Treating glucagonoma involves removing tumor cells and treating the effects of an excess of glucagon on your body.
It’s best to begin treatment by stabilizing the effects of excess glucagon. This often involves taking a somatostatin analog drug, such as an injection of octreotide (Sandostatin). Octreotide helps to counteract the effects of glucagon on your skin and improve skin rash.
If you’ve lost a great deal of weight, you may need an IV to help restore your body weight. High blood sugar can be treated with insulin and close monitoring of your blood glucose levels.
Your doctor may also give you an anticoagulant medication, or blood thinner. This prevents the formation of blood clots in your legs, also known as deep vein thrombosis.
If you’re at risk for deep vein thrombosis, a surgeon can place a filter in one of your large veins, the inferior vena cava, to prevent clots from reaching your lungs.
Once your general health has improved, the tumor will likely be surgically removed. This type of tumor rarely responds well to chemotherapy. Surgery is most successful if the tumor is caught while it’s still confined to the pancreas.
A surgeon may do exploratory surgery of your abdomen either laparoscopically (with small cuts to allow for cameras, lights, and tools) or by creating a larger open incision.
Most glucagonomas occur on the left side or tail of the pancreas. Removal of this section is called a distal pancreatectomy. The surgeon may also remove your spleen. When the tumor tissue is examined under a microscope, it’s difficult to tell whether it’s cancerous.
If it’s cancerous, your surgeon will remove as much of the tumor as possible to prevent it from spreading further. This may include part of the pancreas, local lymph nodes, and even part of the liver.
