A Three Year Follow-Up Study of a Patient With a Malignant Islet Cell Tumour Treated With Streptozotocin

Summary

A 62 year old man with hepatic metastases from an insulin-producing islet cell tumour has successfully been treated with Streptozotocin. A selective celiac arteriography, performed after ten months, demonstrated complete disappearance of hepatic metastases. The patient remained well for three years without clinical or biological symptoms of recurrent disease; after this time however symptoms reappeared. A liver biopsy revealed metastases of a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The patient died shortly afterwards due to generalized disease. The authors conclude that Streptozotocin therapy is the preferred treatment of metastatic insulinoma, and that even in cases of extensive metastatic involvement, long time survival is possible.