Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) usually grow slowly, and the laboratory monitors the tumor for signs of growth through imaging tests. Patients with NET spreading out of the pancreas usually have symptoms such as diarrhea or hormonal problems. They can be used for drugs such as octreotide, lanreotide, diazoxide, and proton pump inhibitors, which can inhibit tumor growth.
When the patient’s symptoms cannot be controlled or the scan shows signs of tumor growth, further treatment is required, and chemotherapy or targeted drugs (such as sunitinib or everolimus) can be used. For people with poorly differentiated tumors (neuroendocrine carcinoma), chemotherapy is the first choice. For patients who have spread to the liver, choose surgery or ablation technology for treatment according to their own conditions. For adults with somatostatin (a hormone) receptor-positive pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, the radiopharmaceutical Lutathera (l Lu177 dotatate) is a treatment option.
If all feasible treatments no longer work, then consider participating in clinical trials to test new therapies. Participation in clinical trials is likely to benefit some patients.
