Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
05:42
Robotic Enucleation of an Intra-Pancreatic Insulinoma in the Pancreatic Head
Published on: January 3, 2020
[Operative management and long-term survival in patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas--experience with
1Klinik für Visceral-, Thorax- und Gefässchirurgie, Philipps-Universität Marburg. fendrich@med.uni-marburg.de
Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)
|January 26, 2007
Summary
Surgical intervention offers a cure for benign pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs). While malignant PETs may not always be curable, aggressive surgical strategies can achieve significant long-term palliation and improve survival rates.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Surgical Oncology
- Gastroenterology
Context:
- Pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) are rare neoplasms with variable clinical presentations and prognoses.
- Tertiary referral centers manage a significant proportion of complex PET cases, including those with metastatic disease or genetic syndromes like MEN1.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the surgical outcomes and long-term survival of patients with pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) treated at a tertiary referral center.
- To identify prognostic factors influencing survival and treatment success in PET patients.
Summary:
- A retrospective analysis of 144 patients with PETs (20% with MEN1 syndrome) who underwent 172 operations between 1987 and 2005.
- Surgical approaches included tumor enucleation and distal pancreatic resections, with liver metastases resected in 23 patients.
- At a median follow-up of 67 months, 51% of patients were alive without evidence of disease. Survival rates were significantly associated with tumor type (benign vs. malignant), patient age, genetic background (sporadic vs. MEN1), and metastasis development.
Impact:
- Aggressive surgical management leads to cure in benign PETs.
- For malignant PETs, while cure is not always achievable, surgical intervention can result in significant long-term palliation and improved survival.
- This study highlights the importance of surgical approach and patient-specific factors in managing pancreatic endocrine tumors.
