Malignant glucagonoma syndrome: response to chemotherapy

A 58-year-old white woman with known metastatic glucagonoma had widespread necrolytic migratory erythema characteristic of the glucagonoma syndrome. She did not respond to conventional chemotherapy with streptozocin. After one course of dacarbazine therapy, she had remission of the glucagonoma clinically with regression of tumor metastases as defined by liver scanning. After 10 months and additional courses of dacarbazine therapy, she remains in clinical remission. Plasma glucagon levels have decreased although they remain at two to four times the upper limit of normal. On several occasions there was resolution of this patient's rash after intravenous glucose in the absence of supplemental amino acids. We conclude that dacarbazine is an effective mode of chemotherapy for malignant glucagonoma.