Glucagonoma

Glucagonoma – General Information

Glucagonoma is a quite uncommon type of tumor which affects the pancreas. The tumor can be discovered accidentally or the doctors can find it because of the presence of islet cell which are located in the pancreas, because of the symptoms which appear or because of the specific syndrome which is associated with this disease. The first case of this disease which was studied appeared in 1943; the neuro-endocrine tumor which characterized this disorder is described as an abnormal production of growth factors and peptide hormones. These abnormal levels of production lead to important toxic consequences and a further evolution and spreading of the tumor. In most of the cases, Glucagonoma appears in its malignant form which is characterized by a large number of symptoms and signs which are easily diagnosed: weight loss, diabetes mellitus, glucagons overproduction, anemia, hypo-aminoacidemia and severe damage of the tissues located around the tumor. Other severe complications which can appear are pulmonary embolisms.   

In what concerns the frequency of this disease, there have been reported only a few cases during the past years; the good part is the fact that there is about one patient in about 21 million people around the world. However, this statistic is not quite relative as the disease can evolve clinically silent for a long period of time, which means that it is not characterized by any signs or symptoms. However, the survival expectation of a person who suffers from Glucagonoma is not higher than 7 years, even with the administration of proper treatment.

Glucagonoma – Symptoms

Glucagonoma – Treatment

If you notice any abnormalities in your general health condition or if you experience any of the signs and symptoms presented above, you should seek immediately for medical care. In order to obtain a sure diagnosis, your doctor will probably recommend you one or more of the following tests: a blood test to identify the level of sugar in your blood and a glucose test in order to determine whether you suffer from diabetes or not. He will also check the levels of glucagon, serum, insulin, calcium and prolactin in your organism.  As Glucagonoma is usually characterized by nutritional deficiencies, your doctor should also determine your nutritional status and correct the possible abnormalities. If you are suspect of suffering from a malignant form of the disease, your doctor will determine the quantities of bilirubine, transaminases and phosphates in your body.  In order to localize the area which is affected by Glucagonoma, the doctor should perform a radiology; this will also give him information about the size of the tumor. Other tests which can be done in order to determine the presence of this disease are the following: an abdominal scan, a tomography or an endoscopic ultrasound test. These tests will also provide important information about the cutaneous lesions which may appear.

There are various ways in which Glucagonoma can be treated; however, the goal of the treatment is to ameliorate the complications and to prolong the life expectations of the patient, as a complete healing is not possible. The first measure which should be taken in order to ameliorate the sufferer’s condition is the administration of drugs; doctors usually choose to administrate active medicines, such as streptozotocin, octreotide and dacarbazine. The most effective way of treating Glucagonoma is surgical resection but in some cases, this can result in a reversion of the symptoms and even more severe complications. In the case of the patients who present severe hormone-released symptoms, the doctor can choose a surgical procedure in order to reduce the arterial flow of the blood; this procedure usually consists of an arterial occlusion, which is the safest procedure as it does not affect the portal circulation of the blood. At the doctor’s recommendation, this procedure can be combined with chemotherapy. In other cases, the most effective procedure is the liver transplantation which is, however, quite expensive and not completely confirmed. Other doctors can choose a neoplasm removal which is effective especially when the lymph nodes are metastatic.   

However, in order to benefit from the best way of treating Glucagonoma, a patient should consult some other specialists as well, not only his personal doctor; he should do this especially if he experiences endocrine disturbances, optical complications, muco-cutaneous lesions or physical abnormalities, which can also appear in the case of this disease. In such cases, the sufferer is advised to consult an endocrinologist, a dermatologist, an ophthalmologist and a neurologist. After the patient receives the medical care he needs, the doctor will probably make some further recommendations; for example, the patient will probably be recommended a diet reach in proteins, zinc, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids.