{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]],"date-time":"2026-02-28T12:23:13Z","timestamp":1772281393714,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,30]],"date-time":"2024-08-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1724976000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NETRF)"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Therapeutic options for pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs) refractory to temozolomide are scarce. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), particularly inhibitors of the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) pathway and its ligand (PD-L1), have been experimentally used in aggressive or metastatic PitNETs. We aimed to study the therapeutic usefulness of anti-PD-1 drugs in patients with aggressive or metastatic PitNETs. Published cases and case series involving patients with PitNETs treated with PD-1\/PD-L1 inhibitors were reviewed. Demographic data, clinical\u2013pathological features, previous therapies, drug dosage and posology, and the best radiological and biochemical responses, as well as survival data, were evaluated. We identified 29 cases of aggressive (n = 13) or metastatic (n = 16) PitNETs treated with PD-1\/PD-L1 inhibitors. The hypersecretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was documented in eighteen cases (62.1%), seven were prolactinomas (24.1%), and four were non-functioning PitNETs. All patients underwent various therapies prior to using ICIs. Overall, a positive radiological response (i.e., partial\/complete radiological response and stable disease) was observed in eighteen of twenty-nine cases (62.1%), of which ten and four were ACTH- and prolactin-secreting PitNETs, respectively. Hormonal levels reduced or stabilised after using ICIs in 11 of the 17 functioning PitNET cases with available data (64.7%). The median survival of patients treated with ICIs was 13 months, with a maximum of 42 months in two ACTH-secreting tumours. Among 29 patients with PitNETs treated with PD-1\/PD-L1 inhibitors, the positive radiological and biochemical response rates were 62.1% and 64.7%, respectively. Altogether, these data suggest a promising role of ICIs in patients with aggressive or metastatic PitNETs refractory to other treatment modalities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers16173033","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,2]],"date-time":"2024-09-02T07:59:40Z","timestamp":1725263980000},"page":"3033","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Therapeutical Usefulness of PD-1\/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Aggressive or Metastatic Pituitary Tumours"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6751-6616","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mariana","family":"Lopes-Pinto","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Endocrinology Department, Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade de Santa Maria, Hospital de Santa Maria, 1649-035 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-9490-8427","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ema","family":"Lacerda-Nobre","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Endocrinology Department, Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade de Santa Maria, Hospital de Santa Maria, 1649-035 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4839-8279","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Lu\u00edsa","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto de Sa\u00fade Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Cat\u00f3lica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8873-2203","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedro","family":"Marques","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Cat\u00f3lica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Pituitary Tumor Unit, Endocrinology Department, Hospital CUF Descobertas, 1998-018 Lisbon, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"937","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra1810772","article-title":"Pituitary-Tumor Endocrinopathies","volume":"382","author":"Melmed","year":"2020","journal-title":"N. 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