title: Shortened interval of long-acting octreotide administration is effective in patients with well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas in progression on standard doses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In patients with well-differentiated (WD) neuroendocrine tumors (NET), long-acting octreotide (LAR), conventionally administered at a dose of 30 mg every 28 days, has well-documented anti-secretive but limited antiproliferative effects.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate a different schedule of LAR treatment consistent with a shorter interval between administrations (21 days) in WDNET patients with progressive disease at standard-dose interval.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight patients followed for diagnosis and therapy of WDNET who had tumor progression during therapy with LAR 30 mg every 28 days were enrolled. Clinical, biological, and objective tumor response was evaluated after LAR 30 mg every 21 days. Time to progression was also evaluated after LAR 30 mg every 21 days and compared to LAR 30 mg every 28 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatment with LAR 30 mg every 21 days resulted in complete and partial control of clinical symptoms in 40% and 60% of cases, respectively. Circulating neuroendocrine markers were significantly decreased in 30% of cases. A stabilization of disease was obtained in 93% and objective response in 7%. The median time to progression was significantly longer by using the shortened interval of LAR administration as compared to the standard one (30 vs 9 months, p<0.0001). The treatment was safe and well tolerated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The shortened schedule of LAR administration was able to re-institute control of clinical symptoms, to decrease level of circulating neuroendocrine markers and to increase time to progression in patients previously escaping from a standard schedule treatment.
authors.affiliation: Multidisciplinary Group for Diagnosis and Treatment of Neuroendocrine Tumors, Umbria Regional Cancer Network, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferolla
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faggiano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scarpelli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramundo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Severino
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bellucci
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Camera
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angeletti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018761:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015282:Octreotide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D015282:Octreotide