Neuroendocrine tumor treatment with hormonal therapy

Neuroendocrine tumors often might produce excessive amounts of various hormones. Due to that fact, medical practitioners developed a specific treatment method that relies on decreasing the production of hormones or changing how hormones influence the organism and tumor. This method of treatment is called hormonal therapy. The exact type of hormonal therapy, the number of required courses, and the efficiency of the future treatment depend on the histological type of neuroendocrine tumor and the patient’s general condition. Very often, hormonal therapy aims to impact somatostatin, a hormone that has a massive impact on other hormone production. Such medications as lanreotide or octreotide help to increase the somatostatin level and, as a result, decrease the amount of other hormones. Still, many other hormonal therapy options are available. In most cases, medications for hormonal therapy are delivered via droppers. A single treatment procedure might take up to a few hours. The patient will have up to four weeks between treatment sessions to rest and decrease the probability and severity of adverse effects. A single hormonal therapy course might take up to 6-10 sessions. Furthermore, hormonal therapy often becomes a part of combined treatment plans.