Yavuz, M.N., Yavuz, A.A., Aydin, F., Can, G., & Kavgaci, H. (2002). The efficacy of octreotide in the therapy of acute radiation-induced diarrhea: A randomized controlled study. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, 54(1), 195–202.

Patients were randomized to receive either 100 mcg subcutaneous octreotide three times per day or 2.5 mg oral diphenoxylate/atropine four times per day.

• The study consisted of 61 patients with grade 2–3 diarrhea associated with pelvic external beam radiation therapy (XRT).
• The octreotide group contained 33 patients, and the diphenoxylate group had 28 patients.
• The sample was balanced for clinical characteristics, including radiation dose.
   

• Investigators recorded the number of days to resolution of diarrhea and the number of days of interruption of radiation therapy.
• Success was defined as a complete response within three days.

• The octreotide group experienced diarrhea resolution in 3.3 days compared with 5.6 in the diphenoxylate group (p = 0.0001).
• The octreotide group experienced 0.45 days of interrupted radiotherapy compared with 1.89 days in the diphenoxylate group (p = 0.003).
• The octreotide group experienced a 61% success rate, while the diphenoxylate group experienced a 14% success rate (p = 0.002).

The sample size was small.