OCTREOTIDE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF BOWEL OBSTRUCTION IN TERMINAL OVARIAN-CANCER

Intestinal obstruction is a common and distressing clinical complicati on in ovarian cancer. The aim of our study was to assess vomit control in terminal ovarian cancer patients with inoperable gastrointestinal obstruction, using a symptomatic pharmacological treatment with octreo tide which obviates the need for nasogastric tube placement, We studie d 13 patients, all of whom had advanced ovarian cancer FIGO stage IIIc , Seven patients were treated in the Gynecology Department of S. Raffa ele Hospital, at the University of Milan, and 6 were managed in the Un iversity of Varese Hospital, Octreotide was administered at doses star ting with 0.3 up to 0.6 mg (mean 0.44 mg) a day by subcutaneous bolus or continuous infusion, Octreotide controlled vomiting in all cases to grade 0 on the WHO emesis scale, Complete relief of symptoms was achi eved within 3.07 days (range 1-6 days). Vomiting stopped within 2-3 da ys of starting treatment in most patients. In 8 patients with a nasoga stric tube, drainage decreased from 2000 to under 100 ml/day after the start of octreotide treatment, No side effects were reported, All pat ients died with minimal distress or pain. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc .