title: [Therapy of metastatic medullary thyroid gland carcinoma with the somatostatin analog octreotide].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Medullary thyroid carcinoma like other neuroendocrine tumors express somatostatin receptors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antisecretory and antiproliferative effects of the long-acting somatostatin analog octreotide should be evaluated in a prospective study in 7 patients with metastasizing medullary thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with octreotide in daily doses between 100 and 1000 micrograms resulted in a remission lasting up to 12 months in 2 of 7 patients. A decrease of tumor marker levels was observed in 2 patients, improvement of diarrhea and a remission of a lymph node metastasis in one of these.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This minor therapeutic effect may be due to the relatively low density of receptors or with a low affinity of the receptors expressed in medullary thyroid carcinoma to octreotide.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Universitätsklinik Heidelberg, Abteilung Innere Medizin I, Endokrinologie und Stoffwechsel.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frank-Raue
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raue
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ziegler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D015282:Octreotide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D015282:Octreotide