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New endpoints in adrenocortical carcinoma studies: a mini review

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Abstract

Purpose

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a very rare and aggressive malignant disease. Therefore, overall survival (OS) has long been considered as the best endpoint. Yet, a unique endpoint is not optimal to take into account the heterogeneity in tumor profile and the diversification of therapeutic option. The purpose of this mini review was to describe endpoints used in the past, present and future in the field of ACC.

Methods

Pubmed and Clinicaltrial.gov were used to identify relevant studies.

Results

Before year 2000 only three endpoints were regularly used: OS, recurrence-free survival (RFS) and response rate. These endpoints were used because ACC was seen as a homogeneous diseases with a high recurrence rate and low rate of long-term survival. Since 2000; along with the apparition of new class of drug, progression-free survival (PFS) has been more and more used. Other endpoints as “time to chemotherapy” or “Progression-free survival 2” were used to evaluate multimodal therapies or treatment with a delayed action. Finally, there is a hope that in the near future, quality of life along with other patient-reported outcomes may be used more frequently.

Conclusion

While OS and PFS are currently the most used endpoints in ACC, new endpoints are needed to better take into account the challenges offered by different situations and treatment strategies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department de Chirurgie Oncologique, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France

    Matthieu Faron

  2. INSERM 1018, Equipe Oncostat, Université Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Matthieu Faron

  3. Service d’oncologie Endocrinienne, Département d’imagerie, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France

    Livia Lamartina, Sophie Moog, Julien Hadoux & Eric Baudin

  4. Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Institute Curie, Saint-Cloud, France

    Segolene Hescot

  5. Service de Radiologie Interventionelle, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France

    Frederic Deschamps & Charles Roux

  6. Coordinator of the INCA-COMETE Network, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France

    Rosella Libe

  7. Service d’Endocrinologie, Cochin Hospital, Paris, France

    Rosella Libe

  8. Service de d’onco-radiothérapie, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France

    Jerome Durand-Labrunie

  9. Service d’anatomopathologie, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France

    Abir Al Ghuzlan

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  1. Matthieu Faron
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Contributions

The conception of the study was done by E.B. The literature search was done by M.F. The first draft of the manuscript was written by M.F. and E.B. and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthieu Faron.

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Conflict of interest

Directly related to the present work: E.B., M.F. and R.L. have served on an advisory board for HRA Pharma. S.H. received travel grant from HRA Pharma. Not related to the present work: J.H.: Board (IPSEN, Pharma Mar, Lilly, Roche, AAA), Travel support (AAA, IPSEN), Research: (Novartis). L.L.: tumor board (IPSEN, Bayer, EISAI), Honoraria (EISAI, LILLY), Travel Grant (AAA, Novartis). S.H.: Board (Eisai, AAA), Travel support (Ipsen, AAA), Research (HRA Pharma, Ipsen). E.B.: Expert board (Ipsen, Novartis, AAA, Pfizer, Hutchinson Pharma), Research grant: (Novartis, HRA), Principal investigator (Ipsen), Drug supply (Pfizer, AAA). M.F.: Board (HRA Pharma), Honoraria (VIFOR Pharma), Travel Grant (Novartis, Ipsen).

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Faron, M., Lamartina, L., Hescot, S. et al. New endpoints in adrenocortical carcinoma studies: a mini review. Endocrine 77, 419–424 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-022-03128-2

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