The antitumoral effect of the long-acting somatostatin analog lanreotide in neuroendocrine tumors

OBJECTIVE: Somatostatin analogs are the first-line drugs for controlling ho rmone-mediated symptoms of carcinoid tumors. Prospective and retrospective studies have suggested that: somatostatin analogs also have antiproliferati ve activity. The octapeptide lanreotide is available in sustained-release f orm, obviating the need for daily injections. METHODS: A total of 46 patients were enrolled in this open, prospective, ph ase II trial. They received lanreotide 30 mg i.m. every 14 days for 6 month s when they had symptomatic carcinoid! tumors, and lanreotide 30 mg i.m. ev ery 10 days if they had nonsymptomatic tumors. Nonsymptomatic tumors were p rogressive before the start of the study. Tumor size was assessed every 3 m onths by means of computed tomography. The assessment was centralized and w as made by an external panel. RESULTS: In all, 30 patients had symptomatic neuroendocrine tumors and 16 h ad asymptomatic neuroendocrine tumors. Five patients in the group with symp tomatic tumors and two in the group with nonsymptomatic tumors were conside red not to be evaluable. The mean duration of treatment was 12 months in th e group with symptomatic tumors and 13 months in the other group. Among the 39 evaluable patients, two objective responses were obtained, giving an ob jective response rate of 5% tone in the group with symptomatic tumors and o ne in the other group). Nineteen patients had no significant increase in th eir tumor size for a mean of 9.5 months. CONCLUSIONS: Lanreotide is safe and well tolerated in patients with carcino id tumors. It seems to have both symptomatic:and antitumoral effects in thi s setting. (C) 2000 by Am. Cell. of Gastroenterology.