Long-term remission following withdrawal of dopamine agonist therapy in subjects with microprolactinomas

• Published in: Clinical endocrinology (Oxford) 2005-07, Vol.63 (1), p.26-31
• Main Authors: Biswas, M., Smith, J., Jadon, D., McEwan, P., Rees, D. A., Evans, L. M., Scanlon, M. F., Davies, J. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Bromocriptine - therapeutic use; Dopamine Agonists - therapeutic use; Endocrinopathies; Ergolines - therapeutic use; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pituitary Neoplasms - drug therapy; Prolactinoma - drug therapy; Recurrence; Remission Induction; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Vertebrates: endocrinology
• ISSN: 0300-0664; 1365-2265
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2005.02293.x

Summary Objective  Reports suggest that up to 70% of patients with microprolactinomas treated with dopamine agonist therapy may achieve long‐term normoprolactinaemic remission following drug withdrawal. Yet, there is no consensus on the duration of therapy nor is therapeutic interruption universally practised. We have assessed remission rates in a large cohort of treatment‐naive subjects with microprolactinomas. Subjects received dopamine agonist (DA) therapy with either cabergoline or bromocriptine for a period of 2 to 3 years in the majority of cases, followed by a trial of treatment withdrawal. Design  Retrospective analysis of clinic records of 89 patients (mean age 32·7 ± 8·4 years, 84 women and 5 men) who had received either cabergoline (n = 67) (0·5–3 mg weekly) or bromocriptine (n = 22) (2·5–10 mg daily) for a mean duration of 3·1 years. Results  Following withdrawal of therapy, 57 subjects developed recurrence (64%) and the mean time to recurrence was 9·6 months (range 1–44 months), while 32 subjects (36%) remained in remission beyond 1 year (mean 3·6 years, range 1–7 years). There was no difference in remission rates between subjects treated with cabergoline (n = 21) and bromocriptine (n = 11), but a direct relationship between pretreatment prolactin concentration and risk of recurrent symptomatic hyperprolactinaemia was observed. No subjects developed clinical features to suggest tumour expansion following therapeutic discontinuation. Conclusions  This study confirms that abrupt withdrawal of chronic dopamine agonist therapy, following 2 to 3 years of treatment is safe and associated with long‐term remission in 30–40% of subjects with microprolactinomas. This therapeutic strategy is convenient and applicable in clinical practice.