Safety and effectiveness of continuous denosumab for unresectable or advanced giant cell tumor

Introduction. Giant cell tumor of bone is a relatively rare, locally aggressive osteolytic skeletal neoplasm with uncertain behavior: recurrence rates up to 70 % and distant metastases occur 2–6 % of cases. Nowadays denosumab is the choice of therapy for patients  with unresectable  or advanced disease. However,  the efficiency,  duration or administration and most of all safety of continuous denosumab are not established.

Materials and methods.  Fourty advanced or unresectable giant cell tumor cases were observed from 2005 till 2020 in N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology. The average age of pts was 33,6 ± 13,1 years (18–64), and the women and men ratio was about 2,1 : 1. The most commonly affected sites were long bones of the lower extremities (22,5 %), sacrum (22,5 %), long bones of the upper extremities (17,5 %), spine (17,5 %), pelvis (10 %) and others. 70 % of cases were anatomically compounded due to tumor localization and 27,5 % of cases were primary disease. 37,5 % of cases were with pulmonary metastases. Patients underwent computed tomography / magnetic resonance imaging every 3 months during the first three years and then once every six months. Patient received subcutaneous denosumab 120 mg every 4 weeks with a loading dose of 120 mg subcutaneous on study days 8 and 15. After 2 years monthly therapy and confirmed stabilization  effect patient  then  received maintenance  therapy: once in three  months injection. All patients received daily calcium and vitamin D supplement.

Results. Median follow-up was 52,8 ± 41,3 months (3–219 months). The average denosumab injections were 25 ± 16 (4–85). Clinical and radiographically stabilization of the effect occurred on average at 12 ± 8 (4–32) injections. Hypocalcemia was registered in one case (2.5 %). There was significant improvement of Karnofsky scale, Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Watkins scale (p <0.001). 5-year progression-free survival for was 70.1 % (95 % confidence interval 55.7–88.0), the median was not reached. Progression of disease was observed only in subgroup with violations in denosumab administration or its cancellation (32,5 %). 3-year progression-free survival in subgroup with violations in denosumab administration or its cancellation was 10 % (95 % confidence interval 15.5–64.1). In subgroup with continuous denosumab and once in three months injection after 2 years monthly therapy there was no signs of progression.

Conclusions. In this study we showed evidence of safety and effectiveness of continuous denosumab for unresectable or advanced giant cell tumor even with once in three months injection therapy. Denosumab for advanced giant cell tumor of bone became a choice of treatment, but we need further investigation for observation long term denosumab effectiveness and complications.

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