Faculty Bibliography

Background/UNASSIGNED:While effective for the repair of large skull base defects, the Hadad-Bassagasteguy nasoseptal flap increases operative time and can result in a several-week period of postoperative crusting during re-mucosalization of the denuded nasal septum. Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma resection is generally not associated with large dural defects and high-flow cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks requiring extensive reconstruction. Here, we present the posterior nasoseptal flap as a novel technique for closure of skull defects following endoscopic resection of pituitary adenomas. This flap is raised in all surgeries during the transnasal exposure using septal mucoperiosteum that would otherwise be discarded during the posterior septectomy performed in binostril approaches. Methods/UNASSIGNED:We present a retrospective, consecutive case series of 43 patients undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of a pituitary adenoma followed by posterior nasoseptal flap placement and closure. Main outcome measures were extent of resection and postoperative CSF leak. Results/UNASSIGNED:The mean extent of resection was 97.16 ± 1.03%. Radiographic measurement showed flap length to be adequate. While a defect in the diaphragma sellae and CSF leak were identified in 21 patients during surgery, postoperative CSF leak occurred in only one patient. Conclusions/UNASSIGNED:The posterior nasoseptal flap provides adequate coverage of the surgical defect and is nearly always successful in preventing postoperative CSF leak following endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenomas. The flap is raised from mucoperiosteum lining the posterior nasal septum, which is otherwise resected during posterior septectomy. Because the anterior septal cartilage is not denuded, raising such flaps avoids the postoperative morbidity associated with the larger Hadad-Bassagasteguy nasoseptal flap.

BACKGROUND:Studies comparing primary medical treatment of acromegaly with surgery are often non-randomized, and not stratified by illness severity. We prospectively compared primary medical therapy with pituitary surgery in patients with acromegaly. All patients had macroadenomas, at least one random human growth hormone (GH) level ≥12.5 ng/mL, elevated IGF-I levels and failure to suppress GH to <1 ng/mL during an oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT). METHODS:Forty-one patients from seven centers were randomized to primary treatment with octreotide LAR, 30 mg every 4 weeks × 3 months (ARM A, N = 15), or pituitary surgery (ARM B, N = 26) using a 1:2 randomization design. Patients cured by surgery (defined as nadir GH during oGTT <1 ng/mL and normal IGF-I) received no subsequent treatment. Those not cured surgically were then treated with octreotide LAR (SubArm B1) for 3 months. RESULTS:Only one of the 15 patients in ARM A (6.7%) had normalization of both GH and IGF-I. In contrast, 13/26 patients had normalization of both GH and IGF-I after surgery alone (50%). Of the remaining 13 patients who did not normalize with surgery alone, treatment with octreotide LAR resulted in a normal nadir GH and normal serum IGF-I in 7 (53.9%). In total, 20/26 in ARM B (76.9%) experienced normalization of defined biochemical acromegaly parameters. CONCLUSIONS:Pituitary surgery alone was more effective than primary medical treatment (p = 0.006), and the combination of surgery followed by medical therapy was even more effective (p < 0.0001). Subjects treated with medical therapy after surgical debulking had a significant improvement in response rate compared to matched subjects treated with primary medical therapy.

DCIS is a non-obligate precursor in which epithelial cells with features of cancer reside in and expand otherwise normal appearing mammary ducts and lobules. DCIS increases the relative risk of developing invasive breast cancer (IBC) by up to 10 fold. Treatment of DCIS includes breast conserving surgery (BCS), tumor margins permitting, followed by radiation, or mastectomy. Recently we found that pasireotide, a somatostatin analog inhibitor of IGF-I, was effective in reducing cell proliferation and increasing apoptosis in patients with atypical hyperplasia (AH) and or proliferative disease of the breast. At present there are no recognized medical treatments for DCIS. Here we raise the possibility that pasireotide might also be an effective therapy for some DCIS. To make this determination, 8 patients previously diagnosed with DCIS were treated with pasireotide, 600mug twice daily subcutaneously for a period of 20 days. Lesion size was assessed on DCE-MRIs in 3 planes before and after treatment. Of the eight, two had lesions characterized as low grade DCIS on core biopsy, 4 had intermediate or intermediate to high grade lesions, and two had high grade lesions. After treatment they all had surgical excision biopsies. We also measured proliferation and apoptosis to assess effects of pasireotide by expression of Ki67 and caspase 3. To confirm that the effect of pasireotide was mediated via the IGF-I pathway, p-AKT and p-ERK 1/2 were evaluated. Core and excision samples from 14 untreated patients where used as control. Overall, treatment with pasireotide reduced DCIS lesion size by >=30% according the RECIST criteria in 4 of 8 patients, as measured by DCE-MRI. Of those, pathology of the surgical excision confirmed that there was no remaining DCIS tissue in the two patients with low grade disease. The two additional lesions that were reduced in size one was intermediate to high grade and the other a high grade DCIS. The remaining 4 patients had tumors that were stable in size. Pasireotide reduced cell proliferation and significantly increased apoptosis in the DCIS lesions. While DCIS is less responsive to pasireotide than AH and proliferative disease, it may nevertheless provide a window of opportunity for treatment and possibly eradication of some low grade or higher grade DCIS as well. The main side effect included hyperglycemia, intestinal discomfort and rash or redness at the injection area. Our data show that hyperglycemia disappears relatively fast after ending treatment with pasireotide. In conclusion, treatment with pasireotide eliminated 2 low grade DCIS lesions, shrunk two higher grade ones and also decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis. Additional evidence in a larger number of patients will be necessary

