External Beam Radiotherapy in Advanced Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: An Observation of a Rare Abscopal Effect

Aiko Terakawa; Akiyo Tanabe; Hidetsugu Nakayama; Ryogo Minamimoto

doi:10.1210/jcemcr/luad111

External Beam Radiotherapy in Advanced Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: An Observation of a Rare Abscopal Effect

JCEM Case Rep. 2023 Sep 21;1(5):luad111. doi: 10.1210/jcemcr/luad111. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Aiko Terakawa¹, Akiyo Tanabe¹, Hidetsugu Nakayama², Ryogo Minamimoto³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.
² Department of Radiation Oncology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.
³ Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.

Abstract

Metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma are incurable, and effective treatment of systemic symptoms resulting from catecholamine excess and local symptoms from tumor growth are crucial to prolong survival and improve quality of life. We report the first case of metastatic pheochromocytoma wherein external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) demonstrated efficacy in both target and nontarget lesions, demonstrating the "abscopal effect." EBRT reduced tumor volume and catecholamine secretion and improved catecholamine excess-related complications, including glycemic control. EBRT is an effective treatment option for metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma because of its minimal invasiveness, safety, and potential for the rare abscopal effect.

Keywords: abscopal effect; catecholamine; external beam radiotherapy; metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Publication types

Case Reports