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Temozolomide therapy for aggressive pituitary tumours – current understanding and future perspectives

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Abstract

The use of temozolomide (TMZ) for the management of aggressive pituitary tumours (APT) has revolutionised clinical practice in this field with significantly improved clinical outcomes and long-term survival. Its use is now well established however a large number of patients do not respond to treatment and recurrence after cessation of TMZ is common. A number of challenges remain for clinicians such as appropriate patient selection, treatment duration and the role of combination therapy. This review will examine the use of TMZ to treat APT including mechanism of action, treatment regimen and duration; biomarkers predicting response to treatment and patient selection; and current evidence for administration of TMZ in combination with other agents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, Skåne University Hospital, University of Lund, Malmö, Sweden

    Pia Burman

  2. Department of Endocrinology, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Lydia Lamb & Ann McCormack

  3. Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Lydia Lamb & Ann McCormack

  4. St Vincent’s Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Ann McCormack

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  1. Pia Burman
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  2. Lydia Lamb
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  3. Ann McCormack
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Burman, P., Lamb, L. & McCormack, A. Temozolomide therapy for aggressive pituitary tumours – current understanding and future perspectives. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 21, 263–276 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-020-09551-y

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