Anticancer therapy

Abstract

A subject afflicted with a cancer or precancerous condition is treated by administering an agent that increases expression of somatostatin receptors, and a cytotoxic recognition ligand. In an alternative embodiment, somatostatin analogs, which are radiolabeled are used to treat cancer or precancerous conditions.

1 . A radiopharmaceutical composition comprising:
 a therapeutic agent comprising  213 Bi; and   a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.   
     
     
         2 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The radiopharmaceutical composition of  claim 1  wherein the therapeutic agent comprises a peptide, a peptide analog, a peptide derivative or a peptidomimetic compound. 
     
     
         9 . The radiopharmaceutical composition of  claim 1  wherein the therapeutic agent is effective in peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). 
     
     
         10 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A radiopharmaceutical composition comprising:
 an octreotide or analog or derivative thereof, comprising  213 Bi; and   a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.   
     
     
         14 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The radiopharmaceutical composition of  claim 13  wherein the therapeutic agent further comprises a targeting moiety that targets the therapeutic agent to a selected mammalian tumor cell. 
     
     
         17 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method of treating a subject afflicted with a cancer or precancerous condition, comprising:
 administering a first therapeutic agent to the subject, wherein the first therapeutic agent increases the expression level of somatostatin receptors in a cancer cell; and   administering a second therapeutic agent to the subject, wherein the second therapeutic agent comprises:
 a recognition ligand that selectively binds to a somatostatin receptor on the cancer cell; and 
 a cytotoxic compound; 
   
       so as to cause a deleterious effect on cancer cell. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the cancer comprises a carcinoma, a sarcoma, or a lymphoma. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of breast, pancreatic, gastric, prostate, renal, colorectal, thyroid, lung, kidney, liver, central nervous system, and malignant lymphoid cancer. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the cancer comprises a cancer of the neuroendocrine or central nervous system. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first therapeutic agent comprises a nucleoside analog. 
     
     
         31 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the first therapeutic agent or an active metabolite thereof comprises a ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the cytotoxic compound comprises a radionuclide. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the radionuclide is selected from the group consisting of  90 yttrium,  111 indium,  177 lutetium,  225 actinium,  209 bismuth,  212 bismuth,  213 bismuth,  64 copper,  67 copper,  76 arsenic,  77 arsenic,  203 lead,  209 lead,  212 lead,  166 holmium,  153 promethium,  186 rhenium,  188 rhenium, and  211 astatine. 
     
     
         37 - 47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . A method of treating a somatostatin receptor expressing cancerous tumor in a patient in need, the method comprising administering to said patient an effective amount of a composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 48  wherein said cancerous tumor is a cancer of the breast, pancreas, stomach, prostate, kidney, colon, rectal, thyroid, lung, kidney, liver, brain/central nervous system and lymph (malignant lymphoid cancer).