SUBCUTANEOUS OCTREOTIDE IN THE TREATMENT OF PAIN IN ADVANCED CANCER-PATIENTS

Octreotide is a synthetic somatostatin analogue that has been recently tested by various routes of administration as an analgesic drug for d ifferent types of pain. The authors evaluated the analgesic efficacy o f a subcutaneous 200-ng bolus of octreotide on somatic and visceral pa in from advanced cancer in a randomized, single-blind crossover study. The results in nine cases did not show an analgesic effect superior t o that of a placebo. Pain relief was obtained in one case of postprand ial visceral pain. This case is discusses in detail, and another possi ble clinical use for octreotide in a particular form of neoplastic pai n is hypothesized.