[Therapy of metastatic carcinoid with the somatostatin analog octreotide and with recombinant interferon alfa 2b].

A 69 year-old male with carcinoid syndrome and undetectable primary tumour, but disseminated liver metastases, was treated with somatostatin analogue octreotide (Sandostatin) and later additionally with recombinant interferon alpha 2 b (r IFN alpha 2 b, Intron A). The carcinoid symptoms (flushing, diarrhoea) were stopped within hours by octreotide. Simultaneously, the urinary 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) excretion and serum serotonin levels decreased by more than 50%. In spite of continued treatment with r IFN alpha 2 b a reduction in dosage of octreotide resulted in a rapid recurrence of carcinoid symptoms, suggesting that IFN alpha 2 b had no effect on the carcinoid symptoms in this patient. Since, furthermore, no regression of the tumour mass was observed, treatment with IFN was stopped after 8 months. During 15 months of treatment to date the patient has been kept free of symptoms by octreotide.