Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Event-free survival of pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG) is poor, and patients often require multiple treatment strategies. The hallmark of pLGGs are genetic aberrations of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, which lead to constitutive pathway activation. MEK and RAF inhibitors target this pathway and are efficacious in early phase trials in recurrent pLGGs. However, not all patients respond to monotherapy, and many experience progression after completion of therapy. Evaluating combination therapies that may enhance efficacy or prolong disease stabilization is warranted. Lenalidomide is an immunomodulatory agent with an anti-tumor effect demonstrated in phase 1 trials in recurrent pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors. OBJECTIVE: To describe our institutional experience using concurrent trametinib and lenalidomide in the treatment of primary pediatric central and peripheral nervous system (PNS) tumors. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients’ medical records. RESULTS: Four patients with locally recurrent primary CNS or PNS tumors, three with WHO grade II pilomyxoid astrocytomas and one with a plexiform neurofibroma, were treated with trametinib and lenalidomide concurrently. Two patients developed severe thromboembolic events. One patient was treated with combination therapy for seven months until trametinib and lenalidomide were held after urgent ventriculoperitoneal shunt revision. Shortly following shunt revision, he experienced near-complete vision loss. MRI of the brain demonstrated a left posterior watershed territory hypoxic-ischemic injury. In a second patient, after four months of combination therapy, surveillance echocardiogram showed an incidental finding of severe biventricular dysfunction with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 17.7% and two mural thrombi in the left ventricular apex. She started losartan and enoxaparin and discontinued trametinib and lenalidomide. Her LVEF normalized four months later, and the mural thrombi resolved. CONCLUSIONS: Given the severe thromboembolic events experienced by these patients treated with concomitant trametinib and lenalidomide, this combination requires further investigation, and we urge caution if used concurrently.

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