Pancreatic Endocrine Tumors

Pancreatic endocrine tumors arise from islet and gastrin-producing cells and often produce many hormones. They have two general presentations. Nonfunctioning tumors may cause obstructive symptoms of the biliary tract or duodenum, bleeding into the GI tract, or abdominal masses. Functioning tumors hypersecrete a particular hormone, causing various syndromes. These clinical syndromes can also occur in multiple endocrine neoplasia, in which tumors or hyperplasia affects two or more endocrine glands, usually the parathyroid, pituitary, thyroid, or adrenals.

Treatment for functioning and nonfunctioning tumors is surgical resection. If metastases preclude curative surgery, various antihormone treatments may be tried for functioning tumors. Because of tumor rarity, chemotherapy trials have not identified definitive treatment. However, streptozotocin has selective activity against pancreatic islet cells and is commonly used, either alone or in combination with 5-fluorouracil or doxorubicin. Some centers use chlorozotocin and interferon.

Check also:

  Zollinger-Ellison Syndrom

  Vipoma - Pancreatic cancers

  Glucagonoma

  Insulinoma

K. Ozaki, T. Yamagami, K. Nomura and I. Narama

Research Institute of Drug Safety, Setsunan University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan (KO, IN); and Marupi Lifetech Co., Ltd., Ikeda, Osaka, Japan (TY, KN)

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