[Hormone therapy of postoperative recurrent pancreatic carcinoma with octreotide and tamoxifen].

Background: In a prospective trial (October 1996-April 1998) the effect of octreotide and tamoxifen on the recurrence of pancreatic carcinoma after R0 resection was evaluated.
Methods: Patients with a local recurrence after curative resection of ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were treated with 100 micrograms of octreotide three times a day and tamoxifen 20 mg once daily. The median survival time, quality of life (EO-RTC-QLQ-30) and side effects of the octreotide-tamoxifen group were compared with a historic cohort (n = 14) of patients treated in our department (9/95-9/96) according to the "best supportive care" concept.
Results: Recurrences were diagnosed after R0 resection in a mean time of 13 +/- 6.8 months. Patients treated with octreotide and tamoxifen had a significantly (P < 0.05) longer median survival time (7 months; range: 3-12) vs 3.5 months; range: 1.5-5). The octreotide-tamoxifen group suffered less from lack of appetite, nausea, fatigue, and pain and needed fewer analgesics. The only side effect of the octreotide-tamoxifen therapy was moderate diarrhea in 2 patients at the beginning of the therapy.
Conclusion: Since combined therapy with octreotide and tamoxifen can be administered comfortably for outpatient treatment, this seems to represent progress in the palliative therapy of pancreatic cancer.