Medical Treatment Landscape for Active Acromegaly in A Pituitary Center in Israel

To evaluate current real-life experience with medical treatment for active acromegaly in a large cohort.

Data on demographic parameters, blood tests, imaging studies, and treatments were extracted from the medical records.

The cohort included 87 patients (43 male) with active acromegaly. The mean age at diagnosis was 40.2±11.4 years, and the mean duration of follow-up was 7.9±5.8 years. Seventy patients presented with a macroadenoma. Mean baseline insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) (n = 67) was 3.2±1.9 × upper limit of normal (ULN). Surgery and radiotherapy were performed in 75 and 10 patients, respectively. Currently, 38 subjects receive somatostatin analogues, pegvisomant as a monotherapy is given to 8 patients, pasireotide is given to 17 patients, cabegoline to 4 patients, estrogen to 2 females, and SSAs combined with pegvisomant to 10 patients. Eight patients are not being actively treated, including 4 following radiotherapy. Good biochemical control (IGF-1 <1.3 × ULN) was achieved in 76 patients (87%), and 11 patients (13%) are currently uncontrolled (IGF-1 >1.3 × ULN). Seventy-eight percent of controlled patients are being given 1 medication; 11% are on combination therapy; 4 patients are well controlled after radiotherapy and 2 are partially controlled without any treatment. The main adverse effects of treatment were diabetes mellitus in 7 patients (on pasireotide) and symptomatic cholelithiasis in 5 patients.

Active acromegaly can be controlled medically in most patients, with a low rate of adverse effects. This study displays the characteristic variety of treatment options available for active acromegaly.