Endocrine Abstracts

Background: NET-related symptoms such as flushing and diarrhoeas as well as disease related worries reduce quality of life in patients with neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is an established treatment in NETs and has been shown to prolong survival. However quality of life data post PRRT is lacking.

Aim: To evaluate the symptoms prevalence, intensity and their relation to quality of life in patients receiving PRRT.

Method: patients (mean age=63, range 36–79; 17 Female and 22 Male) completed 4 cycles of PRRT treatments (7.4 GBq of Lu177-DOTATATE) and filled in QLQ-GINET21 questionnaires before the first session of administration and prior to 3 succeeding treatments were available for analysis. The first questionnaire was used as a baseline.

QLQ-GINET21 is a disease-specific module, intended for use among patients with gut related carcinoid in varying disease stage. The response format of the questionnaire is a 4-point Likert scale with higher scores reflecting more severe symptoms. Responses to the questionnaire were linearly transformed to a 0–100 scale using European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) guidelines.

The individual categories were analysed, looking at the mean change in score. In addition the global score (S) was evaluated according to EORTC guidelines.

Result: Results analysed according to change in overall score and change in category score.

See Table 1.

The mean scores within all categories (except treatment related effects) were reduced after 1 treatment and remained reduced prior to the 4th cycle of treatment (see table). The biggest changes were seen in disease related worries followed by SF21 and ED.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates improved quality of life, reduction of symptoms, improved emotional and social function scale in patients who have received PRRT with improvement seen as quickly as after 1 cycle of treatment.