Malignant insulinoma is a rare tumor. Metastatic disease confined to the liver can be treated with various locoregional treatments.
Case report
We report a case of a young woman who developed liver metastases twelve years following resection of a pancreatic insulinoma positive to anti-insulin antibodies. With five cycles of intra-arterial locoregional chemotherapy (fluorouracil and epirubicin) to the liver and monthly hormone therapy (octreotide) the patient obtained a clinical complete response. After twelve months she is still disease free.
Conclusion
Locoregional therapy for insulinoma metastatic to the liver might represent the treatment of choice; hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy is an interesting therapeutic approach which deserves attention. The role of somatostatin analogs is limited to symptom control.
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