Prolactinomas Resistant to Dopamine Agonists: Pathophysiology and Treatment. (PubMed, Arch Med Res)
Medical treatment with dopamine agonists (DA), mainly cabergoline, is considered the primary therapy for these patients...Patients with aggressive and DA-resistant adenomas or with rare PRL-secreting carcinomas can be treated off-label with temozolomide (TMZ), a DNA alkylating agent...Other therapeutic options include aromatase inhibitors, the somatostatin receptor ligand pasireotide, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), immune-checkpoint inhibitors, tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, or everolimus, the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor. These experimental treatments were effective in some patients carrying refractory prolactinomas showing usually partial tumor control. However, the number of treated patients with any of these new therapeutic options is very limited and treatment results are inconsistent, thus additional experience with more patients is required.