title: Combined therapy of somatostatin analogues and dopamine agonists in the treatment of pituitary tumours.
abstract: Pituitary tumours express both somatostatin and dopamine receptors. Medical treatment with somatostatin analogues is a cornerstone of GH- and TSH-secreting tumours, while treatment with dopamine agonists is a cornerstone of prolactin-secreting tumours. Dopamine agonists have also demonstrated some efficacy in patients with GH- and TSH-secreting adenomas. Neither ACTH-secreting nor clinically non-functioning tumours have a well-established medical treatment. Nevertheless, some recent results have indicated a potential usefulness of the dopamine agonist cabergoline in patients with pituitary-dependent Cushing's disease. Combination treatment with both somatostatin analogues and dopamine agonists has been poorly investigated. Some studies conducted in small series have documented an additive effect of both drugs in patients with GH-secreting adenomas. Of mention is that none of the studies were randomised and cross-sectional so that the results should be confirmed by other well-designed studies. No data are available in other pituitary tumour histotypes. Preliminary observations in patients with clinically non-functioning adenomas are very promising.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colao
authors.forename: Mariagiovanna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippella
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pivonello
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Somma
authors.forename: Antongiulio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faggiano
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000187:drug effects; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; D013004:Somatostatin