Prospective study of the clinical course, prognostic factors, causes of death, and survival in patients with long-standing Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

PURPOSE

The long-term clinical course of unselected patients with gastrinomas as well as other functional pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) in whom the excess-hormone state is controlled is largely unknown. To address this issue, patients with gastrinomas were assessed.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Two hundred twelve patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) were prospectively studied. All had controlled acid hypersecretion and were assessed yearly, with a mean follow-up period of 13.8+/-0.6 years (range, 0.1 to 31 years). Annual assessments of possible factors that might affect prognosis or treatment approaches were performed, such as those for tumor size and location; the presence, location, and extent of metastases; and the occurrence of ectopic Cushing's syndrome or another PET syndrome. Deaths were categorized as ZES-related or non-ZES-related and classified into different causes.

RESULTS

Thirty-one percent of patients died, all of non-acid-related causes. One half died of a ZES-related cause; they differed from those who died of non-ZES deaths by having a large primary tumor, more frequently a pancreatic tumor; lymph node, liver, or bone metastases; ectopic Cushing's syndrome; or higher gastrin levels. The extent of liver metastases correlated with survival rate. The presence of liver metastases alone only moderately decreased survival time; however, the additional development of bone metastases or ectopic Cushing's syndrome markedly decreased survival rate.

CONCLUSIONS

In ZES, gastrinoma growth is now the main single determinant of long-term survival, with one half of patients dying a gastrinoma-related death and none an acid-related death. Large primary tumors that are pancreatic in location, the development of liver metastases, (especially if associated with bone metastases or Cushing's syndrome), and the extent of liver metastases are all important prognostic factors. The identification of these factors allows the recognition of subgroups that can be used to tailor antitumor treatment approaches.