Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2007-1-15
pubmed:abstractText
In most cases gastro-enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors grow slowly. Interferon-alpha and somatostatin analogs have shown symptomatic, biochemical, and, in a minority of cases, antiproliferative activity. Generally, they are proposed as single-agent therapy. However, based on in vitro and in vivo evidence, the combined use of these drugs was proposed in several non-randomized trials, indicating that there is an additive effect of the combination. Nevertheless, the three randomized trials published so far did not show a statistically significant survival benefit for the combination compared to the same agents alone, even though an advantage for the combination came out in all three studies. On the other hand, data from non-randomized trials would justify the sequential use of the two drugs or the combination after progression on single agent therapy. Therefore, at present the up-front combined use of interferon-alpha and somatostatin analog is not justified, whereas it could be indicated after progression to single-agent therapy. Further larger, international, prospective, randomized, multicentric clinical trials studying homogeneous populations would be necessary to give a final answer, but the rarity and heterogeneity of this malignancy does not assure that it will be possible.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
0923-7534
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
18
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
13-9
pubmed:dateRevised
2011-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2007
pubmed:articleTitle
Interferon-alpha and somatostatin analog in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma: single agent or combination?
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Medicine, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. nicola.fazio@ieo.it
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review