ABSTRACT
Neuroendocrine gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) tumors, which comprise pancreatic islet-cell tumors, non-functioning neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors, and carcinoids, are usually slow-growing. A new treatment modality for inoperable or metastasized GEP tumors is the use of radiolabelled somatostatin analogs. The treatment with radiolabelled somatostatin analogs is a promising new tool in the management of patients with inoperable or metastasized neuroendocrine tumors. Apart from the combination of analogs labelled with different radioisotopes, future directions to improve 177Lu-octreotate therapy may also include efforts to upregulate the somatostatin receptor expression on the tumors, as well as studies to the effects of the use of radiosensitizers. The side effects of treatment with 177Lu-octreotate were few and mostly transient, with mild bone marrow depression as the most common finding. Treatment with somatostatin analogs, whether or not in combination with Interferon-alpha, is, however, seldom successful in terms of computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging assessed tumorsize reduction.
