Treatment with tandem [90Y]DOTA-TATE and [177Lu]DOTA-TATE of neuroendocrine tumours refractory to conventional therapy

Purpose

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with radiolabelled somatostatin analogues has been demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic option in patients with disseminated neuroendocrine tumours (NET). Treatment with tandem [⁹⁰Y]DOTA-TATE and [¹⁷⁷Lu]DOTA-TATE may improve the efficacy of PRRT without increasing the toxicity. In a phase II study we evaluated the feasibility of combined PPRT with a high-energy beta emitter (⁹⁰Y) and a medium-energy beta/gamma emitter (¹⁷⁷Lu) in patients with metastatic NET refractory to conventional therapy.

Methods

A group of 26 patients with metastatic NET were treated with four therapeutic cycles of alternating [¹⁷⁷Lu]DOTA-TATE (5.55 GBq) and [⁹⁰Y]DOTA-TATE (2.6 GBq). A dosimetric evaluation was carried out after administration of [¹⁷⁷Lu]DOTA-TATE to calculate the absorbed doses in healthy organs. The acute and long-term toxicities of repeated treatment were analysed. PRRT efficacy was evaluated according to RECIST.

Results

Administration of tandem [⁹⁰Y]DOTA-TATE and [¹⁷⁷Lu]DOTA-TATE induced objective responses in 42.3 % of patients with metastatic NET with a median progression-free survival longer than 24 months. Of patients with pretreatment carcinoid syndrome, 90 % showed a symptomatic response or a reduction in tumour-associated pain. The cumulative biologically effective doses (BED) were below the toxicity limit in the majority of patients, in the absence of renal function impairment

Conclusion

The results of our study indicates that combined [⁹⁰Y]DOTA-TATE and [¹⁷⁷Lu]DOTA-TATE therapy is a feasible and effective therapeutic option in NET refractory to conventional therapy. Furthermore, the absence of kidney damage and the evaluated cumulative BEDs suggest that increasing the number of tandem administrations is an interesting approach.