Efficacy of octreotide in the regression of a metastatic carcinoid tumour despite negative imaging with In-111-pentetreotide (Octreoscan)

Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 1998;106(3):226-30. doi: 10.1055/s-0029-1211980.

Abstract

We present the case of a 52-year old patient diagnosed with carcinoid tumour of the rectum with liver metastases in which treatment with somatostatin analogues (octreotide) proved very effective in the disappearance of the symptomatology and dramatic efficacy in the regression of the tumour. Imaging by octreoscan was always negative. The role of octreotide in the treatment of carcinoid tumour and the usefulness of In-111-pentetreotide (octreoscan) in the localization and prediction of the response to treatment with octreotide is discussed. We conclude that the negative result of the scintigraphic image with octreoscan does not necessarily suppose the inefficacy of octreotide treatment. We believe that this may constitute an important issue since some patients may be denied octreotide treatment in the absence of a positive octreoscan result.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / therapeutic use*
  • Carcinoid Tumor / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoid Tumor / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoid Tumor / pathology
  • Humans
  • Indium Radioisotopes
  • Liver Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Liver Neoplasms / secondary
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Octreotide / therapeutic use*
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Rectal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Rectal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Rectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Remission Induction
  • Somatostatin / analogs & derivatives
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
  • Indium Radioisotopes
  • Somatostatin
  • pentetreotide
  • Octreotide