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Targeted Therapies in Rare Brain Tumours.

ABSTRACT: Rare central nervous system (CNS) tumours represent a unique challenge. Given the difficulty of conducting dedicated clinical trials, there is a lack of therapies for these tumours supported by high quality evidence, and knowledge regarding the impact of standard treatments (i.e., surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy) is commonly based on retrospective studies. Recently, new molecular techniques have led to the discovery of actionable molecular alterations. The aim of this article is to review recent progress in the molecular understanding of and therapeutic options for rare brain tumours, both in children and adults. We will discuss options such as targeting the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in subependymal giant cells astrocytomas (SEGAs) of tuberous sclerosis and BRAF V600E mutation in rare glial (pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas) or glioneuronal (gangliogliomas) tumours, which are a model of how specific molecular treatments can also favourably impact neurological symptoms (such as seizures) and quality of life. Moreover, we will discuss initial experiences in targeting new molecular alterations in gliomas, such as isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations and neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) fusions, and in medulloblastomas such as the sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway.

SUBMITTER: Bruno F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8348084 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Targeted Therapies in Rare Brain Tumours.

Bruno Francesco F Pellerino Alessia A Bertero Luca L Soffietti Riccardo R Rudà Roberta R

International journal of molecular sciences 20210726 15

Rare central nervous system (CNS) tumours represent a unique challenge. Given the difficulty of conducting dedicated clinical trials, there is a lack of therapies for these tumours supported by high quality evidence, and knowledge regarding the impact of standard treatments (i.e., surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy) is commonly based on retrospective studies. Recently, new molecular techniques have led to the discovery of actionable molecular alterations. The aim of this article is to review ...[more]

PMID: 34360713

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) associated lymphoproliferative disorders are encountered in immunodeficiency states. Amongst these, primary CNS lymphoma in HIV/AIDS patients is relatively rare and represents a therapeutic challenge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This report was generated from patient's medical records throughout hospitalizations and outpatient visits. RESULTS: A 20-year-old female with congenitally acquired HIV and poor medication compliance presented with severe headaches and mild cranial nerve deficits. HIV viral load at presentation was 89,976/ml with CD4 count of 4/uL. Head MRI revealed 3-cm thick-walled ring-enhancing lesion in right basal ganglia. Serum titers for toxoplasmosis were negative. EBV DNA was detected by PCR in CSF without peripheral viremia. Imaging with thallium scan and MRI findings in combination with EBV PCR positive CSF allowed for the presumptive diagnosis of EBV-associated primary CNS lymphoma. Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) was reinitiated. Karnofsky score was 90%, thus chemotherapy was offered to optimize chance of cure. Agents of choice were high-dose Methotrexate for CNS penetration/anti-lymphoma activity and Rituximab. Within the next 5 months she received 8 cycles of alternating Methotrexate (4000 mg/m2/dose on Day 1) and Rituximab (375 mg/m2/dose on Day 8). Supportive care included leucovorin rescue and urine alkalinization. Therapy was tolerated well without sepsis episodes during neutropenia. Her headaches and neurological deficits resolved after the first cycle of therapy. Serial imaging demonstrated substantial and continuous regression of the lymphoma lesion. No adjunctive radiotherapy was administered. Patient remains in remission 18 months after diagnosis, despite fluctuating viral loads and CD4 counts due to the poor HAART compliance. No chronic hypogammaglobulinemia resulted from therapy to date. CONCLUSION: Given the observed results and acceptable toxicity profile, methotrexate and rituximab combination may be effective and should be considered in addition to HAART for treating EBV-associated CNS lymphoma in young patients with minimal comorbidities and underlying HIV/AIDS. INTRODUCTION: Pediatric pineal parenchymal tumors of intermediate differentiation (PPTID, WHO grade II or III) are extremely uncommon. Appropriate therapy has not been defined. We present three new cases of pediatric PPTID and 8 cases in patients under age 45 identified in a literature review. METHODS: This study utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) (http://www.prisma-statement.org.). RESULTS: We diagnosed two children (female age 5 y, male age 14 y) with PPTID in the pineal region and negative work-up for metastases. Both underwent gross total resection (GTR). Pathologic evaluation was consistent with PPTID grade II in each. Both were treated with local radiation therapy via protons to 50.4 CGE. The first patient (case 1) is now 4 years since diagnosis with no evidence of disease (NED) and the second (case 2) is 8 months after surgery and NED. Our third case (male age 15 y) was diagnosed with PPTID grade III with drop metastases in the thecal sac (case 3). He was treated with craniospinal and boost radiation and multiagent chemotherapy but relapsed with leptomeningeal disease near the conus 2 years after diagnosis. Our literature review identified 8 cases of PPTID in patients under age 45, described in Table 1 (cases 4-11). There were broad treatment strategies from GTR only to craniospinal radiation and multiagent chemotherapy. While the therapy varied, the outcome for those with non-metastatic grade II tumors was good. Grade III tumors were associated with metastatic disease and a worse outcome. DISCUSSION: With very few cases, definitive recommendations for therapy are impossible. For PPTID grade II, GTR alone may be sufficient. PPTID grade III should be considered for more aggressive therapy.

Project description:Comprehensive Genomic Profiling may be informative for novel treatment strategies and to improve outcomes for patients with rare tumors. This study aims to discover opportunities for use of targeted therapies already approved for routine use in patients with rare tumors. Solid tumors with an incidence lower than 2.5/100,000 per year was defined as rare tumors in China after comprehensive analysis based on epidemiological data and current availability of standardized treatment. Genomic data of rare tumors from the public database cBioPortal were compared with that of the Chinese population for targetable genomic alterations (TGAs). TGAs were defined as mutations of ALK, ATM, BRAF, BRCA1, BRCA2, CDKN2A, EGFR, ERBB2, FGFR1,2,3, KIT, MET, NF1, NTRK1,2,3, PIK3CA, PTEN, RET, and ROS1 with level 1 to 4 of evidence according to the OncoKB knowledge database. Genomic data of 4,901 patients covering 63 subtypes of rare tumor from cBioPortal were used as the western cohort. The Chinese cohort was comprised of next generation sequencing (NGS) data of 1,312 patients from across China covering 67 subtypes. Forty-one subtypes were common between the two cohorts. The accumulative prevalence of TGAs was 20.40% (1000/4901) in cBioPortal cohort, and 53.43% (701/1312) in Chinese cohort (p < 0.001). Among those 41 overlapping subtypes, it was still significantly higher in Chinese cohort compared with cBioPortal cohort (54.1%% vs. 26.1%, p < 0.001). Generally, targetable mutations in BRAF, BRCA2, CDKN2A, EGFR, ERBB2, KIT, MET, NF1, ROS1 were ≥3 times more frequent in Chinese cohort compared with that of the cBioPortal cohort. Cancer of unknown primary tumor type, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, gallbladder cancer, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung were the top 5 tumor types with the highest number of TGAs per tumor. The incidence of TGAs in rare tumors was substantial worldwide and was even higher in our Chinese rare tumor population. Comprehensive genomic profiling may offer novel treatment paradigms to address the limited options for patients with rare tumors.

Dataset Information

Targeted Therapies in Rare Brain Tumours.

Publications

Targeted Therapies in Rare Brain Tumours.

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