Octreotide in the management of treatment-related diarrhoea

Octreotide appears to have a major therapeutic effect in the management of diarrhoea related to cancer therapy. This effect is seen in the acute diarrhoea following radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and also in late radiation enteritis. As well as providing improved symptom control, early treatment can prevent potentially important morbidity in patients who are vulnerable to infection and fluid loss. Patients who suffer diarrhoea as a complication of AIDS, graft-versus-host disease and tumour-related diarrhoea can also obtain major benefit from treatment with octreotide. It should be considered as a first-line treatment in patients for whom diarrhoea may be a serious complication.