Regression of a distal bile duct carcinoma after treatment with octreotide for 6 months

• Published in: Digestion Vol. 58; no. 4; p. 407
• Main Authors: Sulkowski, U, Dinse, P, Haus, U, Collins, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01-01-1997
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - diagnosis; Adenocarcinoma - drug therapy; Adenocarcinoma - surgery; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal - therapeutic use; Bile Duct Neoplasms - diagnosis; Bile Duct Neoplasms - drug therapy; Bile Duct Neoplasms - surgery; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; Cholestasis - etiology; Diagnosis, Differential; Drug Administration Schedule; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Octreotide - therapeutic use; Pancreatic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Pancreatic Neoplasms - drug therapy; Remission Induction; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 0012-2823
• DOI: 10.1159/000201475

We report the case of a 66-year-old male who was admitted for obstructive jaundice presenting with an enlargement of the pancreatic head on CT scan. During exploratory laparotomy an invasion of the retropancreatic mesenteric vessels was found. Subsequently, the patient was included in a multi-center trial of subcutaneous high-dose octreotide in irresectable pancreatic cancer. After 6 months there was no tumour detectable on routine CT follow-up. One year after commencing octreotide treatment the patient underwent Whipple resection; the specimen showing a small T1N0M0 distal bile duct carcinoma. Taking into account that somatostatin receptors have been found on bile duct cancer cells our observation might warrant a controlled clinical trial.