An update of lanreotide acetate for treatment of adults with carcinoid syndrome

Carcinoid tumors are rare and usually slow-growing. Some patients with advanced metastatic disease however can develop symptoms of carcinoid syndrome, which results in debilitating diarrhea and flushing. Many treatments including chemotherapy were tried unsuccessfully in the past to treat this syndrome. The symptoms of carcinoid syndrome are thought to be related to the ability of the tumors to produce serotonin. The discovery that the production of this hormone can be inhibited by somatostatin led to the development of somatostatin analogues octreotide and lanreotide, which differ from native somatostatin in that they have a longer half-life. These compounds have shown dramatic responses in symptom control and reduction of serotonin metabolites including urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels. This review researches the origins of carcinoid tumors, the development of lanreotide as a treatment and future directions for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome.