Efficacy of Detoxsan(®) powder on diarrhea caused by gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors

BACKGROUND: Patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the gastrointestinal tract suffer frequently from chronic diarrhea. A well characterized medical advice containing zeolite (Detoxsan(®) powder) was applied to patients suffered from therapy-refractory diarrhea either by its frequency or by watery stool, despite receiving standard pharmacotherapy according to the guidelines for carcinoid syndrome and comorbidities. Detoxsan(®) powder acts as an adsorbent and might reduce significantly symptoms of diarrhea in patients suffering from NETs. AIM: To overcome the therapy-refractory diarrhea of patients with NETs by the zeolite containing medical advice Detoxsan(®) powder. METHODS: A total of 20 patients (12 female and 8 male) suffering from diarrhea either by its frequency or from watery stool caused by NETs were included. In each patient, the diagnosis had been confirmed by histology and somatostatin receptors expression proven by positron emission tomography/computed tomography using Ga-68-labeled somatostatin analogs. All patients received standard-of-care pharmacotherapy and were additionally given Detoxsan(®) powder as an extemporaneous drug containing 90% natural Cuban zeolite and 10% magnesium aspartate. Recommended daily dosage ranges between 3 g once to three times per day. Each day dose and bowel movements were documented by the patients themselves in a pre-defined table. Additionally to the bowel movements quantitative determinations of serotonin, urea, creatinine and single ions were performed within the serum of the patients by commercially available equipment used as a matter of routine in the clinic. RESULTS: All patients enrolled in this pilot study did not only suffer from NETs, but also from comorbidities and treatment-resistant diarrhea. There was insufficient control of diarrhea, most probably due to the secretion of hormones like serotonin produced by the slowly growing and highly differentiated NETs. All patients only took Detoxsan(®) powder as an antidiarrheal drug. In general, response effects need several days to become perceptible and require an intake of Detoxsan(®) powder for an extended time period or intermittently, if persisting stabilization of bowel movements could not be achieved. A correlation between NET grade, part and size of bowel resection and functionality of the tumor could not be demonstrated. Therefore, diarrhea seemed to be based on the metabolic activity of the well-differentiated NETs, which eventually led to treatment resistance. In summary, 14 out of the 20 patients (70%) declared to be very content with using Detoxsan(®) powder and observed a significant reduction of diarrhea, while the effective dose and intake period that resulted in a symptom relief varied individually. CONCLUSION: Detoxsan(®) powder is able to reduce significantly symptoms of NET-related diarrhea in the majority of patients. The duration of taking Detoxsan(®) powder and its dosage vary individually.