PRRT and SARS-COV-2 pandemic: could they live together? The experience of European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Milano Italy

Background-Aim: The importance of timely assistance in oncological patients is undeniable;however it is well known that these patients could have important clinical problems if they were infected by COVID-19, with an increased risk of severe illness and mortality. A recent multicenter Italian study reported a delay both in the beginning of PRRT for new patients (about 45.5% of centers) and in those ones who had already started the treatment (15%), as a direct consequence of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to understand if SARS-CoV2 infection has modified our clinical management, with particular attention to PRRT. Methods: In our ENETS Center of Excellence, the weekly multidisciplinary tumor board never stopped, also during the pandemic period. During these periods, the patients were treated with PRRT in the same way of previous years, remaining one night in Radiometabolic Therapy Unit, according to local laws. During COVID-19 pandemic, the patients received the PCR test the day before the treatment, while the day of PRRT they received a particular triage for avoid admitting patients with Sars-CoV-2 infection. We made a comparison between the number of PRRT cycles (either in clinical practice or in clinical trials) performed at European Institute of Oncology (IEO) from February 2020 to July 2021, with those performed in the previous year (February 2019-January 2020). Results: From February 2019 to January 2020, we performed 10 PRRT cycles, instead in the following months, during and despite of COVID-19 pandemic, from February 2020 to July 2021, we increased the number of patients treated. In fact 126 PRRT cycles were performed without any delay (either in clinical practice or in clinical trials). Only one Italian patient was unable to receive the treatment at IEO because he couldn't travel during lockdown period, so he performed PRRT near home. On the contrary, another patient coming from a different Nation, received PRRT on time. During this period, only two patients were affected by COVID-19 at the end of the treatment even if they were not yet vaccinated and, fortunately, the disease was mild, without consequences. These patients didn't stopped the therapy with SSA during COVID-19 disease. Moreover we performed a dosimetric study in almost all the patients during the first cycle of PRRT. Conclusions: These results focusing on PRRT treatments and COVID-19 pandemic, show that centers with more experience are able to adapt to the new global situation and to the new rules imposed by governments, providing continuity in care without any delay and even to increase the number of treatments.

INTENSIVE: InterNaTional rEgistry oN Sars-cov-2 posItiVe nEuroendocrine neoplasm patients

Background: Data about neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) patients with SARS-CoV-2 are scanty and specific indications for clinical practice are missing. Our aim is to create an international registry about NENs patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 positivity to give a worldwide representation of the situation. Methods: This is an observational retrospective/prospective multicenter survey based on a direct email invitation. All types of NEN are eligible except SCLC and MiNEN. Patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria from March 1st, 2020 up to the end pf pandemic will be recruited. Electronic CRFs are filled out using the REDCap database. Local Institutional Review Board approval is required before data entry. Results: Eighty-one centers, 24 in and 57 outside Italy, representing 39 countries and 5 continents, were contacted. Fourteen centers did not respond and 15 declined the invitation. Among the remaining 52, 6 centers are currently recruiting and 8 are active but not recruiting yet. As of the current abstract submission deadline, 67 patients have been included, mostly GEP-NET (75%), nonfunctioning (86%), metastatic (85%) and on active treatment [47% somatostatin analogs (SSAs), 10% everolimus, 12% tirosin-kinase inhibitors (TKIs), 10% peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), 15% chemotherapy]. Median age at NEN diagnosis was 57 years whilst the median age at SARSCoV-2 diagnosis was 62 years. Almost all patients reported COVID-19-related symptoms, more commonly fever (67% of patients), cough (55%) and dyspnea (51%), in 28% of cases exertional and in 22% at rest. More than one third of patients (n, 24) had a pneumonia. The most common therapies for COVID-19 were antibiotics, steroids and hydroxychloroquine. Eleven patients (16%) needed oxygen therapy, three (4%) sub-intensive care and none intensive care. Fifty-six patients (84%) clinically recovered, six (9%) with sequelae, whereas five (7%) died. Among these latter 4 had a NET and 1 a NEC, and no patients have been receiving chemotherapy. With regard to the anti-tumor therapy no change occurred in 66% of patients, temporary interruption in 30%, and definitive discontinuation in 3%, 2% missing. Conclusions: Most of the NEN patients completely recovered from COVID-19, in many cases without any antitumor therapy adjustment. No clear correlations were observed with type, primary site and treatment of NEN. The recruitment is ongoing.

Impact of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic dissemination on the management of neuroendocrine neoplasia in Italy: a report from the Italian Association for Neuroendocrine Tumors (Itanet).

INTRODUCTION: The organization of the healthcare system has significantly changed after the recent COVID-19 outbreak, with a negative impact on the management of oncological patients. The present survey reports data collected by the Italian Association for Neuroendocrine Tumors on the management of patients with neuroendocrine neoplasia (NEN) during the pandemic dissemination. METHODS: A survey with 57 questions was sent to NEN-dedicated Italian centers regarding the management of patients in the period March 9, 2020, to May 9, 2020 RESULTS: The main modification in the centers' activity consisted of decreases in newly diagnosed NEN patients (- 76.8%), decreases in performed surgical procedures (- 58%), delays to starting peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (45.5%), postponed/canceled follow-up examinations (26%), and canceled multidisciplinary teams' activity (20.8%). A low proportion of centers (< 10%) reported having to withdraw systemic anti-tumor medical treatment due to concerns about the pandemic situation, whereas PRRT was withdrawn from no patients. CONCLUSION: Although the COVID-19 outbreak induced the centers to reduce some important activities in the management of NEN patients, the Italian network was able to provide continuity in care without withdrawing anti-tumor treatment for the majority of patients.

SARS-CoV-2-related pneumonia can be successfully managed in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors: a critical point of view.

Primary neuroendocrine tumors of the thymus are extremely rare. In patients with advanced disease, tumor growth control, and sometimes also syndrome control are the main goals of systemic therapy. Unfortunately, no standard therapies are available in clinical practice; therefore, clinical studies are strongly recommended. Axitinib (AXI) is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, currently under investigation in an international phase II/III trial including thymic neuroendocrine tumors. Over the past 5 months, the entire world has been facing a devastating medical emergency brought about by a pandemic due to a novel coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Since then, health professionals have been expending all their efforts on trying to provide the best available treatments for patients involved. Patients with cancer, especially those with thoracic involvement, are at higher risk of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and its complications because of their immunosuppressive status caused by the cancer and the anticancer therapies. As it remains unclear how to optimally manage such patients, we wished to report our experience with a patient with a metastatic neuroendocrine tumor of the thymus infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the hope that it may provide some insights and reflections on the management of cancer patients during this challenging time in our history.