Octreotide as a rapid and effective painkiller for metastatic carcinoid tumor

Octreotide is one of the somatostatin analogue used for the treatment of endocrine tumors principally to suppress hormone secretion and to inhibit tumor growth. We experienced a case with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 who small amount of octreotide dramatically relieved the lumber pain caused by metastatic bone tumor. He had recurrent bronchial carcinoid tumors that metastasized to liver and bones. The spontaneous and radiated pain by bone tumors subsided within a few minutes after the initial injection of octreotide and the effect persisted for several hours. Combination therapy of octreotide and interferon alpha-2b significantly reduced the size of metastatic liver tumors and inhibited further growth of metastatic bone tumors for the last 27 months. The use of octreotide may be a good option for controlling pain by metastatic bone disease and combination therapy of octreotide and interferon alpha-2b is worth to try for patients with inoperable metastatic carcinoid tumor.