Pulmonary BRAF-driven Langerhans cell histiocytosis following selpercatinib use in metastatic medullary thyroid cancer

Abstract

Summary

RET mutations are implicated in 60% of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) cases. The RET-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor selpercatinib is associated with unprecedented efficacy compared to previous multi-kinase treatments. Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a clonal histiocytic neoplasm usually driven by somatic BRAF mutations, resulting in dysregulated MAPK signalling. We describe a 22-year-old woman with metastatic MTC to regional lymph nodes, lung and liver. Tumour tissue harboured a somatic pathogenic RET variant p.(M918T) and selpercatinib was commenced. She experienced sustained clinical, biochemical and radiological responses. Two years later, she developed rapidly progressive apical lung nodules, prompting biopsy. Histopathology demonstrated LCH with a rare BRAF variant p.(V600_K601>D). The lung nodules improved with inhaled corticosteroids. We hypothesize that selective pressure from RET blockade may have activated a downstream somatic BRAF mutation, resulting in pulmonary LCH. We recommend continued vigilance for neoplasms driven by dysregulated downstream MAPK signalling in patients undergoing selective RET inhibition.

Learning points

• Patients with RET-altered MTC can experience rapid disease improvement and sustained disease stability with selective RET blockade (selpercatinib).

• LCH is a clonal neoplasm driven by MAPK activation, for which the most common mechanism is BRAF mutation.

• Both MTC and pulmonary LCH are driven by dysregulated MAPK signalling pathway activation.

• We hypothesise that the RET-specific inhibitor selpercatinib may have caused the activation of dormant LCH secondary to selective pressure and clonal proliferation.