Experience of use of everolimus and long-acting somatostatin analogues combination in highly differentiated (G1-G2) neuroendocrine tumors

Everolimus is the targeted drug approved for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NET). Efficacy of everolimus in combination with octreotide-depo has been shown in Radiant-2 randomized trial in patients with well-differentiated NET in different locations. Everolimus as monotherapy versus placebo was studied in patients with pancreatic NET in the framework of Radiant-3 randomized trial, where the statistically significant advantage of everolimus was proved. The article presents the experience of targeted therapy in 33 patients with highly-differentiated NET in different locations, and some aspects of everolimus use are analyzed. Efficacy, toxicity and long-term results of therapy are evaluated. Everolimus has demonstrated its efficacy in the unfavorable group of patients, most of whom were heavily pretreated with multiple courses of chemo - and biotherapy. Tumor growth control was 79%. Toxic complications were adequately managed by dose reduction of the drug without compromising its effectiveness. Moreover, clinically significant toxicity appeared an efficacy predictor as complicated cases showed twofold increase in median disease-free survival. Preliminary data suggest that therapy with everolimus is preferable at the first stages of treatment of NET.