Diagnosis
Blood is drawn for diagnosis, which is tested for VIP and the symptoms are indicative of the disease. The potassium and other electrolyte levels in the blood are also extremely important.
Therapy
In order to treat the tumor, it is possible to surgically remove the degenerated tissue in the pancreas by means of tumor enucleation. If it is not possible to remove the tumor by surgery, for example if the tumor has already metastasized in the body, there is still the possibility of treating the symptoms of the disease with medication. Drugs such as ocreotide and streptozotocin are then used.
Ocreotide is a drug which is similar in its chemical structure to the body’s own hormone somatostatin (growth hormone) and thus acts in a similar way to this hormone in the human body. Somatostatin inhibits the action of pancreatic hormones and thus helps VIPom to inhibit the action of the vasoactive peptide. Streptozotocin belongs to the group of glucosamines and has an inhibitory effect on cells in the pancreas, thus inhibiting the excessive release of the “vasoactive peptide” and thus alleviating symptoms. A third option for treatment is chemotherapy, a good way to treat the severe symptoms of already metastasized VIPom and prevent the growth and further spread of the tumor.
Prognosis
Prognostically, this is a disease that can be fatal due to its severe symptoms. Otherwise, it is possible to get these symptoms in hospital and if there are no metastases (in 50% of the cases), this tumor can be well treated by surgery.