[Role of somatostatin analogs in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumours]

Minerva Endocrinol. 2001 Sep;26(3):135-43.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

Current therapeutic approaches in neuroendocrine tumours include surgery, radiotherapy and polychemotherapy. Different metabolic patterns of neuroendocrine tumours allow the use of a wide range of diagnostic options in nuclear medicine, due to the presence of a wide spectrum of radiotracers electively concentrating in these neoplasms. Nuclear medicine, and in particular 111In Octreotide (OCT) scintigraphy, 123I Methaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) and pentavalent 99mTc-DMSA (V-DMSA), together with biohumoral markers, are currently able to locate tumours also not detectable using traditional diagnostic techniques. Somatostatin analogs, such as octreotide have become increasingly important over the years in the treatment of patients with neuroendocrine tumours. At present the therapeutic use of somatostatin analogs can be schematised as 1) pharmacological treatment (with cold octreotide); 2) surgical treatment (radioguided surgery); 3) radiometabolic treatment (with marked octreotide). The development of new synthetic molecules and new radiocompounds will probably open up interesting scenarios in the near future.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / surgery
  • Adrenalectomy
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / therapeutic use*
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / radiotherapy
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / surgery
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / radiotherapy
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / surgery
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Humans
  • Indium Radioisotopes
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery
  • Neoplasm Proteins / analysis
  • Neoplasm Proteins / drug effects
  • Neuroendocrine Tumors / diagnostic imaging
  • Neuroendocrine Tumors / drug therapy*
  • Neuroendocrine Tumors / radiotherapy
  • Neuroendocrine Tumors / surgery
  • Octreotide / analogs & derivatives*
  • Octreotide / therapeutic use
  • Pentetic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Pentetic Acid / therapeutic use
  • Pheochromocytoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Pheochromocytoma / drug therapy
  • Pheochromocytoma / radiotherapy
  • Pheochromocytoma / surgery
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / therapeutic use
  • Receptors, Somatostatin / analysis
  • Receptors, Somatostatin / drug effects
  • Somatostatin / analogs & derivatives
  • Somatostatin / therapeutic use*
  • Surgery, Computer-Assisted
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / surgery
  • Thyroidectomy
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
  • Indium Radioisotopes
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Receptors, Somatostatin
  • SDZ 215-811
  • Somatostatin
  • Pentetic Acid
  • Octreotide