Glucagonoma (patient information)

	Glucagonoma
Overview
What are the symptoms?
Who is at highest risk?
Diagnosis
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
Diseases with similar symptoms
Where to find medical care for Glucagonoma?
Prevention
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Glucagonoma On the Web
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FDA on Glucagonoma
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Glucagonoma

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Jinhui Wu, M.D.

Overview

Glucagonoma is a very rare tumor of the islet cells of the pancreas which is an organ in the abdomen that can make insulin and glucagon to regulate blood sugar level. A patient of insulinoma can produce too much glucagon. Patients may show a series of symptoms of hyperglucagonemia and hypoaminoacidemia, such as anemia, diarrhea, weight loss, necrolytic migratory erythema, and diabetes mellitus. Treatments involve surgery and medication.

What are the symptoms of Glucagonoma?

Usual symptoms of glucagonoma involve a series of signs of hyperglucagonemia and hypoaminoacidemia:

Diarrhea

Excess thirst

Frequent urination and nighttime urination

Increased appetite

Inflamed mouth and tongue

Skin rash

Weight loss

Other health problems may also cause these symptoms. Only a doctor can tell for sure. A person with any of these symptoms should tell the doctor so that the problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.

Who is at highest risk?

The cause of glucagonoma is not clear.

Diagnosis

Fasting glucose level and serum glucagon level: In patients with glucagonoma, the level of fasting glucose level and serum glucagon level is higher than normal.

Oral glucose tolerance test: This is one of the tools used to diagnose diabetes mellitus.

Complete blood count: A patient with glucagonoma may show anemia.

Skin biopsy: Skin biopsy is a good test for skin lesions. Pathologists may find necrolytic migratory erythema in patients with glucagonoma.

Computed tomography (CT) scan: CT scans are often used to diagnose glucagonoma. It can confirm the location of the tumor and show the organs nearby. These are helpful for determining the stage of cancer and in determining whether surgery is a good treatment option.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI uses magnetic fields but it is a different type of image than what is produced by computed tomography (CT) and produces detailed images of the body. Like computed tomography (CT), a contrast agent may be injected into a patient’s vein to create a better picture.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scan: When doing this test, a small amount of a radioactive medium is injected into your body and absorbed by the organs or tissues. This radioactive substance gives off energy which in turn is used to produce the images. PET can provide more helpful information than either CT or MRI scans. It is useful to see if cancerr has spread to the lymph nodes and it is also useful for your doctor to locate where cancerrer has spread.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call your health care provider if symptoms of glucagonoma develop. If you experience either of the following symptoms, seeking urgent medical care as soon as possible:

Severe diarrhea

Treatment options

For patients with glucagonoma, surgery is the definitive management. Before treatment starts, ask your health care team about possible side effects and how treatment may change your normal activities.

Surgery: The surgical measure may involve surgical removal of the glucagonoma. It is the first preferred treatment for the patients.

Medication: For patients who may not accept surgery, medications such as octreotide, doxorubicin and streptozotocin can be used to block the release of glucagon.