title: Four-year treatment with octreotide-long-acting repeatable in 110 acromegalic patients: predictive value of short-term results?
abstract: The effects of a very prolonged treatment with octreotide (OC)-long-acting repeatable (LAR) were retrospectively evaluated in 110 patients with acromegaly, showing a GH/IGF-I decrease of at least 20% vs. baseline after a short-term (6-month) OC-LAR challenge. OC-LAR was given (20 mg, im, every 28 d for 3 injections, then individually tailored) as adjuvant treatment (AT) in 59. The other 51 [primary treatment (PT)] were naive or previously treated by pharmacotherapy. IGF-I normalized in 83 patients [75%; from 770 +/- 26 (mean +/- SE) to 276 +/- 15 micro g/liter; P < 0.0001; median follow-up, 30 months; range, 18-54 months). A progressive increase in the rate of IGF-I normalization was observed. GH fell to less than 2.5 micro g/liter in 72% and to less than 1 micro g/liter in 27% (from 20.7 +/- 2.4 to 2.2 +/- 0.2 micro g/liter; P < 0.0001). PT and AT patients achieved similar final GH/IGF-I levels and rates of normalization. Patients attaining safe GH and normal IGF-I had GH levels below 5 micro g/liter after 3 months and IGF-I levels below 550 micro g/liter after 6 months. No tachyphylaxis was observed. The up-titration to 30 mg improved IGF-I suppression. Elderly patients had greater sensitivity. Tumor shrank in 46% of assessable patients, in 77% of PT patients, and in 91% of naive patients. The powerful suppression of GH/IGF-I levels without tachyphylaxis, the finding of progressive increase in the rate of IGF-I normalization and of superimposable effects in PT and AT patients, and the predictive value of short-term results support the role of PT of acromegaly with OC-LAR in at least some patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Ospedale Niguarda, I-20162 Milan, Italy. renatocozzi@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Attanasio
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montini
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pagani
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lasio
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lodrini
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barausse
authors.forename: Mascia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albizzi
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dallabonzana
authors.forename: Alberto M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pedroncelli
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006728:Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015282:Octreotide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D015282:Octreotide