Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Predictive factors associated with long-term survival in patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas are rare tumors. We identified predictive factors that are associated with long-term survival (≥5 years).

Methods

Fifty patients with a diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas were retrospectively evaluated. The following factors were evaluated for disease-specific mortality: age, sex, primary tumor location, functional status, type of primary tumor treatment, presence or absence of liver metastases, timing of liver metastases occurrence, and type of liver metastases treatment. Aggressive treatment of the liver metastases included surgery, chemoembolization, or intrahepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy.

Results

Twenty-three patients (47%) had tumor located in the head of the pancreas, and 29 patients (58%) had nonfunctioning tumor. Thirty-nine patients (78%) had liver metastases. The median follow-up for the entire group was 35 months (range, 76–206 months). The median survival for the entire group was 40 months, and the overall 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival rates were 84%, 69%, and 36%, respectively. Factors that had a significant favorable effect on survival included curative resection of the primary tumor, metachronous liver metastases, absence of liver metastases, and aggressive treatment of the liver metastases.

Conclusions

Definitive surgical resection of the primary tumor, absence of liver metastases, metachronous liver metastases, and aggressive treatment of the liver metastases were predictors of long-term survival in patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Moldrow RE, Connelly RR. Epidemiology of pancreatic cancer in Connecticut.Gastroenterology 1968;55:677–86.

    Google Scholar 

  2. DeVita VT Jr, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA.Cancer Principles and Practice of Oncology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kaplan E, Meier P. Nonparametric estimation from complete observations.J Am Stat Assoc 1958;53:457–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Cox DR. Regression models and life tables.J R Stat Soc 1972;34: 187–220.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Liu TH, Zhu Y, Cui QC, et al. Nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumors: an immunohistochemical and electron microscopic analysis of 26 cases.Pathol Res Pract 1992;188:191–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Delcore R, Friesen SR. Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors.J Am Coll Surg 1994;178:187–211.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Prinz RA, Marangos PJ. Serum neuron-specific enolase: a serum marker for nonfunctioning pancreatic islet cell carcinoma.Am J Surg 1983;145:77–81.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Broughan TA, Leslie JD, Soto JM, Hermann RE. Pancreatic islet cell tumors.Surgery 1986;99:671–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lo CY, van Heerden JA, Thompson G, et al. Islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas.World J Surg 1996;20:878–84.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. White TJ, Edney JA, Thompson JS, Karrer FW, Moor BJ. Is there a prognostic difference between functional and nonfunctional islet cell tumors?Am J Surg 1994;168:627–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Evans DB, Skibber JM, Lee JE, et al. Nonfunctioning islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas.Surgery 1993;114:1175–82.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Legaspi A, Brennan M. Management of islet cell carcinoma.Surgery 1988;104:1018–23.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Madura JA, Cummings OW, Wiebke EA, Broadie TA, Goulet RL, Howard TJ. Nonfunctioning islet cell tumors of the pancreas: a difficult diagnosis but one worth the effort.Am Surg 1997;63: 573–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Grama D, Eriksson B, Martensson H, et al. Clinical characteristics, treatment and survival in patients with pancreatic tumors causing hormonal syndromes.World J Surg 1992;16:632–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Thompson GB, van Heerden JA, Grant CS, Carney JA, Ilstrup DM. Islet cell carcinomas of the pancreas: a twenty-year experience.Surgery 1988;104:1011–7.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Matthews B, Heniford B, Reardon P, Brunicardi F, Greene F. Surgical experience with nonfunctioning neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas.Am Surg 2000;66:1116–23.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. McEntee G, Nagorney D, Kvols L, Moertel C, Grant C. Cytoreductive hepatic surgery for neuroendocrine tumors.Surgery 1990; 108:1091–6.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Norton JA, Sugarbaker PH, Doppmon JL, et al. Aggressive resection of metastatic disease in selected patients with malignant gastrinoma.Ann Surg 1986;203:352–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Nave H, Mossinger E, Feist H, Lang H, Raab H. Surgery as primary treatment in patients with liver metastases from carcinoid tumors: a retrospective, unicentric study over 13 years.Surgery 2001;129:170–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Eckhauser FE, Cheung PS, Vinik AI, Strodel WE, Lloyd RV, Thompson NW. Nonfunctioning malignant neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas.Surgery 1986;100:978–87.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Siperstein AE, Rogers SJ, Hansen PD, et al. Laparoscopic thermal ablation of hepatic neuroendocrine tumor metastases.Surgery 1997;122:1147–55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. van Heerden JA. Pancreatic resection for carcinoma of the pancreas: Whipple versus total pancreatectomy—an institutional perspective.World J Surg 1984;8:880–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgical Oncology Roswell Park Cancer Institute, State University of New York at Buffalo, Elm and Carlton Streets, 14263, Buffalo, New York

    Quyen D. Chu MD, Hank C. Hill MD, Harold O. Douglass Jr MD, Deborah Driscoll BA, Judy L. Smith MD, Hector R. Nava MD & John F. Gibbs MD

Authors
  1. Quyen D. Chu MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hank C. Hill MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Harold O. Douglass Jr MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Deborah Driscoll BA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Judy L. Smith MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hector R. Nava MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. John F. Gibbs MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John F. Gibbs MD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chu, Q.D., Hill, H.C., Douglass, H.O. et al. Predictive factors associated with long-term survival in patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas. Annals of Surgical Oncology 9, 855–862 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02557521

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02557521

Key Words

Search

Navigation