Cushing’s Awareness Challenge: Day 10

robin-tests

Gee, I’m an underachiever. LOL I only had one IPSS and one pituitary surgery.

While I was at NIH, my MRIs still showed nothing, so they did an Inferior Petrosal Sinus Sampling Test. That scared me more than the prospect of surgery. (This test carries the risk of stroke and uncontrollable bleeding from the incision points.) Catheters were fed from my groin area to my pituitary gland and dye was injected. I could watch the whole procedure on monitors.

I could not move during this test or for several hours afterwards to prevent uncontrollable bleeding from a major artery. The test did show where the tumor probably was located.

Also done were more sophisticated dexamethasone suppression tests where drugs were administered by IV and blood was drawn every hour (they put a heplock in my arm so they didn’t have to keep sticking me). I got to go home for a weekend and then went back for the surgery – the Transsphenoidal Resection. I fully expected to die during surgery (and didn’t care if I did) so I signed my will and wrote last letters to those I wanted to say goodbye to.

During the time I was home just before surgery, a college classmate of mine (I didn’t know her) did die at NIH of a Cushing’s-related problem. I’m so glad I didn’t find out until a couple months later!

maryo colorful zebra

Cushing’s Awareness Challenge, Day 7

A Cushing’s diagnosis can be a long and frustrating event with testing, repeat testing, redoing testing.

Sometimes, I think that this was the path that some of my UFCs took on the way to my diagnosis:

 

cushie-diagnosis

 

It took three years from 1983 to 1986 before doctors would consider testing me for Cushing’s, even though I was sure that this was what my problem was.

My first 24-hour urine free cortisol was run by a Hematologist/Oncologist.  After that, things seemed to move a little better, if not faster.  That UFC got me to my first endo.

The Endocrinologist, of course, didn’t trust the other test so I was back to square one. He ran his own multitude of tests. He had to draw blood at certain times like 9 AM. and 5 PM. There was a dexamethasone suppression test where I took a pill at 10 p.m. and gave blood at 9 am the next day.

ufcI collected gallons of urine in BIG boxes (Fun in the fridge!). Those were from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. to be delivered to his office by 9 a.m. same day. I was always worried that I’d be stopped in rush hour and the police would ask about what was in that big container. I did those daily for a week.

When the endo confirmed that I had Cushing’s in 1987 he sent me to a local hospital where they repeated all those same tests for another week and decided that it was not my adrenal gland (Cushing’s Syndrome) creating the problem. The doctors and nurses had no idea what to do with me, so they put me on the brain cancer ward.

When I left this hospital after a week, we didn’t know any more than we had before.

As luck would have it, NIH (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland) was doing a clinical trial of Cushing’s. I live in the same area as NIH so it was not too inconvenient but very scary at first to think of being tested there. At that time I only had a choice of NIH, Mayo Clinic and a place in Quebec to do this then-rare pituitary surgery called a Transsphenoidal Resection. I chose NIH – closest and free. After I was interviewed by the Doctors there, I got a letter that I had been accepted into the clinical trial. The first time I was there was for 6 weeks as an inpatient. More of the same tests.

Six weeks of daily UFC testing.  To this day, I still remember nurses waking me just after 6 am to “close out your urine”.  Sounded like a bank account!

The testing pathway today looks a little more organized but it still takes far too long:

testing-cushings

 

 

Outcome of Bilateral Adrenalectomy in Cushing’s Syndrome: A Systematic Review

  1. Katrin Ritzel,
  2. Felix Beuschlein,
  3. Anne Mickisch,
  4. Andrea Osswald,
  5. Harald J. Schneider,
  6. Jochen Schopohl and
  7. Martin Reincke

Author Affiliations


  1. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, D-80336 München, Germany
  1. Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Martin Reincke, M.D., Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Ziemssenstrasse 1, D-80336 München, Germany. E-mail:Martin.Reincke@med.uni-muenchen.de.

Abstract

Background: The outcome of bilateral adrenalectomy (BADx) in patients with Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is not well characterized.

Methods: A literature search was performed with the search terms “bilateral adrenalectomy” or “total adrenalectomy” and “Cushing’s” or “Cushing.” Immediate and long-term outcomes after BADx in CS were analyzed using descriptive statistics (median [range]).

Results: From 549 screened publications, 37 studies met inclusion criteria (1320 patients, 82% having Cushing’s disease [CD], 13% having ectopic CS, and 5% having primary adrenal hyperplasia).

Surgical morbidity and mortality of BADx (23 studies, 739 patients) were 18% (6–31) and 3% (0–15), respectively. In patients with CD, surgical mortality was below 1%. Although residual cortisol secretion due to accessory adrenal tissue or adrenal remnants was found in 3–34% (5 studies, 236 patients), less than 2% had a relapse of CS.

Symptoms of hypercortisolism (eg, hypertension, obesity, or depression) improved in the majority of the patients after BADx (7 studies, 195 patients). The number of adrenal crises per 100 patient-years was 9.3 (6 studies, 203 patients).

Nelson’s syndrome occurred in 21% (0–47) of the patients (24 studies, 768 patients). Mortality (23 studies, 690 patients) was 17% (0–88) at a follow-up of 41 months (14–294). Remarkably, 46% of the patients died in the first year after surgery. The median ages at death were 62 years (CD) and 53 years (ectopic CS).

Conclusion: BADx is relatively safe and provides adequate success. Excess mortality within the first year after surgery suggests that intensive clinical care for patients after BADx is warranted.

Footnotes

  • For editorial see page 3974

  • Abbreviations:

    BADx
    bilateral adrenalectomy
    BAH
    bilateral adrenal hypercortisolism
    CD
    Cushing’s disease
    CS
    Cushing’s syndrome
    ECS
    ectopic CS
    NS
    Nelson’s syndrome
    QOL
    quality of life
    TSS
    transsphenoidal surgery.

