Available online 24 August 2023, 101817

Author links open overlay panelABSTRACT

Daily injections of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) have been used in clinical practice for almost four decades as a replacement therapy in adult patients with GH deficiency (GHD). Long-term adherence to daily injections of rhGH is a clinical concern that may result in reduced therapeutic efficacy, and long-acting GH (LAGH) formulations have been developed in an attempt of overcoming this problem. Long-term safety issues of rhGH are the other side of the coin that has been carefully monitored over the years, particularly related to the proliferative actions of GH that could increase the risk of tumor recurrence or induce the development of new benign and malignant tumors. In this review, we present what is currently known about the cancer risk in GHD adults treated with daily rhGH injections and we discuss the major concerns and responses needed from future surveillance studies regarding the safety of LAGH preparations.

Section snippetsINTRODUCTION

The introduction of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in the clinical practice in 1985 coincided with the cessation of the treatment with GH from cadaveric pituitaries initiated in 1956 by Maurice Raben, which was tragically associated with many cases of Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease due to contamination of the human pituitary glands [1]. With the plentiful supply of highly pure biosynthetic rhGH, novel therapeutic indications were tested and approved beyond the previous limited use in

Conflict of interest statement

The author has received consultant honoraria from Novo Nordisk

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.

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