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Summary & Participants

Elevated levels of growth hormone affect the whole body. There is a wide range of treatment options for this condition, called acromegaly. Listen to experts describe therapies from surgery to medication.

Medically Reviewed On: July 02, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: The somatostatin analogue available in the US is called Sandostatin. It is very effective in relieving the symptoms of acromegaly, and there is some evidence it also affects the growth of the tumor.

DAVID KLEINBERG, MD: Somatostatin analogues or Sandostatin can be effective in reducing tumor size. So either 30 or 50% of tumors will have some shrinkage. The others may not have shrinkage, but it's very rare to see growth of tumor when people are on this medication, so it is possible that there is prevention of further growth once you start treating the tumor when it's a certain size.

ANNOUNCER: Another drug useful in treating a acromegaly in a minority of patients are dopamine agonists. Like somatostatin analogues, they attach to receptors on tumor cells, and reduce the secretion of hormones.

A much different approach is to limit the effects of growth hormone, rather than cut its production by the tumor. This can be done with a drug called Somavert. It's called a growth hormone, or GH, receptor antagonist.

DAVID KLEINBERG, MD: The GH receptor antagonists are actually a kind of growth hormone. And the growth hormone molecule has been changed so that it binds to the growth hormone receptor, but it prevents growth hormone action. And this medication helps symptoms and signs of acromegaly because it blocks the effect of growth hormone, not the growth hormone itself.

ANNOUNCER: However, growth hormone receptor antagonists do not appear to reduce tumor size.

Doctors using it monitor their patients, to make sure there are no ill effects from possible increases in tumor mass.

DAVID KLEINBERG, MD: One has to be very cognizant of the fact that these tumors might grow while you're taking the medication. I think that the jury is not in on the exact incidence of tumor growth after taking this medication for a relatively long period of time. But we do know that it doesn't inhibit tumor growth.

ANNOUNCER: While acromegaly usually progresses slowly, it can have significant impact on peoples lives. But much progress has been made in recent years, especially in medical therapy.

ANN DANOFF, MD: I think in this day and age, with the appropriate diagnosis, and hopefully earlier diagnosis, and appropriate treatments, people, most people, can be very well-controlled and very well-managed. And shouldn't need to suffer from the consequences associated with acromegaly.

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