SOMATOSTATIN RECEPTOR SCINTIGRAPHY AND THERAPY OF NEUROENDOCRINE (APUD) TUMORS OF THE HEAD AND NECK

Through the development of somatostatin scintigraphy with the labeled somatostatin analog Indium(111)-Octreotide, it has recently become pos sible to accurately diagnose primary tumors of the APUD system as well as their metastases, since these tumors usually have somatostatin rec eptors. Experience with this method is already available for endocrine and exocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, neuroendocrine and breast tumors, small cell bronchial carcinomas and certain lymphomas. In the present study, this new diagnostic technique was used for the first time in various head and neck tumors (carcinoid of the larynx, M erkel cell tumor, glomus tumor of the carotid and glomus jugulare tumo r). Concurrently, some of these rumors shown by this diagnostic method to be somatostatin receptor positive were treated using the somatosta tin analog Octreotide, a therapeutic approach new for the ENT-specialt y. Our initial results prove that the detection of the ENT tumors whic h we studied by means of receptor scintigraphy is reliable. The prelim inary results of this Octreotide therapy show a growth inhibitory effe ct, especially for those tumors of the head and neck which are inopera ble or are difficult to approach surgically.