GASTRINOMA

Course overview

GASTRINOMAS ARE NEUROENDOCRINE TUMORS CHARACTERIZED BY THE SECRETION OF GASTRIN WITH RESULTANT EXCESSIVE GASTRIC ACID PRODUCTION CAUSING SEVERE PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE AND DIARRHEA, A COMBINATION REFERRED TO AS THE ZOLLINGER-ELLISON SYNDROME (ZES). GASTRINOMAS ARE THE MOST COMMON FUNCTIONAL AND MALIGNANT PANCREATIC ENDOCRINE TUMORS. THEY ARE COMMONLY DIAGNOSED BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 50 AND HAVE A SLIGHTLY HIGHER INCIDENCE IN MEN. UNFORTUNATELY, AT LEAST 60 PERCENT OF GASTRINOMA CASES HAVE ALREADY METASTASIZED BY THE TIME OF DIAGNOSIS, HASTENING DEATH. IMPROVING THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S KNOWLEDGE REGARDING WHEN TO CONSIDER GASTRINOMAS ON DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AS WELL AS HOW TO PROMPTLY EVALUATE PATIENTS FOR THIS CONDITION WILL ALLOW FOR EARLIER MANAGEMENT AND IMPROVED OUTCOMES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH GASTRINOMAS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF RULING OUT MULTIPLE ENDOCRINE NEOPLASIAS. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.