How to Treat Gastrinomas
Gastrinomas are tumors that occur in the pancreas or the beginning of the small intestine (duodenum). They often present symptoms identical to peptic ulcers, but can be cancerous. In fact, the majority of gastrinomas are cancerous and need to be treated or removed. Special attention needs to be paid to this condition because the gastrinomas originating in the pancreas or duodenum can spread to the liver and cause intense pain in the abdominal area. There are a number of ways to treat gastrinomas.
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Instructions
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Treat Gastrinomas
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Consider medication, such as a proton pump inhibitor, which inhibits the amount of gastric acid produced in one's system.
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Look into surgery to remove the gastrinomas, especially since many of them may be malignant, whether they are sporadic or a result of the inherited MEN-1 syndrome.
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Try taking H-2 receptor antagonists. These drugs reduce the secretion of gastric acid, improve overall symptoms and facilitate the healing of ulcers.
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Try taking antacids to help relieve abdominal pain and other symptoms. Keep in mind, however, that antacids are not necessarily long-lasting in relief.
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Remember to treat the patient, not just the disease. Patients need emotional and spiritual support to cope with treatment of gastrinomas.
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Find out about enucleation, a procedure used to remove small tumors (less than 1 cm) from the pancreatic surface.
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Tips & Warnings
Gastrinomas are usually associated with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES). Find additional information about ZES at WebMD (see Resources below).
Early stages of gastrinoma are usually marked by peptic ulcers. As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe and are less responsive to traditional ulcer therapy.
Consider searching for support groups for people coping with gastrinomas. This condition can be trying physically and psychologically.
Medicinal treatment of gastrinomas cure the symptoms and surgery sometimes cures the disease. However, surgery may not stop the spread of malignant tumors.
Malignant gastrinomas tend to grow slowly, and they are often found in the liver and lymph nodes. This spread is much more common than the spread of gastrinomas in the pancreas or the duodenum (beginning of the small intestine).
The same treatments do not work for everyone with gastrinomas. Patients vary in the type and degree of their condition, so treatments should be individually based.
The benefits of surgical removal of gastrinomas remain debatable in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) or multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN-1) syndrome.
