Treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer with the long-acting somatostatin analogue lanreotide: in vitro and in vivo results

Fourteen patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma were treated wi th the long-acting somatostatin (SST) analogue lanreotide. No objective res ponse was obtained, and the median survival was 4 months (range 1.8-7 month s). Pancreatic cancer could not be visualized by means of SST-receptor (R) scintigraphy in our patients. In vitro data also demonstrated absence of SS TR2 expression, suggesting pancreatic cancer not to be a potential target f or treatment with SST analogues.