Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Diagnosis

Tests and procedures used to diagnose pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors include:

• Blood tests: Pancreatic NETs can frequently be diagnosed using blood tests that measure the levels of specific pancreatic hormones.
• Urine test: This method is used to identify breakdown products of hormones processing in your body.
  Imaging tests:
• Computer tomography (CT) scans: create detailed images of the organs. The pancreas may be plainly seen during this examination, which also determines whether the pancreatic NET has progressed to a nearby lymph nodes or other organs including the liver. Additionally, it can be utilized as a guide to needle biopsy when the location is difficult.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): The body’s soft tissues can be seen in great detail on an MRI scan. However, MRI scans substitute radio waves and powerful magnets for X-rays. In order to observe details more clearly during the scan, dyes may be injected into a vein beforehand. Sometimes, an MRI scan can detect cancer metastasis to the liver more accurately than a CT scan.
• Endoscopic Ultrasound: An endoscope with a tiny ultrasonic probe on the end is used for this test. Your pancreas is inspected using a specialized ultrasound. In order to get biopsy samples of a tumor, a tiny, hollow needle can be inserted through the endoscope.
• Surgical biopsy: Specialists may recommend minimally invasive surgery in some circumstances in order to collect a tissue sample for testing (biopsy). A small camera and specialized tools are inserted during a laparoscopy by the surgeon through a series of tiny incisions in your abdomen.

Treatment

The treatment for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor depends on the cell types involved in the tumor, the size and other characteristics.

Surgery

Surgery is usually the primary treatment for a pancreas NET that is localized.

• Distal pancreatectomy: is surgery procedure to remove the body and tail of the pancreas. This procedure is usually performed in cases where the pancreas’s tail is affected by cancer.
• Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy) – The Whipple procedure is an operation procedure which will remove the head of the pancreas, the duodenum (the first part of small intestine), the gallbladder and portion of the bile duct. The remaining parts will be reconnected to remain food digestion track. This procedure commonly used for tumor in the head of the pancreas.

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT)

This is the radioactive substance that is injected into a vein together with a medication that kills cancerous cells. The drug binds to the body’s pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor cells. The drug directly delivers radiation to the cancer cells over the course of days to weeks, resulting in death of the tumor.

Targeted therapy

This therapy uses drugs that specifically targets the cancer cells. Certain advanced or recurrent pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are treated with targeted therapy

Radiofrequency ablation

This method utilizes energy waves to heat up and kill cancer cells.

Treatment for cancer that spreads to the liver

There are numerous treatments available for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, which typically metastasize to the liver. Hepatic artery occlusion, chemotherapeutic embolization, radioembolization, and liver transplantation are among the available treatments for liver tumors. Other options include treatment to stop blood flow to the tumors (hepatocellular occlusion).

Chemotherapy

This method uses chemicals combined in the medication to attack cancer cells and to destroy them. It can be used together along with surgery.