Long-Term Outcomes of Submaximal Activities of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy with 177 Lu-DOTATATE in Neuroendocrine Tumor Patients

In the literature, up to 45% of neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients who are treated with Lu-DOTATATE peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) do not receive the intended cumulative activity of 29.6 GBq (800 mCi). The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of submaximal activities of PRRT in patients who discontinued treatment for non-disease-related reasons. We retrospectively included patients with well-differentiated and advanced NETs who underwent PRRT from 2000 until 2019 and did not receive 29.6 GBq of Lu-DOTATATE. For comparison, we selected control NET patients who received the intended cumulative activity of 29.6 GBq of Lu-DOTATATE between 2000 and 2012. Primary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and tumor response, and the secondary outcome was overall survival (OS). In total, 243 patients received 3.7-27.8 GBq. In 130 patients, the submaximal activity was unrelated to disease (e.g., bone marrow and renal toxicity in 48% and maximal renal absorbed dose in 23%), and they were included. Patients receiving a reduced activity had more bone metastases, a lower body mass index and albumin level, a higher alkaline phosphatase level, and fewer grade 1 tumors than the 350 patients included in the control group. The disease control rate in the reduced-activity group was 85%, compared with 93% for the control group ( = 0.011). The median PFS (95% CI) was 23 mo (range, 21-26 mo) for the reduced-activity group and 31 mo (range, 27-35 mo) for the control group ( = 0.001), and the median OS (95% CI) was 34 mo (range, 28-40 mo) and 60 mo (range, 53-67 mo), respectively ( < 0.0001). With adjustment for relevant confounders in the multivariable Cox regression analyses, cumulative activity was an independent predictor of both PFS and OS. In NET patients treated with a cumulative activity of less than 29.6 GBq of Lu-DOTATATE, PRRT was less efficacious in tumor response and survival than in patients who received 29.6 GBq.