     

From http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/98/10/3939.abstract

NIH: An Open-Label Study of The Safety, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Mifepristone in Children With Refractory Cushing’s Disease

This study is currently recruiting participants.

Summary

Number 13-CH-0170
Sponsoring Institute National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Recruitment Detail Type: Participants currently recruited/enrolled
Gender: Male & Female
Min Age: 6
Max Age: 17
Referral Letter Required No
Population Exclusion(s) None
Special Instructions Currently Not Provided
Keywords Child;
Cushing Syndrome;
Metabolism;
Mifepristone;
Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic
Recruitment Keyword(s) None
Condition(s) Cushing’s Syndrome;
Cushing Syndrome
Investigational Drug(s) Mifepristone
Investigational Device(s) None
Intervention(s) Drug: mifepristone
Supporting Site National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Background:

– There are currently no approved therapies for children with Cushing’s disease who are not cured by surgery alone. A drug called mifepristone has been approved to treat adults with Cushing’s syndrome and elevated blood glucose caused by Cushing’s. The drug is marketed under the name Korlym(Registered Trademark). The study drug may have a different effect on a child’s body than an adult’s, so researchers want to know how much of the drug to give children and what effect it will have. They want to learn if mifepristone improves Cushing’s disease in children as it does in adults. They also want to know about the drug’s side effects in children.

Objectives:

– To study the effect of a medication called mifepristone in children with Cushing’s disease that has not been helped by pituitary surgery.

Eligibility:

– Children ages 6 to 17 with active Cushing’s disease following pituitary surgery and who have a body weight higher than expected for their height and age.

Design:

– Participants will be screened for up to 8 weeks with a physical exam, medical history, and medical tests including blood tests and X-rays.

– Participants will take tablets of the study drug each day for 12 weeks.

– Participants will stay at the clinic for 4 nights at the beginning of the study. They will have three 1-day visits during the study. They will stay at the clinic the last 3 days of the study.

– At these visits, participants will be given several tests. In one test, a small wire is inserted under the skin of the belly and a small monitor is attached taped to the belly. In another, the participant drinks a liquid and blood samples are taken.

– Follow-up visits will occur 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the study ends.

–Back to Top–

Eligibility

INCLUSION CRITERIAPatients who are eligible for enrollment must meet the following eligibility criteria:

– Males and females 6-17 years at informed consent

– Active Cushing’s disease as demonstrated by the following:

–24 hour Urinary Free Cortisol greater than the upper limit of normal for age on two urine collections during screening and

— midnight serum cortisol > 4.4 mcg/dL (mean of two determinations on a single day at 2330 and 2400 during screening)

– Previous trans-sphenoidal surgery (TSS) for ACTH secreting pituitary tumor at least 3 months prior to screening

– Increased body weight defined by BMI Z-score of 1.5 or above

– Able to provide consent/assent

– Able to swallow study drug tablets (not crushed or split)

– Willing to use non-hormonal method of contraception in patients of reproductive potential

– Primary health care provider in home location

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

– Hypercortisolism not due to Cushing’s disease.

– Type 1 diabetes mellitus

– HbA1c geater than or equal to 9.5% at Screening

– Body weight < 25 kg

– Use of certain medications that are CYP3A substrates with narrow therapeutic ranges, such as simvastatin, lovastatin, cyclosporine, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, fentanyl, pimozide, quinidine, sirolimus, and tacrolimus during the 4 weeks prior to starting study drug. Use of these medications is also prohibited until 2 weeks after end of dosing.

– Use of certain medications that are strong CYP3A inhibitors such as itraconazole, nefazodone, ritonavir, nelfinavir, indinavir, atazanavir, amprenavir, fosamprenavir, boceprevir, clarithromycin, conivaptan, lopinavir, mibefradil, posaconazole, saquinavir, telaprevir, telithromycin, and voriconazole during the 2 weeks prior to starting study drug.

Use of these medications is also prohibited until 2 weeks after end of dosing. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice are prohibited during this time frame.

– Use of certain medications that are strong inducers on CYP3A such as rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentin, phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, St. John’s wort during the 2 weeks prior to starting study drug. Use of these medications is also prohibited until 2 weeks after end of dosing.

– Use of medications used to treat hypercortisolism from the duration indicated below prior to Day 1. Use of the medications is also prohibited until after the end of study 4 week follow up visit.

–steroidogenesis inhibitors such as ketoconazole, metyrapone: 4 weeks

–cabergoline, bromocriptine, somatostatin analogs such as octreotide, lanreotide, pasireotide long acting formulations: 8 weeks (immediate release formulations: 2 weeks)

–mitotane: 8 weeks

– Use of systemic glucocorticoid medications beginning 1 month prior to screening or anticipated use of these medications except for the treatment of adrenal insufficiency. Use of glucocorticoid medications is prohibited during the study until after the end of study 4 week study visit.

– Inflammatory, rheumatological, proliferative or other disorder(s) that would be anticipated to worsen with glucocorticoid blockade (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, etc.).

– Uncontrolled hypo- or hyperthyroidism.

– Uncorrected hypokalemia (< 3.5 mEq/L). The screening period may be used to correct hypokalemia prior to starting study drug. Use of potassium and/or mineralocorticoid antagonists is permitted during the study.

– QTc geater than or equal to 450 msec on Screening electrocardiogram

– Unexplained vaginal bleeding in females and/or any history of endometrial pathology.

– Positive pregnancy test in females.

From http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/cgi/detail.cgi?A_2013-CH-0170.html

Bio Categories

Chemical structure of cortisol.

Chemical structure of cortisol. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

List of all the categories from Cushing’s Bios