Somatostatin analogues for neuroendocrine tumours

Somatostatin analogues are medicines that stop your body from making too many hormones .

Some neuroendocrine tumours (NETs ) make large amounts of hormones. This can cause symptoms. Somatostatin analogues are a possible treatment to reduce and control high hormone levels. This treatment can help with symptoms caused by high hormone levels. It can slow down and control the cancer. It might also reduce the size of your cancer.

Common somatostatin analogue drugs used are octreotide and lanreotide.

Somatostatin analogues are a treatment for NETs. Doctors don't use them to treat NECs.

How somatostatin analogues work

Somatostatin is a hormone made naturally in the body. It is made by:

• a gland in the brain called the hypothalamus

• the stomach

• the pancreas

• the bowel

Somatostatin does a number of things. It slows down or stops the production of a number of hormones such as insulin and gut hormones. It also controls the emptying of the stomach and bowel. 

A somatostatin analogue is a man made (synthetic) version of somatostatin. It slows down the production of hormones, especially the growth hormone and serotonin. This helps to control the symptoms such as diarrhoea and flushing of the skin. It may also shrink the NET. 

When do you have somatostatin analogues?

Your treatment plan depends on what type of NET you have and your symptoms. You might have somatostatin analogues for a NET if:

• you have abnormally high levels of hormones causing symptoms
• you can't have surgery to remove your NET
• your NET has spread to another part of your body
• your NET has come back after treatment

You can have somatostatin analogues if your NET picks up somatostatin. Doctors can check for this using special scans. 

The scan checks if your NET has somatostatin receptors (SSRs). SSRs pick up somatostatin. So when you give an injection of somatostatin, it travels around and attaches to these receptors.  

Some NETs don't pick up somatostatin. So not everyone with a NET can have this treatment. 

Somatostatin analogues are not a treatment for neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC).

How you have somatostatin analogues

You usually have somatostatin analogues as an injection under the skin (subcutaneously) or into the muscle (intramuscularly). You usually have treatment every 4 weeks. 

Your nurse usually gives you the injections. You might have it at home, or in the hospital. If you have lanreotide, they may show you or a family member how to give the injections. 

Side effects of somatostatin analogues

Somatostatin analogues do not usually cause many side effects. The most common side effects are:

• headaches and dizziness

• loss of appetite

• feeling or being sick

• feeling bloated

• stomach pain

• tiredness (fatigue)

• pain at the injection site

• changes to your blood sugar levels

• changes to the way your bowel works including diarrhoea, fatty greasy poo and wind

Coping

Treatment for neuroendocrine cancer can be difficult to cope with for some people. Your nurse will give you phone numbers to call if you have any problems at home.