Treatment of patients with pancreatic endocrine tumours using a new long-acting somatostatin analogue symptomatic and peptide responses

Seven patients with gut and pancreatic endocrine tumours have been treated with a long acting somatostatin analogue (SMS 201-995), given as a twice daily subcutaneous injection. This produced dramatic improvement in their endocrine related symptoms, in association with a fall in circulating tumour peptides. One of these patients has now been treated for seven months with this analogue which has controlled his previously life threatening diarrhoea caused by a malignant VIP secreting tumour. He gives his own injection twice daily, and has returned to a full and active life. This is a promising agent both for acute treatment of peptide hypersecretion, and for the long term management of some patients who are unresponsive to other available therapy.