Impact of SSA Cross-over on Outcomes in NET (ICON)

Summary

Somatostatin analogs are first line treatment for patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumours (NET). There are currently two different types of somatostatin analogs available: octreotide LAR and lanreotide. Both are given to patients as injections every four weeks. Octreotide LAR is given as a deep injection into the muscle (intramuscular or IM injection) whereas lanreotide is given under the skin (subcutaneous or SC injection). While both medications have been shown to benefit patients with metastatic NET, we don't know if one works better than the other, as there has been no high quality research comparing them head to head. Some smaller studies have suggested that there might be an advantage of lanreotide over octreotide LAR since giving the octreotide injection is technically more difficult and can end up in the wrong spot, resulting in the patient not getting full benefit of the medication. Furthermore, lanreotide has improved convenience for patients. With its simpler SC administration protocol, lanreotide can be given at home by patients/caregivers, while octreotide must be given by a trained nurse. The goal of our study is to compare outcomes for patients taking lanreotide with patients taking octreotide LAR. We will look at outcomes related to their cancer ( i.e. how well their symptoms are controlled and how long it takes for their cancer to progress) as well as their quality of life and perspectives about the treatment. Our results are expected to reveal whether two different somatostatin analogues, which are used interchangeably in NET treatment, differentially impact clinical outcomes and/or patient experiences.