P14.08 Neurological complications of emerging targeted therapies

Abstract

AbstractIntroduction:The development of new biological and immunotherapeutic agents to treat cancer associates unknown neurological toxicities. Crizotinib (Cri), an anaplastic lymphoma kinase and c-ros oncogene 1 hepatocyte growth factor receptor tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, has been approved for the treatment of advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer. Ipilimumab (Ipi), an anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 antibody, was the first agent to demonstrate improved survival in patients with metastatic melanoma. This report describes a patient treated with Ipi showing a not previously reported neurological adverse event; and a patient treated with Cri showing atypical brain metastases.Patients and methods:Patient 1(P1): 66-year-old male with a history of irresectable nasal melanoma, started on Ipi plus concomitant radiotherapy on September/2015, obtaining a radiological partial response. Two months later he developed progressive cognitive impairment, urinary incontinence and gait difficulties. A neuroaxis MRI revealed multiple acute and subacute subcentimeter ischemic lesions with contrast enhancement and restricted diffusion with diffuse FLAIR signal changes. CSF reported protein elevation, normal glucose and mild lymphocytic pleocytosis without neoplastic cells. Microbiological cultures and PCRs were negative. Echocardiography was normal. Patient 2(P2): 54-year-old non-smoker female with lung adenocarcinoma (EGFR wild-type and ALK translocation) and spinal metastatic disease at diagnosis, started on Cri after failure of first-line treatment with cisplatin plus pemetrexed. After 16 cycles, an increase in carcinoembryonic antigen was noted without progression of ganglio-pulmonary disease. Although asymptomatic, CNS progression was suspected and follow-up brain MRI reported multiple bilateral supra and infratentorial large cystic lesions with perilesional edema and no contrast enhancement.Results:P1: primary angiitis of the CNS was suspected, although arteriography was unremarkable. He received high-dose metilprednisolone followed by cyclophosphamide bolus. The inflammatory component of CSF and neurological symptoms presented partial improvement but brain MRI showed a dissociate response. P2: PET scan revealed irregular distribution of the radiotracer and hypometabolic lesions. Follow-up brain MRI revealed stabilization with a perfusion-weighted sequence reporting an increase in the relative cerebral blood volume of the bigger cystic lesion. These features led us to the diagnostic of indolent brain metastases.Conclusions:Early recognition of new neurological patterns of toxicity may lead to drug discontinuation or dose adjustment preventing further neurological deterioration. A better knowledge of these toxicities will help differentiate treatment-related complications from metastatic progression.