Clinical study on the effectiveness of long-acting octreotide in acromegaly patients after surgery or gamma knife therapy of growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma

Abstract

Objective To observe the effectiveness of long-acting octreotide in the treatment of acromegaly patients who did not achieve biochemical control after neurosurgery or gamma knife therapy of growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma. Methods Six acromegaly patients who received long-acting octreotide treatment regularly were included. Five patients had received prior trans-sphenoidal surgery and 1 patient had received prior gamma knife therapy before admission. All patients were admitted monthly for evaluation of pituitary-target gland function and octreotide therapy. Data of treatment with octreotide for 6 months were retrospectively summarized. Results Symptoms were reported to be alleviated. Two patients achieved biochemical control of the disease. Two patients had fasting growth hormone level less than 2.5 μg/L, but insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) level was still higher than the age-adjusted normal range. Another 2 patients had decreased growth hormone and IGF-1 level, but both still higher than the normal range. Compared with baseline, IGF-1 level was decreased after treatment: (371.83 ± 217.46) μg/L vs. (713.33 ± 198.29) μg/L, and there was statistical difference (P= 0.017). There were no statistical differences in glycated hemoglobin and fasting plasma glucose before and after octreotide treatment (P > 0.05). Conclusions For acromegaly patients who do not achieve biochemical control after neurosurgery or gamma knife therapy, long-acting octreotide can effectively control IGF-1 level and increase the biochemical control rate of the disease. Key words: Acromegaly; Growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma; Octreotide; Insulin-like growth factor Ⅰ