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[Somatostatin receptors in non-endocrine tumours]

C Casini Raggi1, P Pinzani, S Gelmini

  • 1Unità di Endocrinologia, Università degli Studi, Florence, Italy.

Minerva Endocrinologica
|December 26, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Somatostatin (ss) treatment is not beneficial for neuroblastoma patients with high sst2 levels. Low sst2 expression in poor-prognosis neuroblastoma indicates limited success for ss therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Somatostatin receptors (sst) are expressed in various tumors, influencing treatment strategies.
  • Neuroblastoma and other cancers express somatostatin receptors, prompting investigation into somatostatin (ss) as a therapeutic agent.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the antiproliferative action of somatostatin (ss) in neuroendocrine and non-endocrine tumors.
  • To determine the clinical utility of ss therapy based on somatostatin receptor (sst) expression levels in various cancers, including neuroblastoma, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal carcinoma, and breast cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of sst2 expression in human neuroblastoma cell lines.
  • Correlation of sst2 levels with patient prognosis and sensitivity to ss treatment.
  • Review of sst receptor expression patterns in pancreatic, prostate, colorectal, and breast cancers.

Main Results:

  • High sst2 levels in neuroblastoma correlate with a positive outcome, rendering adjuvant ss therapy unnecessary.
  • Low sst2 expression in poor-prognosis neuroblastoma suggests limited efficacy of ss therapy.
  • Pancreatic and prostate cancers express sst1 but not sst2, making them insensitive to octreotide.
  • Colorectal and breast cancers express sst2, but concentrations are similar to normal tissue, indicating low probability of successful ss therapy.
  • Estrogen sensitivity may positively influence sst2 expression in breast cancer.

Conclusions:

  • Adjuvant somatostatin (ss) therapy is not indicated for neuroblastoma patients with high sst2 expression.
  • The efficacy of ss therapy is limited in cancers with low sst2 expression, such as poor-prognosis neuroblastoma.
  • Further clinical trials with ss are warranted for breast cancer, given the potential influence of estrogen on sst2 expression.

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