title: Management of islet cell carcinoma.
abstract: Presentation, treatment, and outcome data were analyzed for 33 patients with islet cell carcinoma who were admitted over a 4 1/2-year period to the surgical service at our institution. The patients were stratified into three groups according to primary mode of therapy as follows: (1) aggressive surgical resection (n = 12); (2) bypass with chemotherapy (n = 13); and (3) diagnostic exploratory laparotomy or bypass without any further therapy (n = 8). Of the patients, 67% were initially seen with advanced disease. Overall, 33% of the tumors were functioning, with a predominance of nonfunctioning tumors in the two groups that were not resectable. Chemotherapy was administered on an individual basis, with symptom palliation as the most common indication. The mean follow-up period was 12.7 +/- 13.1 months (range, 0 to 47.2 months), with an overall estimated 3-year survival rate of 76% calculated by life-table analysis, with 56% alive with disease. The estimated 3-year survival rate was 100% for those who underwent resection, with 83% free of disease. Those patients who had a biopsy or bypass and received chemotherapy had a calculated 3-year survival rate of 34% (p = 0.01 vs. resection), and those who underwent bypass and biopsy only had a 3-year survival rate of 58%. Islet cell carcinoma remains a difficult problem, with primary resection the primary therapeutic modality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Legaspi
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Brennan
mesh_terms: D007516:Adenoma, Islet Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000379:methods; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents