic MTC and reported symptoms of cortisol excess with laboratory testing in keeping with ECS. He began treatment with vandetanib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which resulted in decreased tumor burden as well as clinical and biochemical resolution of ECS. Due to progressive structural disease 10 months later, he was switched to the selective RET inhibitor selpercatinib, which was followed by a rapid reduction of cortisol nearing the threshold of adrenal insufficiency. Tumor markers were also improved, and repeat imaging showed decreased tumor burden. Our case highlights the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the management of paraneoplastic ECS. Selective RET inhibitors may emerge as preferred targeted treatment options due to better efficacy and toxicity profiles compared to multitargeted inhibitors. Clinicians should monitor for adrenal insufficiency with the use of selective RET inhibitors.
甲状腺髓样癌(MTC)是一种神经内分泌肿瘤,与转染期间重排(RET)原癌基因的激活突变有关。这些肿瘤很少会分泌促肾上腺皮质激素或促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素,从而导致副肿瘤性异位库欣综合征(ECS)。副肿瘤性ECS具有很高的死亡风险,并且由于对抗肾上腺疗法无反应,治疗困难。我们报告了一名37岁男性,他被诊断为转移性MTC,并报告了伴有符合ECS的实验室检查结果的皮质醇过多症状。他开始使用多靶点酪氨酸激酶抑制剂凡德他尼进行治疗,这导致肿瘤负荷降低以及ECS的临床和生化症状缓解。10个月后,由于结构性疾病进展,他改用选择性RET抑制剂塞尔帕替尼,随后皮质醇迅速降低,接近肾上腺功能不全的阈值。肿瘤标志物也有所改善,重复成像显示肿瘤负荷降低。我们的病例突出了酪氨酸激酶抑制剂在治疗副肿瘤性ECS中的疗效。由于与多靶点抑制剂相比具有更好的疗效和毒性特征,选择性RET抑制剂可能会成为首选的靶向治疗选择。临床医生在使用选择性RET抑制剂时应监测肾上腺功能不全情况。