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. 2019 Dec;8(6):766-772.
doi: 10.21037/gs.2019.12.07.

The role of microwave ablation in management of functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Alexey Victorovich Egorov  1 , Ivan Alekseevich Vasilyev  1 , Gaziyav Hadisovich Musayev  2 , Anna Victorovna Mironova  3
Affiliations

The role of microwave ablation in management of functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Alexey Victorovich Egorov et al. Gland Surg. 2019 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Surgical resection is considered to be the only potentially curative option for patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs). High risk rates of perioperative complications make minimally invasive ablative techniques a novel perspective and alternative treatment option for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. This study aims to present the first experience of using a microwave ablation in management of pNETs.

Methods: Sechenov University has an experience of treating more than 400 patients with hormone-producing tumors of the pancreas, 7 of which were treated by microwave ablation (MWA).

Results: In all patients that underwent MWA, a regression of hormonal symptomatic was achieved. Two patients required readmission a month later for draining of pseudocyst and abscess.

Conclusions: The exact role of microwave ablation in the treatment of non-metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors has not been defined yet. There is a lack of large prospective randomized studies and the reason for this is that local tumor destruction is indicated in selected cases only, thus making it difficult to analyze a large group of patients and assess long-term results of the treatment. However, microwave ablation allows to take a better control of symptoms in patients with hormone overproduction and in those with high risk of postoperative complications.

Keywords: Insulinoma; ablative techniques; minimally invasive surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Patient No. 5, pancreatic head insulinoma before treatment and 2 months after microwave ablation (MWA). Tumor area is indicated by the arrow.
Figure 2
Figure 2
CT of Patient No. 6, pseudocyst in the ablation area 1 and 24 months after microwave ablation (MWA). Pseudocyst is indicated by the arrow.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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