Surgery and polychemotherapy of non-functional endocrine pancreatic tumors: a case report with a dramatic clinical...

Endocrine pancreatic tumors (EPT) are a rare clinical entity, representing 5% of all pancreatic tumors. Nonfunctional subtypes (NF-EPT) often present themselves at diagnosis in a locally advanced or metastatic stage. Therapeutic planning of these neoplasias is based on a multidisciplinary integration of surgery and medical treatments. The Authors describe a case of NF-EPT with massive metastatic spread after cytoreductive surgery, with impressive response to polychemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and dacarbazine. The various options concerning chemotherapic treatment of these tumors are reviewed.