Octreotide Compared With Loperamide Hydrochloride for Chemotherapy-Related Diarrhea in Patients With Colorectal Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs such as octreotide and loperamide hydrochloride use different ways to relieve the diarrhea caused by chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of octreotide with loperamide hydrochloride for the treatment of chemotherapy-related diarrhea in patients who have colorectal cancer.