A Randomized Trial Evaluating Patient Experience and Preference Between Octreotide Long-Acting Release and Lanreotide for Treatment of Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors

PURPOSE: Somatostatin analogs octreotide long-acting release (octLAR) and lanreotide are equally acceptable in National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Lanreotide is more expensive and given by deep subcutaneous injection, whereas octLAR is given intramuscularly. We evaluated patient preference between these agents in terms of injection site pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomized, single-blinded study. Patients with NETs received injections every 4 weeks. Arm 1: octLAR × 3, then lanreotide × 3; arm 2: reverse order. Self-reported injection site pain scores (range, 0-10) were obtained after each of the first three injections. Primary end point was comparison of mean pain scores over the first three injections. Secondary end points included patient-reported preference. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients enrolled (26 in arm 1 and 25 arm 2), all evaluable for primary end point. No significant difference was identified in the mean pain score over the first three injections (2.4 ± 1.9 v 1.9 ± 1.5, P = .5). Thirty-four of 51 (67%) patients (15 in arm 1 and 19 in arm 2) completed post-therapy questionnaires and were evaluable for secondary end points. Seven patients (47%) in arm 1 and eight patients (42%) in arm 2 indicated no drug preference at the end of treatment. In the other 19 patients, more patients indicated mild or strong preference for octLAR over lanreotide. CONCLUSION: We found minimal pain with octLAR and lanreotide and no significant pain score differences between the two. Patients indicating a drug preference trended toward favoring octLAR.