Time to first remission and survival in patients with acromegaly: Evidence from the UK Acromegaly Register Study (UKAR)

Objective

This study aimed to understand the effect of time to remission of acromegaly on survival in people living with acromegaly.

Design, Patients and Measurement

This cross-sectional study used data from the UK Acromegaly Register. We considered remission of acromegaly growth hormone controlled at ≤2 μg/L following the diagnosis of acromegaly. We used the accelerated failure time model to assess the effect of time to remission on survival in acromegaly.

Results

The study population comprises 3569 individuals with acromegaly, with a median age of diagnosis of 47.3 (36.5–57.8) years, 48% females and a majority white population (61%). The number of individuals with the first remission of acromegaly was 2472, and the median time to first remission was 1.92 (0.70–6.58) years. In this study, time to first remission in acromegaly was found to have a significant effect on survival (p < .001); for every 1-year increase in time to first remission, there was a median 1% reduction in survival in acromegaly. In an analysis adjusted for covariates, the survival rate was 52% higher (p < .001) in those who underwent surgery as compared to those who did not have surgery, 18% higher (p = .01) in those who received treatment with somatostatin analogues (SMA) as compared to those with dopamine agonists and 21% lower (p < .001) in those who received conventional radiotherapy as compared to those who did not receive radiotherapy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this population-based study conducted in patients with acromegaly revealed that faster remission time, surgical intervention and treatment with SMA are linked to improved survival outcomes.