Remission of symptoms during long term treatment of metastatic pancreatic endocrine tumours with long acting somatostatin analogue.

Five patients with metastatic pancreatic endocrine tumours injected a long acting somatostatin analogue (SMS 201-995) 50 micrograms subcutaneously every 12 hours and were followed up for three to six months. Treatment aimed at controlling excess secretion of hormone by the tumours thereby bringing symptomatic relief. Four patients showed a significant reduction in tumour related hormone concentrations but in none did values return to normal. All five patients, however, noted definite symptomatic improvement and in one this was dramatic (disappearance of life threatening diarrhoea and correction of metabolic acidosis and hypokalaemia within 48 hours). Mild worsening of symptoms and increasing fasting tumour related hormone concentrations after three to six months of treatment were reversed by doubling the 12 hourly dose. The treatment was well tolerated and had no deleterious effect on fasting blood glucose concentrations. This somatostatin analogue seems a promising non-invasive treatment for metastatic pancreatic endocrine tumours.