Clinical review: The antitumoral effects of somatostatin analog therapy in acromegaly

Somatostatin analogs are the mainstay of medical therapy for acromegaly. Suppression of GH hypersecretion, lowering of IGF-I production, and control of symptoms are established benefits of therapy. In addition, clinically significant tumor shrinkage has been seen in a number of studies, particularly in patients undergoing primary medical therapy. This review summarizes current knowledge of the effects of somatostatin analogs on tumor size and cellular morphology and examines the available data on predictors of tumor shrinkage.