Octreotide uptake in intracranial metastasis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma origin in a patient with a prolonged clinical course
Abstract
We describe a case with prolonged survival of 2 years in a female patient with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who, at diagnosis, already had liver spread and eventually succumbed to brain metastases which scanned positive with [(111)In-DTPA] octreotide scintiscan (OctreoScan).
Subsequently, the patient underwent a craniotomy for resection of the metastases, but her condition deteriorated.
A chromogranin A stain was negative, showing that there was no neuroendocrinal component to the cerebral secondaries.
In contrast, tumor labeling with a monoclonal antibody associated with a favorable prognosis in pancreatic neoplasms was positive.
There is mounting evidence that somatostatin receptor status confers a relatively favorable prognosis in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, although OctreoScan-positive brain metastases have not been previously reported.
See also Somatostatin in oncology, the overlooked evidences.