Background: Data from the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA) indicates that common variation in the BRCA1 locus modifies the penetrance of mutations. The rs5820483 variation is one such polymorphism in which patients homozygous for the major allele have a greater risk of breast cancer. The BRCA1 gene contains 24 exons that generate a full-length (FL) protein. Major alternatively spliced isoforms include skipping of exon 11 (DELTA11) and a truncated form (IRIS), each of which appear to have distinct roles in cellular processes. rs5820483 is the only variant that maps to intron 10, flanking exon 11. Experimental models suggest that deregulation of the FL/D11 isoform ratio can have profound functional consequences. We have shown that cells from patients with the major rs5820483 allele express more FL relative to DELTA11 compared to cells from patients with the minor allele. Breast cancer exhibit increased IGF-1 and IGF-1 activity in patients with BRCA1 mutations relative to breast cancer in women without BRCA1 mutations. IGF-1 produced in the mammary stroma mediates estrogen dependent proliferation. Here we test whether the rs5820483 allele affects IGF-1 activity in breast tissue of BRCA1 mutation carriers. Design: We assessed the zygosity of the rs5820483 alleles in 28 BRCA1 mutation carriers. Phosphorylated IGF-1 receptor (p-IGF-1R rabbit polyclonal Ab39398, Abcam, MA) was measured by immunofluorescence and Ki-67 was measured by immunohistochemistry in sections from histologically normal breast tissue from these cases were compared to heterozygous controls. Image analysis was used to assess the intensity of the p-IGF-1R immunofluorescence at the epithelial cell membrane with appropriate controls. Ki67 mmunohistochemistry was also performed on these specimens. Results:The rs5820483 allele was heterozygous in 10 specimens, homozygous for the major allele in 11 and homozygous for the minor allele in 7. The intensity of p-IGF-1R was higher in major homozygous cases (140+/-54 SD) than in either the minor homozygous (99+/-24) or heterozygous cases (95+/-44). The frequency of Ki-67+ cells was higher in the major homozygous case (3.1+/-2.9 SD) than in either the minor homozygous (1.5+/-1.9 SD) or heterozygous cases (2.2+/-2.5 SD). However, neither p-IGF-IR immunoreactivity nor frequency of Ki-67+ cells was statistically different between groups. Conclusion: Breast cancer risk in BRCA1 mutation carriers is modified by common genetic variation at the corresponding locus. We have identified a variation at rs5820483 that affects the isoform ratio. Our preliminary analysis suggests that IGF-1 activity increases in those women homozygous for the major allele, concomitant with increased Ki-67. Corroboration of this analysis in a larger series is ongoing. A statistically significant difference might have fundamental implications for cancer prevention in those carriers

PURPOSE: Doses of growth hormone in adults with growth hormone deficiency are now lower than previously. However, it is not clear they are as effective as higher doses. The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess efficacy of low to moderate dose (LD) GH replacement on standard endpoints of GH compared to higher doses. METHODS: A meta-analysis was carried out using PubMed, Cochrane and Embase databases from 1960 to 9/23/12. Three reviewers identified randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of 6 months duration. Of 173 publications, 28 representing 22 trials (591 GH-treated patients and 562 placebo) were included. Data were independently extracted by three reviewers. Endpoints were analyzed if >/=4 studies per dose group reported baseline and 6 month data. RESULTS: Mean lean body mass (LBM) increased by 2.61 kg in GH-treated subjects versus 0.04 in the placebo group (P < 0.0001). Fat mass (FM) was reduced by -2.19 kg versus 0.31 (GH vs. placebo) (P = 0.0002). Changes in LBM and FM were dose-related (P = 0.02 and 0.007, respectively), high dose (HD) being more effective than low dose (LBM P = 0.03 and FM P = 0.04). In contrast, treatment with GH reduced total cholesterol -0.38 mmol/L versus. 0.01 (placebo) (P < 0.0001), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) -0.42 mmol/L versus -0.1 (P = 0.0009), but there were no differences between LD and HD GH. CONCLUSIONS: LDs of hGH improve total- and LDL-C, and body composition. Higher doses are more effective on body composition, but not lipids.

