Evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of oral propranolol in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease and retinal hemangioblastomas: phase III clinical trial

Background von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) is a multisystem cancer syndrome caused by mutations in the VHL gene. Retinal hemangioblastoma is one of the most common tumours, and when it appears near the optic nerve, its treatment is challenging and risky. To date, no treatment has proven effective in changing the course of the disease. This study was designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of propranolol in controlling these tumours. Methods Seven patients were included. All patients took a daily dose of 120 mg of propranolol for 1 year. Clinical variables were assessed at baseline, and at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The primary endpoint of the study was the number and size of retinal hemangioblastomas. On every visit, retinal outcomes and blood biomarkers (such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and miR210) were analysed. Results Number and size of retinal hemangioblastomas remained stable in all patients. All of them had initially increased levels of VEGF and miR210. There was a gradual reabsorption of retinal exudation in two patients, correlating with a progressive decrease of both biomarkers. The only adverse effect reported was hypotension in one patient. Conclusions Propranolol could be used to treat retinal hemangioblastomas in VHL patients, although more studies are needed to determine the ideal dose and long-term effect. VEGF and miR210 should be explored as biomarkers of disease activity. As far as we know, these are the first biomarkers proposed to monitor the VHL disease activity. Trial registration number 2014-003671-30