Gastrinoma with multiple liver metastases: Effectiveness of dacarbazine (DTIC) therapy

Gastrinoma when associated with liver metastasis results in markedly reduced survival. However, a standard chemotherapeutic protocol for patients with unresectable tumors has not been established. We treated two patients with gastrinoma with multiple liver metastases with intravenous administration of 5-dimethyltriazenoimidazole-4-carboxamide (DTIC; dacarbazine) at a dose of 200 mg/body for 5 consecutive days. The first patient showed a marked decrease in serum gastrin levels, from 338 000 pg/ml to 22 900 pg/ml (normal range,220pg/ml), as well as a decrease in the size and number of peripancreatic and liver tumors, after four courses of DTIC. An additional nine courses of the treatment were given, and the peripancreatic tumor was resected. The patient has been in good overall condition for more than 3(1/2) years. The second patient was treated with a total of ten courses of DTIC. Serum gastrin levels did not increase and the hepatic tumor did not change in size for more than 4 years. DTIC was effective in controlling the clinical and biochemical manifestations of gastrinoma associated with liver metastasis without serious side effects. As the toxity of DTIC is minimal, (e.g., nausea and vomiting) DTIC therapy should be considered useful for islet cell carcinomas with multiple metastases.