title: Octreotide improved the quality of life in a child with malignant bowel obstruction caused by peritoneal dissemination of colon cancer.
abstract: This is a first pediatric case about the efficacy of octreotide for improving symptoms of malignant bowel obstruction. A 12-year-old boy was referred to our hospital for treatment of transverse colon cancer with peritoneal dissemination. A transverse colectomy was undertaken with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Seven months later, severe abdominal symptoms occurred caused by incomplete bowel obstruction owing to tumor progression. The patient's quality of life decreased with a resultant disturbed mental condition. His parents sought to stop chemotherapy and for him to receive palliative care at home. We suggested nasogastric tube placement, but this was rejected. After obtaining informed consent, octreotide was administered intravenously. After 1 week, abdominal symptoms improved and the boy's complaints stopped. He had a good appetite and was able to eat small amounts of food. He was able to spend his final 2 months at home without nausea and in his family surroundings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal and Pediatric Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Yoshinaga
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okugawa
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hiro
authors.forename: Eiki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ojima
authors.forename: Minako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Chikao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kusunoki
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000556:secondary; D002648:Child; D044684:Colon, Transverse; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010166:Palliative Care; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000556:secondary; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D015282:Octreotide