Role of Octreotide in Pancreatic Cancer

Cancer of the pancreas is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Of the 28,000 patients diagnosed each year, more than 95% will die of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, the focus of therapy for most patients is palliative care. In fact, the most active single-agent therapy for advanced disease—gemcitabine (Gemzar)—was first compared to fluorouracil (5-FU) with relief of disease symptoms as a primary end point. However, the survival with gemcitabine remains approximately 6 months for advanced disease, and no new agent, either alone or in combination, has exceeded this time frame in phase III study.