Susan Samson, MD, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine summarizes the current options for treating acromegaly.
Acromegaly is a rare endocrine disease due to a benign pituitary tumor that leads to excess production of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 hormone.
As Dr. Samson explains in this interview, there are three options to treat this rare disease – surgery, radiation therapy, and/or medical therapy. Surgery is recommended for small tumors and is the best way to cure a patient with acromegaly. Radiation therapy can also destroy the tumor but it can take years to be effective. With regard to medical therapy, there are two options, somatostatin receptor ligands or growth hormone receptor antagonists. These medical therapies usually involve regular injections to control the acromegaly but recently, an oral somatostatin receptor ligand [Mycapssa (octreotide)] was approved.
For more information about acromegaly and other rare endocrine disorders, go to checkrare.com/ endocrine-disorders/
