Partial Remission of Carcinoid Tumor in Response to Cyproheptadine
Authors: Stuart P. Leitner
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1989)

Brief Reports1 November 1989Partial Remission of Carcinoid Tumor in Response to CyproheptadineStuart P. Leitner, MD, Paul Greenberg, MD, Linda A. Danieu, MD, Richard A. Michaelson, MDStuart P. Leitner, MD, Paul Greenberg, MD, Linda A. Danieu, MD, Richard A. Michaelson, MDAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-111-9-760 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe malignant carcinoid syndrome of episodic flushing and diarrhea occurs in association with carcinoid tumors and an elevated urinary level of the serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) (1). Treatment is often directed specifically at diminishing the tumor bulk and includes surgical resection, hepatic artery occlusion, or chemotherapy. Cyproheptadine, a serotonin and histamine antagonist, is often useful in palliating symptoms of the carcinoid syndrome but is not considered to have specific antitumor activity (2). We used cyproheptadine to treat a patient with the carcinoid syndrome. The patient had both symptomatic improvement and an objective partial remission, documented by a fall in...References1. Maton P. The carcinoid syndrome. JAMA. 1988;260:1602-5. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Moertel C. An Odyssey in the land of small tumors. J Clin Oncol. 1987;5:1502-22. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. HarrisSmith AI. Regression of carcinoid tumor with cyproheptadine. Br Med J [Clin Res]. 1982;285:475. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. KvolsBuck LM. Chemotherapy of metastatic carcinoid and islet cell tumors. Am J Med. 1987;82(Suppl 5B):77-83. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. ObergNorheimLind KIE. Treatment of malignant carcinoid tumors with human leukocyte interferon: long-term results. Cancer Treat Rep. 1986;70:1297-304. MedlineGoogle Scholar6. MyersErshlerTannenbaumBarth CWMR. Tamoxifen and carcinoid tumor [Letter]. Ann Intern Med. 1982;96:383. LinkGoogle Scholar7. MoertelEngstromSchutt CPA. Tamoxifen therapy for metastatic carcinoid tumor: a negative study. Ann Intern Med. 1984;100:531-2. LinkGoogle Scholar8. KvolsMoertelO'ConnellSchuttRubinHahn LCMAJR. Treatment of the malignant carcinoid syndrome. Evaluation of a long-acting somatostatin analogue. N Engl J Med. 1986;315:663-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. ArmitageSidner JR. Antitumour effect of cimetidine? [Letter]. Lancet. 1979;1:882-3. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. OsbandHamiltonShen MDY. Successful tumour immunotherapy with cimetidine in mice. Lancet. 1981;1:636-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, New Jersey. For current author addresses, see end of text. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byOPALS: A New Osimertinib Adjunctive Treatment of Lung Adenocarcinoma or Glioblastoma Using Five Repurposed DrugsHistamine as an intermediate growth factor in genesis of gastric ECLomas associated with hypergastrinemia in mastomysTreatment of Carcinoid Syndrome with Recombinant Interferon Alpha-2aA study of cyproheptadine in the treatment of metastatic carcinoid tumor and the malignant carcinoid syndrome 1 November 1989Volume 111, Issue 9Page: 760-761KeywordsArteriesCarcinoid tumorChemotherapyDiarrheaFallsHistamineMetabolitesSerotoninSurgical resection Issue Published: 1 November 1989 PDF downloadLoading ...