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Treatment of Insulinoma
Source: Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (Islet Cell Tumors) Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: October 7, 2022 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
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Treatment of insulinoma may include the following:
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For one small tumor in the head or tail of the pancreas, treatment is usually surgery to remove the tumor.
For one large tumor in the head of the pancreas that cannot be removed by surgery, treatment is usually pancreatoduodenectomy (surgery to remove the head of the pancreas, the gallbladder, nearby lymph nodes and part of the stomach, small intestine, and bile duct).
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For one large tumor in the body or tail of the pancreas, treatment is usually a distal pancreatectomy (surgery to remove the body and tail of the pancreas).
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For more than one tumor in the pancreas, treatment is usually surgery to remove any tumors in the head of the pancreas and the body and tail of the pancreas.
For tumors that cannot be removed by surgery, treatment may include the following:
For tumors that cannot be removed by surgery, treatment may include the following:
Combination chemotherapy.
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For tumors that cannot be removed by surgery, treatment may include the following:
Palliative drug therapy to decrease the amount of insulin made by the pancreas.
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For tumors that cannot be removed by surgery, treatment may include the following:
Hormone therapy.
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For tumors that cannot be removed by surgery, treatment may include the following:
Radiofrequency ablation or cryosurgical ablation.
For cancer that has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body, treatment may include the following:
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For cancer that has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body, treatment may include the following:
Surgery to remove the cancer.
For cancer that has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body, treatment may include the following:
Radiofrequency ablation or cryosurgical ablation, if the cancer cannot be removed by surgery.
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If the cancer mostly affects the liver and the patient has severe symptoms from hormones or from the size of tumor, treatment may include:
If the cancer mostly affects the liver and the patient has severe symptoms from hormones or from the size of tumor, treatment may include:
Hepatic arterial occlusion, with or without systemic chemotherapy.
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If the cancer mostly affects the liver and the patient has severe symptoms from hormones or from the size of tumor, treatment may include:
Chemoembolization, with or without systemic chemotherapy.
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Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice