Octreotide for acromegaly

Octreotide has dramatically changed the results of medical treatment of acromegaly. It is the reference drug for the pharmacological treatment of acromegaly, thanks to its great efficacy in suppressing GH secretion and excellent compliance. Safe GH and normal IGF-I values are reached in 50-60% of unselected patients. Octreotide arrests the growth of the tumor and shrinks tumor in over half of all the patients (namely, up to 88% of naive patients and to complete disappearance in anecdotic cases). Safety profile is excellent. In some patients glucose metabolism worsens and cholelythiasis occurs. This review addresses also primary treatment and the relative roles of pharmacological and surgical treatment, as well as the predictivity of octreotide results.