Regression of a Large Malignant Gastrinoma on Treatment with Sandostatin LAR®: A Case Report

Vol. 77, No. 2, 2008

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Case Report

Regression of a Large Malignant Gastrinoma on Treatment with Sandostatin LAR®: A Case Report
Dan Granberg^a, Hans Jacobsson^b, Kjell Öberg^a, Jörgen Gustavsson^c, Mikael Lehtihet^c

^aDepartment of Endocrine Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Uppsala, University Hospital, Uppsala,
^bDepartments of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, and
^cDepartment of Internal Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm South Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

Address of Corresponding Author

Digestion 2008;77:92-95 (DOI: 10.1159/000122229)

Key Words

Gastrinoma
Carcinoid tumor
Duodenum
Somatostatin analogs
Metastasis
Octreotide
Neuroendocrine tumors
Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy

Abstract

Gastrinomas may occur in the pancreas, duodenum or peripancreatic lymph nodes. The gastrin overproduction leads to the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome with multiple gastric and duoudenal ulcers and diarrhea. About two thirds of gastrinomas are malignant. Diagnosis is made by clinical history, gastroscopy, and measurement of serum gastrin, gastric juice pH, CT scan, endoscopic ultrasonography and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. Surgery should always be considered if the liver is not involved. Proton pump inhibitors offer symptomatic relief. Medical therapy for tumor control includes biotherapy with alpha-interferon and somatostatin analogs yielding a response rate of about 10-15%, chemotherapy or targeted radiotherapy. We describe a patient with almost complete response on treatment with Sandostatin LAR®, a long-acting somatostatin analog. In patients with metastatic gastrinomas not suitable for chemotherapy, interferon or targeted radiotherapy, single therapy with somatostatin analogs may be an alternative.

Author Contacts

Dr. Dan Granberg
Department of Endocrine Oncology
University Hospital
SE-751 85 Uppsala (Sweden)
Tel. +46 18 611 0000, Fax +46 18 55 3943, E-Mail dan.granberg@medsci.uu.se

Article Information

Published online: March 29, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 4
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 6

Medline Abstract (ID 18376130)

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