Biologics: Targets & Therapy (Dec 2017)
Octreotide long-acting repeatable in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors: patient selection and perspectives
Abstract
Hanford Yau,1 Mustafa Kinaan,2 Suzanne L Quinn,3 Andreas G Moraitis3 1Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of California, San Francisco (Fresno Division), Fresno, CA, USA; 2Division of Internal Medicine, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA; 3Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Orlando VA Medical Center, Orlando, FL, USA Abstract: Over the past three decades, the incidence and prevalence of neuroendocrine tumors have gradually increased. Due to the slow-growing nature of these tumors, most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages. Prognosis and survival are associated with location of primary lesion, biochemical functional status, differentiation, initial staging, and response to therapy. Octreotide, the first synthetic somatostatin analog, was initially used for the management of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with functional carcinoid tumors. Its commercial development over time led to long-acting repeatable octreotide acetate, a long-acting version that provided greater administration convenience. Recent research demonstrates that octreotide’s efficacy has evolved beyond symptomatic management to targeted therapy with antitumoral effects. This review examines the history and development of octreotide, provides a synopsis on the classification, grading, and staging of neuroendocrine tumors, and reviews the evidence of long-acting repeatable octreotide acetate as monotherapy and in combination with other treatment modalities in the management of non-pituitary neuroendocrine tumors with special attention to recent high-quality Phase III trials. Keywords: carcinoid, everolimus, neuroendocrine tumor, octreotide LAR, somatostatin analog, ITMO, NETTER-1, PROMID, RADIANT-2
