title: [Neuroendocrine target therapies for prostate cancer].
abstract: It is important to determine whether an increase in Chromogranin A levels and neuroendocrine (NE) cell activation are associated with progression towards on hormone-independent prostate-cancer. We proposed a combination of estrogens and somatostatin analogues as therapy of NE activation in hormone-independent prostate cancer. The combined therapy with ethinyl estradiol and lanreotide offered objective and symptomatic responses in patients with limited treatment options and refractoriness to conventional hormonal therapy strategies; in particular, it offered a median overall survival that was superior to the 10-month median survival in patients with hormone refractory disease. This combined therapy also sustains the new concept in cancer treatment in which therapies may target not only cancer cells but also its microenvironment, which can yield protection against apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Ginecologico Ostetriche e Scienze Urologiche, Università di Roma Sapienza, Roma, Italy. sciarra.md@libero.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sciarra
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Innocenzi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravaziol
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Minisola
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfarone
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cattarino
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Silverio
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053379:Chromogranin A; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C060347:lanreotide; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D013004:Somatostatin