Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumor / Disease

Diseases & Conditions

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumor

Synonyms of Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumor

Encephalopathy, Hypoglycemic
Multiple Endocrine Adenomatosis

Disorder Subdivisions

General Discussion
Pancreatic-islet cell tumors appear in one of two forms. They may be nonfunctioning or functioning tumors. Nonfunctioning tumors may cause obstruction in the shortest part of the small intestine (duodenum) or in the biliary tract, which connects the liver to the duodenum and includes the gall bladder. These nonfunctioning tumors may erode and bleed into the stomach and/or the intestines, or they may cause an abdominal mass.

Functioning tumors secrete excessive amounts of hormones, which may lead to various syndromes including low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), multiple bleeding ulcers (Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome), pancreatic cholera (Verner-Morrison Syndrome), carcinoid syndrome or diabetes.

Islet cells are small, isolated masses of cells that make up the Islet of Langerhans in the pancreas. When functioning normally, they secrete the protein hormones insulin and glucagon. Tumors composed of irregular islet cells may occur alone or in a group of many tumors. Approximately 90% of islet-cell tumors are noncancerous (benign). They usually range in size from 0.5 to 2 cm in diameter.
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Organizations related to Pancreatic Islet Cell Tumor

American Cancer Society, Inc.
1599 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta GA 30329
Phone #: 404-320-3333
800 #: 800-227-2345
e-mail: N/A
Home page: http://www.cancer.org
CORE
3 St. Andrews Place
London None NW1 4LB
Phone #: 020- 74-86 0341
800 #: N/A
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.corecharity.org.uk
Cancer.Net
American Society of Clinical Oncology
Alexandria VA 22314
Phone #: 571-483-1780
800 #: 888-651-3038
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.cancer.net/patient
MUMS (Mothers United for Moral Support, Inc) National Parent-to-Parent Network
150 Custer Court
Green Bay WI 54301-1243
Phone #: 920-336-5333
800 #: 877-336-5333
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.netnet.net/mums/
NIH/National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
2 Information Way
Bethesda MD 20892-3570
Phone #: 301-654-3810
800 #: 800-891-5389
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.niddk.nih.gov

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ? (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html