Results of long‐term continuous subcutaneous octreotide administration in 14 patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma

Abstract

Biological or morphological parameters of medullary thyroid carcinoma are not significantly improved in a large series of patients treated by octreotide.

Somatostatin analogues in the control of neuroendocrine tumours: efficacy and mechanisms

“…The data regarding the effect of SSAs in the treatment of symptomatic MTC are controversial: in one study, this treatment significantly improved symptoms such as diarrhoea, weight loss or malaise in all of the three patients with metastatic MTC, with a parallel decrease in the calcitonin and CEA levels (Mahler et al 1990). In another study, 14 post-thyroidectomy metastatic MTC patients were treated with continuous s.c. infusion of 500 mg/day octreotide, for 90 days (Modigliani et al 1992): continuous infusion of octreotide did not induce any morphological improvement or a significant decrease in calcitonin levels; in four patients, calcitonin levels fell during treatment (between 15% and 50%), while in nine patients, calcitonin increased (from 22% to 130%) after cessation of therapy. In patients with advanced metastatic disease, the administration of octreotide combined with interferon was studied: in a study of eight patients with advanced MTC, patients received octreotide (at a starting dose of 150 mg/day s.c. for 6 months, followed by a dose of 300 mg/day s.c. for another 6 months) combined with recombinant interferon-a-2b (rIFN-a-2b) (at a dose of 5 million IU/day i.m.…”

Medullary Carcinoma of the Thyroid

“…36,55 Limited success has also been found with radio-iodinated metaiodobenzyl guanidine (MIBG) and somatostatin analogs. 56,57 Octreotide therapy can be considered for patients with metastatic disease or refractory diarrhea. 56,58 Trials using 131 I-labeled anti-CEA monoclonal antibodies have shown good tumor uptake and limited antitumor effect in up to 50% of patients for up to 26 months without significant toxicity.…”

“…56,57 Octreotide therapy can be considered for patients with metastatic disease or refractory diarrhea. 56,58 Trials using 131 I-labeled anti-CEA monoclonal antibodies have shown good tumor uptake and limited antitumor effect in up to 50% of patients for up to 26 months without significant toxicity. 59 External beam radiation therapy is generally considered for palliation in metastatic disease.…”

Chemoembolization for Liver Metastases from Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

“…In MTC patients, various combinations of doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, dacarbazine, streptozocin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine have produced response rates around 20% with symptomatic improvement in some; all responses were partial and transient, and no benefit on survival was demonstrated (4 -11). Diarrhea is incompletely controlled by loperamide, and somatostatin analogs and interferon are poorly effective to control symptoms (11,12).…”