Therapeutic response to somatostatin analogue, BIM 23014, in metastatic prostatic cancer.

Metastatic prostate cancer is well known to respond to hormonal manipulations, but once progression occurs new treatment modalities are required. Specific and systemic antitumour therapy is preferable to local treatments such as radiotherapy in such patients. The finding that somatostatin analogue, BIM 23014, inhibits prostatic tumour growth in animal models is of great interest. We treated 25 poor risk patients with progressive metastatic prostate cancer. Sixteen had also failed to respond to 'total androgen blockade'. Two patients have achieved a partial remission, one of which is maintained at over 30 months, and three had stable disease for over 6 months. Side effects have consisted of mild diarrhoea and abdominal cramp in the first few days of treatment in a minority of the patients. These results are encouraging and further randomized studies are in progress.