Liver Cancer
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2007; 13(23): 3164-3170
Published online Jun 21, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i23.3164
Long acting octreotide in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular cancer and overexpression of somatostatin receptors: Randomized placebo-controlled trial
D Dimitroulopoulos, D Xinopoulos, K Tsamakidis, A Zisimopoulos, E Andriotis, D Panagiotakos, A Fotopoulou, C Chrysohoou, A Bazinis, D Daskalopoulou, E Paraskevas
D Dimitroulopoulos, D Xinopoulos, K Tsamakidis, A Zisimopoulos, E Andriotis, A Fotopoulou, D Daskalopoulou, E Paraskevas, Liver Cancer Unit, “Agios Savvas” Cancer Hospital, Athens, Greece
D Panagiotakos, Laboratory of Biostatistics, Department of Nursing, University of Athens, Greece
C Chrysohoou, Hippokration Hospital, University of Athens, Greece
A Bazinis, Psychiatric Department, “Agios Savvas” Cancer Hospital, Athens, Greece
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dimitris Dimitroulopoulos, Liver Cancer Unit, “Agios Savvas” Cancer Hospital, 35 Parnassou str., GR-152 34 Halandri-Athens, Greece. dimdim@otenet.gr
Telephone: +30-210-6892460 Fax: +30-210-6420146
Received: February 11, 2007
Revised: March 10, 2007
Accepted: March 15, 2007
Published online: June 21, 2007
Abstract

AIM: To estimate if and to what extent long acting octreotide (LAR) improves survival and quality of life in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS: A total of 127 cirrhotics, stages A-B, due to chronic viral infections and with advanced HCC, were enrolled in the study. Scintigraphy with 111Indium labeled octreotide was performed in all cases. The patients with increased accumulation of radionuclear compound were randomized to receive either oral placebo only or octreotide/octreotide LAR only as follows: octreotide 0.5mg s.c. every 8 h for 6 wk, at the end of wk 4-8 octreotide LAR 20 mg i.m. and at the end of wk 12 and every 4 wk octreotide LAR 30mg i.m.. Follow-up was worked out monthly as well as the estimation of quality of life (QLQ-C30 questionnaire). Patients with negative somatostatin receptors (SSTR) detection were followed up in the same manner.

RESULTS: Scintigraphy demonstrated SSTR in 61 patients. Thirty were randomized to receive only placebo and 31 only octreotide. A significantly higher survival time was observed for the octreotide group (49 ± 6 wk) as compared to the control group (28 ± 1 wk) and to the SSTR negative group (28 ± 2 wk), LR = 20.39, df = 2, P < 0.01. The octreotide group presented 68.5% lower hazard ratio [95% CI (47.4%-81.2%)]. During the first year, a 22%, 39% and 43% decrease in the QLQ-C30 score was observed in each group respectively.

CONCLUSION: The proposed therapeutic approach has shown to improve the survival and quality of life in SSTR positive patients with advanced HCC.

Keywords: Hepatocellular cancer; Somatostatin; Long acting octreotide; Somatostatin receptors; Quality of life