Dr. Strosberg on Pasireotide for Neuroendocrine Tumors

Jonathan R. Strosberg, MD, associate professor at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses pasireotide as a potential treatment for patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).

Pasireotide is a somatostatin analog similar to octreotide (Sandostatin) and lanreotide (Somatuline). However, pasireotide targets 4 out of the 5 somatostatin receptor subtypes, which may provide it with an advantage over the other 3 agents. Thus far, there has not been enough evidence showing that pasireotide has a progression-free survival benefit over the other 2 therapies. It is also associated with hyperglycemia.

Pasireotide may be an appropriate choice for patients in later lines of therapy, Strosberg adds. In the future, he envisions that patients could be selected for therapy based on their somatostatin receptor profile.