Gastrointestinal hormones as potential adjuvant treatment of exocrine pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
CONCLUSIONS
Gastrointestinal hormones and their antagonists can alter the growth of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo. The potential clinical benefit of this approach deserves further study.


BACKGROUND
Epithelial cell growth is normally under hormonal control. Hormones also affect the growth of many epithelial cancers, and this fact is used to modify tumor growth. Pancreatic epithelial cell growth is under the influence of gastrointestinal hormones. This article reviews experiments designed to determine the effect of gastrointestinal hormones on the growth of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.


METHODS
Eighty-eight articles were identified from a Medline search using the terms pancreatic adenocarcinoma and the individual names of gastrointestinal hormones. The experimental design and results of these studies are reviewed.


RESULTS
In general, somatostatin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, pancreatic polypeptide, and pancreastatin inhibit pancreatic adenocarcinoma growth. Cholecystokinin, secretin, bombesin, gastrin, EGF, TGF-alpha, insulin, and IGF-1 have a growth-promoting effect.
Fisher
W E
WE
Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Muscarella
P
P
Boros
L G
LG
Schirmer
W J
WJ
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones; D006131:Growth Inhibitors