Islet cell cancer
Gastrinomas — produce the hormone gastrin and cause the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome of unrelenting peptic ulcers, diarrhea, and gastric hyperacidity.
Insulinomas — are characterized by hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) caused by inappropriate secretion of insulin by the tumor. These tumors may occur alone or as part of a MEN (multiple endocrine neoplasia) syndrome.
Glucagonomas — produce the hormone glucagon. These are the third most common endocrine-secreting islet cell tumor and 70% of glucagonomas are malignant.
The treatment and prognosis (outlook) depend on the exact type of islet cell tumor and the stage it is at when first detected.
Read Also:
- Islet cell tumor
A tumor that arises from the islet cells of the pancreas. The islet cells normally produce insulin and other hormones, and so the tumors frequently, but not always, produce one of these hormones. Islet cell tumors can be benign or malignant and generally cause symptoms related to the hormone produced by the tumor. Specific types […]
- Islets of Langerhans
alpha cells that make glucagon, which raises the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood; beta cells that make insulin; delta cells that make somatostatin which inhibits the release of numerous other hormones in the body; and PP cells and D1 cells, about which little is known. Degeneration of the insulin-producing beta cells is the […]
- Iso-
Equal, like, or similar. Iso- is much used in medicine and science as, for example, in isotonic solution (a solution that has the same salt concentration as cells and blood), isotope (a form of a chemical element with the same atomic number as another element but having a different atomic mass), isocellular (composed of cells […]
- Isocellular
Composed of cells of the same size and type. Isocellular is a Greek-Latin hybrid term compounded from the Greek iso- meaning “equal or like” + the Latin cellula, the diminutive of cella, a storeroom.
- Isochromosome
An abnormal chromosome that has two identical arms due to duplication of one arm and loss of the other. Isochromosomes are found in tumors and in some girls with Turner syndrome.