title: Somatostatin analogues in functioning gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours: literature review, clinical recommendations and schedules.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) represent a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, which include functioning and non-functioning forms. Somatostatin analogues (SSAs) play a key role in the management of these tumours. Herein, we aimed at reviewing the current evidence about the role of SSAs in the treatment of gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP)-NETs.
  
  
  METHODS
  An extensive bibliographical search was performed in PubMed using the following keywords: gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours, somatostatin analogues, octreotide, lanreotide, in order to identify all the pertinent English-written articles published between 1990 and 2015.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SSAs have shown to help the symptomatic and biochemical improvement of patients with NETs and to exhibit a good safety profile. Recent studies have also reported a role for SSAs in tumour growth control, although the results are less impressive and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SSAs are well known as a symptomatic and, to lesser extent, anti-proliferative treatment in GEP-NETs. However, some issues, including optimal dosage, benefits and adverse events of combination with other molecules, and the role of new analogues, remain to be elucidated in further randomised studies.
authors.affiliation: a Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milan , Italy ;
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Massironi
authors.affiliation: a Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milan , Italy ;|b Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , Università Degli Studi Di Milano , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.affiliation: a Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milan , Italy ;|b Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , Università Degli Studi Di Milano , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta Elisa
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C060347:lanreotide; D013004:Somatostatin; D015282:Octreotide
keywords: Gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours; lanreotide; octreotide; somatostatin analogues