This study is being conducted in a number of European centers and one United States site, the Neuroendocrine Clinical Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. This one year study is designed to confirm the effectiveness of this therapy in patients with macroprolactinomas. In particular, the focus of the study is to determine whether cabergoline is as effective at tumor shrinkage as bromocriptine. For this reason all patients enrolled are required to have had no prior therapy with any dopamine agonists, in order to avoid studying patients who have already experienced some tumor shrinkage with other agents. In summary, cabergoline appears to be a more effective and better tolerated dopamine agonist in the therapy of prolactinomas.
Patient compliance is high, related to the few mild side effects and once-weekly dosing.
Further study is needed to confirm this, and to lead to its availability in the United States. References Webster J, et al. Comparison of cabergoline and bromocriptine in the treatment of hyperprolactinemic amenorrhea. Biller BMK, et al. Treatment of prolactin secreting macroadenomas with once weekly agonist cabergoline.