[Merkel cell tumor. Report of case and treatment with octreotide].
Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor of the skin. Prognosis is very poor particularly when systemic disease is present. Surgery, chemo and/or radiotherapy treatment are not able to guarantee long survival and quality of life is also very poor. We know that neuroendocrine tumor can be in possession of receptors for somatostatin; during the past years, these receptors have been demonstrated in vivo by octreoscan. We report a case of a patient suffering from metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma; because he was elderly, neither chemotherapy nor radiotherapy were possible as a consequence of the explosion of the disease after surgery. The presence of receptors for somatostatin analogues (octreoscan) allowed treatment with octreotide causing the immediate disappearance of metastasis. After ten months of treatment the patient presents a complete remission of disease. Octreotide, the most important somatostatin analogue, represents a primary role in the neuroendocrine tumor management; the drug also lacks of toxicity.
Cirillo
F
F
II Divisione di Chirurgia Generale, Istituti Ospitalieri di Cremona.
Filippini
L
L
Lima
G F
GF
Caresana
G
G
Alquati
P
P
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D015282:Octreotide
Tumore a cellule di merkel. Segnalazione di un caso e trattamento con octreotide.