Open AccessLong-term durable response to lenalidomide in a patient with hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma
Author(s) -
Maria Caterina Pallotti,
Margherita Nannini,
Claudio Agostinelli,
Simona Leoni,
Valerio Di Scioscio,
Anna Mandrioli,
Cristian Lolli,
Maristella Saponara,
Stefano Pileri,
Luigi Bolondi,
Guido Biasco,
Maria Abbondanza Pantaleo
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v20.i22.7049
Subject(s) - medicine , lenalidomide , epithelioid hemangioendothelioma , bevacizumab , discontinuation , thalidomide , sorafenib , surgery , magnetic resonance imaging , telangiectasia , soft tissue , oncology , gastroenterology , radiology , multiple myeloma , hepatocellular carcinoma , chemotherapy , immunohistochemistry
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EH) is a rare tumor arising from the vascular endothelial cells of soft tissue or visceral organs. The most common visceral site is the liver, where it is often involved in a multifocal manner known as hepatic EH (HEH). Surgical resection with curative intent represents the gold standard therapy. When surgery is not feasible, or in cases of metastatic disease, no standard medical treatment is currently indicated. In small series, drugs with anti-angiogenic activity (such as bevacizumab, sorafenib, thalidomide, and lenalidomide) have been proposed with promising results. We describe a 73-year-old man with multifocal non-resectable HEH treated with lenalidomide. Disease status was evaluated by abdominal ultrasound and magnetic resonance every four months. The patient was treated for a total of 39 mo with prolonged disease stabilization and, at the time of writing, is still under treatment with a good tolerance profile. During a short period of treatment discontinuation, the disease showed slight progression that immediately resolved after the reintroduction of lenalidomide. Lenalidomide may represent a valid treatment option for HEH due to its anti-angiogenic and antineoplastic activities. This preliminary result merits further study in a large series.