Experimental and clinical studies with somatostatin analogue octreotide in small cell lung cancer.
We have detected somatostatin receptors (SSR) by autoradiography in 3/4 established small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines but not in two non-SCLC cell lines. The growth of 1/3 SSR positive SCLC cell lines was significantly inhibited by the long-acting somatostatin analogue octreotide (SMS 201-995, Sandostatin) 10(-9) M. We treated 20 SCLC patients with octreotide 250 micrograms three times daily for 1 week prechemotherapy (six patients) or at relapse after chemotherapy (14). Octreotide was well tolerated, and serum insulin-like growth factor-I levels were suppressed to 62 +/- 7% of pre-treatment levels. However there was no evidence of anti-tumour activity measured by tumour bulk or serum levels of neuron-specific enolase. In one patient metastatic skin nodules were shown to be SSR positive before and at the end of 2 weeks octreotide. Despite this the patient had progressive disease, and tumour cells obtained by fine needle aspirate before and after treatment showed no growth inhibition when cultured with octreotide immediately or following establishment as a cell line. In summary we saw little correlation between SSR expression and growth inhibition by octreotide, either in vitro or clinically.
Macaulay
V M
VM
Lung Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, UK.
Smith
I E
IE
Everard
M J
MJ
Teale
J D
JD
Reubi
J C
JC
Millar
J L
JL
D000818:Animals; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008875:Middle Aged; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D015282:Octreotide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D015282:Octreotide; D013936:Thymidine