The Palliative Effects of Octreotide in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Octreotide is an extremely useful compound for palliative care physicians. It appears to be active in a number of different pain states and may be given by the spinal and intraventricular route. Its actions in reducing gut motility and secretions make it a valuable adjunct in the management of inoperable bowel obstruction. The same actions make it a potent antidiarrheal agent. Octreotide will often succeed where other antidiarrheal agents fail. Its ability to reduce gut secretions has led to its use in the treatment of fistulae. It has also been proposed as a useful drug in the management of cachexia and ascites. Most of the existing evidence is based on small numbers of case reports and further larger trials are necessary.

Análise clínica e terapêutica dos pacientes oncológicos atendidos no programa de dor e cuidados paliativos do Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho no ano de 2003

“…Laxatives, such as senne tea and magnesium sulphate, were used prophylactically. These results are similar to those reported by other authors [40][41][42][43] . Psychiatric symptoms are relevant regarding the quality of life of patients and caretakers (people who take care of the patient, family members or not).…”

“…Alguns pacientes não têm boa absorção oral, em virtude dos vômitos e da estase gástrica, sendo a via subcutânea a preferida 14,15 . [40][41][42][43] . Os sintomas psiquiátricos são relevantes, levando-se em consideração a qualidade de vida do paciente e dos cuidadores (pessoas que cuidam do paciente sendo ou não familiares).…”

Highlights of the 4th San Salvatore Meeting on Palliative Care, Lugano and St. Gallen, Switzerland, 23–25 October 2001

“…In most patients these symptoms can be adequately managed with the available drugs. Octreotide, an analogue of somatostatin, is of great interest given its potent antisecretory activity [11,27,34]. Metoclopramide shows satisfactory efficacy in controlling nausea and vomiting, while corticosteroids are useful as antiemetic drugs.…”

Treatment of nausea and vomiting in advanced cancer

“…Patients with scleroderma have resolution of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, bloating and reduced bacterial overgrowth within the small bowel when receiving 100 mg per day s.c. Octreotide reduces nausea and vomiting as well as abdominal cramps associated with malignant bowel obstruction. This is due to inhibition of both motilin and vasoactive intestinal peptide release [74][75][76][77][78][79].…”