Gastrointestinal hormones as potential adjuvant treatment of exocrine pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Conclusion. Gastrointestinal hormones and their antagonists can alter the g rowth of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo. The potential clin ical benefit of this approach deserves further study. Background. Epithelial cell growth is normally under hormonal control. Horm ones also affect the growth of many epithelial cancers, and this fact is us ed to modify tumor growth. Pancreatic epithelial cell growth is under the i nfluence of gastrointestinal hormones. This article reviews experiments des igned to determine the effect of gastrointestinal hormones on the growth of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods. Eighty-eight articles were identified from a Medline search using the terms pancreatic adenocarcinoma and the individual names of gastrointes tinal hormones. The experimental design and results of these studies are re viewed. Results. In general, somatostatin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, pancr eatic polypeptide, and pancreastatin inhibit pancreatic adenocarcinoma grow th. Cholecystokinin, secretin, bombesin, gastrin, EGF, TGF-alpha, insulin, and IGF-1 have a growth-promoting effect.