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Somatostatin-based radiopeptide therapy with [177Lu-DOTA]-TOC versus [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in neuroendocrine tumours

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging volume 41, pages 214–222 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

Somatostatin-based radiopeptide treatment is generally performed using the β-emitting radionuclides 90Y or 177Lu. The present study aimed at comparing benefits and harms of both therapeutic approaches.

Methods

In a comparative cohort study, patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumours underwent repeated cycles of [90Y-DOTA]-TOC or [177Lu-DOTA]-TOC until progression of disease or permanent adverse events. Multivariable Cox regression and competing risks regression were employed to examine predictors of survival and adverse events for both treatment groups.

Results

Overall, 910 patients underwent 1,804 cycles of [90Y-DOTA]-TOC and 141 patients underwent 259 cycles of [177Lu-DOTA]-TOC. The median survival after [177Lu-DOTA]-TOC and after [90Y-DOTA]-TOC was comparable (45.5 months versus 35.9 months, hazard ratio 0.91, 95 % confidence interval 0.63–1.30, p = 0.49). Subgroup analyses revealed a significantly longer survival for [177Lu-DOTA]-TOC over [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in patients with low tumour uptake, solitary lesions and extra-hepatic lesions. The rate of severe transient haematotoxicities was lower after [177Lu-DOTA]-TOC treatment (1.4 vs 10.1 %, p = 0.001), while the rate of severe permanent renal toxicities was similar in both treatment groups (9.2 vs 7.8 %, p = 0.32).

Conclusion

The present results revealed no difference in median overall survival after [177Lu-DOTA]-TOC and [90Y-DOTA]-TOC. Furthermore, [177Lu-DOTA]-TOC was less haematotoxic than [90Y-DOTA]-TOC.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all patients and referring institutions for participation. Furthermore, we thank our nursing, laboratory and technical staff for their support. Lastly, we are grateful for the input of Thomas Krause on the manuscript.

Conflicts of interest

None.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    A. Romer, D. Seiler, N. Marincek, P. Brunner, Q. K. T. Ng, J. Müller-Brand & M. A. Walter

  2. Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Bern, Haller Building, Freiburgstrasse 4, 3010, Bern, Switzerland

    N. Marincek, M. Briel & M. A. Walter

  3. Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    M. T. Koller & M. Briel

  4. Division of Radiochemistry, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    H. R. Maecke

  5. Department of Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    C. Rochlitz

  6. Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

    M. Briel

  7. Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    C. Schindler

Authors
  1. A. Romer
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  2. D. Seiler
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  3. N. Marincek
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  4. P. Brunner
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  5. M. T. Koller
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  6. Q. K. T. Ng
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  7. H. R. Maecke
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  8. J. Müller-Brand
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  9. C. Rochlitz
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  10. M. Briel
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  11. C. Schindler
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  12. M. A. Walter
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. A. Walter.

Additional information

A. Romer and D. Seiler contributed equally to this work.

Electronic supplementary material

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Supplementary Table A

Hazard ratios for overall survival 1, 2 and 5 years after start of DOTA-TOC therapy (n=1051) (DOC 52 kb)

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Romer, A., Seiler, D., Marincek, N. et al. Somatostatin-based radiopeptide therapy with [177Lu-DOTA]-TOC versus [90Y-DOTA]-TOC in neuroendocrine tumours. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 41, 214–222 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2559-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-013-2559-8

Keywords

  • Yttrium
  • Lutetium
  • Somatostatin
  • Survival
  • Neuroendocrine tumour