Update on olfactory neuroblastoma

Fernando Lopez; Abbas Agaimy; Alessandro Franchi; Carlos Suárez; Vincent Vander Poorten; Antti A Mäkitie; Akihiro Homma; Avraham Eisbruch; Kerry D Olsen; Nabil F Saba; Sandra Nuyts; Carl Snyderman; Jonathan J Beitler; June Corry; Ehab Hanna; Henrik Hellquist; Alessandra Rinaldo; Alfio Ferlito

doi:10.1007/s00428-024-03758-z

Update on olfactory neuroblastoma

Virchows Arch. 2024 Feb 22. doi: 10.1007/s00428-024-03758-z. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Fernando Lopez¹, Abbas Agaimy², Alessandro Franchi³, Carlos Suárez⁴, Vincent Vander Poorten⁵, Antti A Mäkitie⁶, Akihiro Homma⁷, Avraham Eisbruch⁸, Kerry D Olsen⁹, Nabil F Saba¹⁰, Sandra Nuyts¹¹, Carl Snyderman¹², Jonathan J Beitler¹³, June Corry¹⁴, Ehab Hanna¹⁵, Henrik Hellquist^{16

17}, Alessandra Rinaldo¹⁸, Alfio Ferlito¹⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, University of Oviedo, ISPA, IUOPA, CIBERONC, Avenida de Roma, S/N, 33011, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. flopez_1981@yahoo.es.
² Institut Für Pathologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
³ Department of Translational Research and of New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
⁴ University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
⁵ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Oncology, Section of Head and Neck Oncology, KU Leuven, and Leuven Cancer Institute, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
⁶ Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Research Program in Systems Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
⁷ Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
⁸ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
⁹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, The Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
¹² Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
¹³ Radiation Oncology, Knox County Health Clinic, Rockland, ME, USA.
¹⁴ Division of Radiation Oncology, GenesisCare Radiation Oncology, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia.
¹⁵ Department of Head & Neck Surgery, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
¹⁶ Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMCB), University of Algarve, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), 8005-139, Faro, Portugal.
¹⁷ Department of Cellular Pathology, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, Lincoln, LN2 5QY, UK.
¹⁸ ENT Unit, Policlinico Città di Udine, Udine, Italy.
¹⁹ Coordinator of International Head and Neck Scientific Group, Padua, Italy.

PMID: 38386106
DOI: 10.1007/s00428-024-03758-z

Abstract

Olfactory neuroblastomas are uncommon malignancies that arise from olfactory receptor cells located high in the nasal cavity. Accurate diagnosis plays a crucial role in determining clinical results and guiding treatment decisions. Diagnosis can be a major challenge for pathologists, especially when dealing with tumours with poor differentiation. The discovery of several molecular and immunohistochemical markers would help to overcome classification difficulties. Due to the paucity of large-scale studies, standardisation of diagnosis, treatment and prediction of outcome remains a challenge. Surgical resection by endoscopic techniques with the addition of postoperative irradiation is the treatment of choice. In addition, it is advisable to consider elective neck irradiation to minimise the risk of nodal recurrence. Molecular characterisation will help not only to make more accurate diagnoses but also to identify specific molecular targets that can be used to develop personalised treatment options tailored to each patient. The present review aims to summarise the current state of knowledge on histopathological diagnosis, the molecular biology and management of this disease.

Keywords: Chemotherapy; Diagnosis; Esthesioneuroblastomas; Molecular characterisation; Olfactory neuroblastomas; Outcomes; Radiotherapy; Sinonasal tumours; Staging system; Surgery.

Publication types

Review