Treatment of metastatic midgut neuroendocrine tumour associated with carcinoid syndrome

Although the incidence of neuroendocrine tumours is low, their prevalence is high due to the usually slow course of the disease. Between July 1, 2008 and July 1, 2013 the authors evaluated 56 patients with well-differentiated or moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumours; 36 patients with metastatic disease underwent treatment while 17 patients who had tumour resection were followed without additional treatment. All patients with metastatic disease received long acting octreotide, and additional therapy was based on the site of origin, grade of differentiation, Ki67 index, and focal labelling of the tumours during somatostatin-receptor or metaiodo-benzyl-guanidine scintigraphy. The authors present a detailed case history of a patient with carcinoid syndrome due to a metastatic midgut neuroendocrine tumour, who received long acting octreotide and peptide receptor radionuclide treatment. In this patient an objective tumour response was reached in addition to the resolution of symptoms of carcinoid syndrome. The authors conclude that the case history confirms previous observations showing that long acting octreotide combined with peptide receptor radionuclide treatment may provide long survival with good quality of life in a patient with metastatic midgut neuroendocrine tumour accompanied with carcinoid syndrome. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(5), 194–198.