Aggressive resection of metastatic disease in selected patients with malignant gastrinoma.

Fifteen patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome followed at the National Institutes of Health with extensive metastatic disease had an actuarial 5-year survival of 20%. Therefore, in 1982 a prospective study to examine the effect and feasibility of removing all gross tumor in selected patients with extensive metastatic disease was instituted. Five patients with extensive metastatic gastrinoma confined to the abdomen in whom imaging studies suggested the possibility of complete surgical resection were entered into this study and underwent attempted complete surgical resection and chemotherapy with streptozotocin, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil. Median follow-up was 24 months. Surgical resection of all gastrinoma was possible in 4/5 patients attempted. In one patient in whom all gross disease could not be resected, the residual tumor progressed and the patient died 19 months after operation. All four patients with all disease resected appeared to benefit since all of them had a significant reduction in antisecretory medications and are enjoying normal activity and work. Three patients have had no detectable tumor on follow-up, and two of these patients are clinically and biochemically "cured" with normal fasting gastrin levels and negative provocative gastrin tests at 14 and 32 months. Therefore, aggressive resection of metastatic disease in selected patients with malignant gastrinoma is recommended.