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Somatostatin Analogs and Interferon in the Treatment of Neuroendocrine Tumors

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Neuroendocrine Tumours

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Abstract

Biotherapy for neuroendocrine tumors (NET) emerged in the 1980s when somatostatin analogs (SSAs) and interferons (IFNs) were investigated in small series of patients with malignant carcinoid syndrome. While early clinical trials focused on palliation of hormonal symptoms, subsequent studies have been designed to assess the inhibitory effects of SSAs and IFNs on tumor progression. The recognition that biological therapies may be synergistic has led to several randomized studies investigating IFNα in combination with SSAs. This chapter will review the mechanism of action and key clinical trials investigating SSAs and IFNs in advanced, well-differentiated NETs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroendocrine Tumor Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33629, USA

    Jonathan Strosberg MD

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  1. Jonathan Strosberg MD
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Correspondence to Jonathan Strosberg MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, Turkey

    Suayib Yalcin

  2. Department of Endocrine Oncology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden

    Kjell Öberg

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Strosberg, J. (2015). Somatostatin Analogs and Interferon in the Treatment of Neuroendocrine Tumors. In: Yalcin, S., Öberg, K. (eds) Neuroendocrine Tumours. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45215-8_30

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45215-8_30

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