Octreotide acetate use for patient with cancerous peritonitis and postoperative gastric cancer in home hospice care setting

ABSTRACT

The patient, a woman in her 60's with gastric cancer, was diagnosed post-operatively with Schnitzler metastasis, and an artificial anus constructed for her. After receiving chemotherapy, she was admitted to the hospital with both increased lower abdominal pain and nausea. The exacerbation of cancerous peritonitis was suspected and confirmed at the start of continuous subcutaneous administration of octreotide acetate. One week after octreotide administration, the anorexia STAS improved from a score of 4 to a score of 1. Based on the desires of the patient and her household, she transferred to home hospice care, where she maintained good Quality of Life (QOL), again by octreotide acetate administration. Although octreotide acetate is effective in treating nausea, the emesis accompanying cancerous peritonitis, or for the relief of abdominal distension symptoms, there are restrictions associated with inpatient care. In home hospice care, octreotide acetate administration is useful for the maintenance and improvement of a patient's QOL. Therefore, we suggest that octreotide acetate could serve as an important tool for home hospice care. Palliat Care Res 2009; 4(2) 321-329