BACKGROUND: A novel oral octreotide formulation was tested for efficacy and safety in a phase III, multicenter, open-label, dose-titration, baseline-controlled study in patients with acromegaly. METHODS: We enrolled 155 complete or partially controlled patients (IGF-1 <1.3 x upper limit of normal [ULN], and 2-h integrated GH <2.5 ng/mL) receiving injectable somatostatin receptor ligand (SRL) for >/=3 months. Subjects were switched to 40 mg/d oral octreotide capsules (OOCs), and the dose escalated to 60 and then up to 80 mg/d to control IGF-1. Subsequent fixed doses were maintained for a 7-month core treatment, followed by a voluntary 6-month extension. RESULTS: Of 151 evaluable subjects initiating OOCs, 65% maintained response and achieved the primary endpoint of IGF-1 <1.3 x ULN and mean integrated GH <2.5 ng/mL at the end of the core treatment period and 62% at the end of treatment (up to 13 mo). The effect was durable, and 85 % of subjects initially controlled on OOCs maintained this response up to 13 months. When controlled on OOCs, GH levels were reduced compared to baseline, and acromegaly-related symptoms improved. Of 102 subjects completing the core treatment, 86% elected to enroll in the 6-month extension. Twenty-six subjects who were considered treatment failures (IGF-1 >/=1.3 x ULN) terminated early, and 23 withdrew for adverse events, consistent with those known for octreotide or disease related. CONCLUSIONS: OOC, an oral therapeutic peptide, achieves efficacy in controlling IGF-1 and GH after switching from injectable SRLs for up to 13 months, with a safety profile consistent with approved SRLs. OOC appears to be effective and safe as an acromegaly monotherapy.

IntroductionEstrogen inhibition is effective in preventing breast cancer in only up to 50% of women with precancerous lesions and many experience side effects that are poorly tolerated. As insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) underlies both estrogen and progesterone actions and has other direct effects on mammary development and carcinogenesis, we hypothesized that IGF-I inhibition might provide a novel approach for breast cancer chemoprevention.MethodsIn total, 13 women with core breast biopsies diagnostic of atypical hyperplasia (AH) were treated for 10 days with pasireotide, a somatostatin analog which uniquely inhibits IGF-I action in the mammary gland. They then had excision biopsies. 12 patients also had proliferative lesions and one a ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Primary outcomes were changes in cell proliferation and apoptosis after treatment. Expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and phosphorylated Insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-1R), protein kinase B (AKT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) were also assessed. Core and excision biopsies from 14 untreated patients served as non-blinded controls. Hyperglycemia and other side effects were carefully monitored.ResultsPasireotide decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis in all AH (from 3.6 inverted question mark+/- inverted question mark2.6% to 1.3 inverted question mark+/- inverted question mark1.2% and from 0.3 inverted question mark+/- inverted question mark0.2% to 1.5 inverted question mark+/- inverted question mark1.6%, respectively) and proliferative lesions (from 3.8 inverted question mark+/- inverted question mark2.5% to 1.8 inverted question mark+/- inverted question mark1.8% and from 0.3 inverted question mark+/- inverted question mark0.2% to 1.3 inverted question mark+/- inverted question mark0.6%, respectively). The DCIS responded similarly. ER and PR were not affected by pasireotide, while IGF-1R, ERK1/2 and AKT phosphorylation decreased significantly. In contrast, tissue from untreated controls showed no change in cell proliferation or phosphorylation of IGF-1R, AKT or ERK 1/2. Mild to moderate hyperglycemia associated with reduced insulin levels was found. Glucose fell into the normal range after discontinuing treatment. Pasireotide was well tolerated and did not cause symptoms of estrogen deprivation.ConclusionsIGF-I inhibition by pasireotide, acting through the IGF-1R, was associated with decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis in pre-malignant breast lesions and one DCIS. Assuming hyperglycemia can be controlled, these data suggest that inhibiting the IGF-I pathway may prove an effective alternative for breast cancer chemoprevention.Trial registration NCT01372644 Trial date: July 1, 2007.

Endoscopic endonasal surgery has been established as the safest approach to pituitary tumors, yet its role in other common skull base lesions has not been established. To answer this question, we carried out a systematic review of reported series of open and endoscopic endonasal approaches to four major skull base tumors: olfactory groove meningiomas (OGM), tuberculum sellae meningiomas (TSM), craniopharyngiomas (CRA), and clival chordomas (CHO). Data from 162 studies containing 5,701 patients were combined and compared for differences in perioperative mortality, gross total resection (GTR), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, neurological morbidity, post-operative visual function, post-operative anosmia, post-operative diabetes insipidus (DI), and post-operative obesity/hyperphagia. Weighted average rates for each outcome were calculated using relative study size. Our findings indicate similar rates of GTR and perioperative mortality between open and endoscopic approaches for all tumor types. CSF leak was increased after endoscopic surgery. Visual function symptoms were more likely to improve after endoscopic surgery for TSM, CRA, and CHO. Post-operative DI and obesity/hyperphagia were significantly increased after open resection in CRA. Recurrence rates per 1,000 patient-years of follow-up were higher in endoscopy for OGM, TSM, and CHO. Trends for open and endoscopic surgery suggested modest improvement in all outcomes over time. Our observations suggest that endonasal endoscopy is a safe alternative to craniotomy and may be preferred for certain tumor types. However, endoscopic surgery is associated with higher rates of CSF leak, and possibly increased recurrence rates. Prospective study with long-term follow-up is required to verify these preliminary observations.