There are no available medical treatment options for patients with non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA) or with resistant prolactinomas to dopamine agonists (DA) who are not cured by surgery. The study of the receptors by quantitative messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression levels and immunohistochemistry analysis might end with a better understanding of these tumors. Besides that, it will be assessed the in vitro and in vivo responses to pasireotide (for NFPA and prolactinomas) and cabergoline (for NFPA). These responses will be compared with the receptor expressions which may be a tool as a predicting element of the response to these compounds.
The goals of this study are: to verify whether cabergoline and pasireotide are effective in NFPA to control tumor re-growth as adjuvant therapy after neurosurgery and whether pasireotide is capable of normalizing the prolactin levels in patients with prolactinomas resistant to cabergoline; to assess the mRNA levels of dopamine receptor type 2 (DR2) and SSTR1-5 and their protein expression; to evaluate the in vitro hormonal response to cabergoline, octreotide and pasireotide; and to determine whether the mRNA DR2/SSTR1-5 and/or protein expression and/or in vitro hormonal response to cabergoline, octreotide and pasireotide correlates with the in vivo response to the former and to the last one. With this data the investigators intend to establish if the mRNA analysis and/or protein expression in NFPA and resistant prolactinomas might be predictive or foretelling factors concerning drug treatment in patients with this kind of pituitary tumors and also evaluate if there is any response in vitro or in vivo to the treatment with pasireotide in NFPA and resistant prolactinomas and with cabergoline in NFPA.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
21
The patients with NFPA will be randomized into two groups: (A) the first one will be treated with pasireotide at the dosage of 900 µg s.c. twice a day for 6 months; (B) the second one, with cabergoline 3 mg/week for six months. The patients with resistant prolactinomas will be treated with pasireotide at the dosage of 600 µg s.c. twice a day. After four weeks of treatment, the patients who normalize serum prolactin level will be maintained at the same dosage, the others who do not achieve normal prolactin level will have their dosage raised to 900 µg s.c. twice a day for six months.
The patients with NFPA will be randomized into two groups: (A) the first one will be treated with pasireotide at 900 µg s.c. twice a day for 6 months; (B) the second one, with cabergoline 3 mg/week for 6 months. The patients with resistant prolactinomas will be treated with pasireotide at 600 µg s.c. twice a day. After four weeks of treatment, the patients who normalize serum prolactin level will be maintained at the same dosage, the others who do not achieve normal prolactin level will have their dosage raised to 900 µg s.c. twice a day for six months.
Endocrinology Section - Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tumor Volume Changes for NFPA and Prolactin Level Changes for Prolactinoma
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the sella and prolactin will be performed before (baseline) and after 6 months of treatment with cabergoline or pasireotide. Disease progression will be defined as tumor growth \> 25%, stable disease as changes \< 25% and significant tumor shrinkage as \> 25% in tumor volume compared to baseline MRI (baseline to six months).
Time frame: Baseline to six months
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