The Never-Ending History of Octreotide in Thymic Tumors: A Vintage or A Contemporary Drug?

Cancers

Gaetano Facchini¹  Liliana Montella¹  Sabino De Placido²  Mario Giuliano²  Giovannella Palmieri³  Rocco Morra³  Marianna Tortora³  Chiara Sorrentino³  Pietro De Placido³  Erica Pietroluongo³  Margaret Ottaviano⁴ 

[1] ASL NA2 NORD, Oncology Operative Unit, “Santa Maria delle Grazie” Hospital, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy;CRCTR Coordinating Rare Tumors Reference Center of Campania Region, 80131 Naples, Italy;Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy;Oncology Unit, Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy;

关键词: thymic epithelial tumors;    thymoma;    thymic carcinoma;    targeted therapy;    somatostatin;    octreotide;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cancers14030774

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Thymic epithelial tumors are rare tumors usually presenting as a mass located in the anterior mediastinum and/or with symptoms deriving from associated paraneoplastic syndromes. Unresectable platinum-refractory tumors are often treated with alternative regimens, including chemotherapeutic agents as well as chemo-free regimens. The most popular unconventional therapy is represented by the somatostatin analog octreotide, which can be used alone or with prednisone. The in vivo expression of somatostatin receptors documented by imaging with indium-labeled octreotide or gallium-68 Dotapeptides, the successful use of octreotide and prednisone in a chemo-refractory patient, and, thereafter, the experiences from a case series have enforced the idea that this treatment merits consideration—as proved by its inclusion in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. In the present review, we analyze the preclinical basis for the therapeutic use of somatostatin and prednisone in refractory thymic tumors and discuss the available studies looking at future perspectives.

【 授权许可】

Unknown