Lanreotide Effective for Nonfunctional Neuroendocrine Cancers

Neuroendocrine tumors arising in the pancreas or intestine, particularly low-grade tumors with a low proliferative index, often have a long natural history, even in the setting of metastatic disease. Standard therapy for tumors progressing on observation, or tumors producing functional polypeptides or vasoactive amines, is monthly injection with long-acting somatostatin analogues. Despite often good symptomatic control with this therapy, the antiproliferative effect of these agents is less well defined.

Investigators now report results of an international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the long-acting somatostatin analogue lanreotide in patients with low-grade, nonfunctional intestinal or pancreatic neuro…