Published online Feb 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i5.769
Revised: December 18, 2012
Accepted: December 22, 2012
Published online: February 7, 2013
Recently, follicle stimulating hormone receptor was found to be selectively expressed by endothelial cells on tumor-associated blood vessels in a wide range of human cancers. In this context, we hypothesized that degarelix, a new gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist developed for patients with prostate cancer, may have antiangiogenic effects via its capacity to block follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) production. We report the case of a patient with metastatic colon cancer exhibiting tumor progression after failure of all conventional chemotherapeutic regimens. The addition of degarelix to the last chemotherapeutic regimen was proposed as compassionate treatment. Degarelix induced a rapid decrease in FSH level. This treatment induced radiological stabilization and carcinoembryonic antigen stabilization during 1 year. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography demonstrated reduction of tumor vasclature. This case represents the first report of an antitumoral effect of degarelix in metastatic colon cancer and suggests an antiangiogenic property of this drug.