OBJECTIVETo investigate the surgical options for the malignant pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNETs).

METHODSThe clinic data of 32 patients with malignant pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors who were admitted between January 2003 and December 2009 were summarized. There were 19 male and 13 female, aging from 17 to 71 years (mean age, 46.3 years). The general information, postoperative pathology results, surgical options and followup were also collected.

RESULTSThere were 32 cases of malignant PNETs including functional malignant PNETs in 12 cases and nonfunctional malignant PNETs in 20 cases. Thirty-one patients accepted surgical treatments which included local resections in 4 patients, Whipple procedures in 7 patients, distal pancreatectomy in 17 patients and laparotomy in 3 patients. One patient accepted CT guided biopsy. Follow up were lost in two patients after operations. Five patients died in the first year after operations. Twenty-two patients still survived after mean follow up of 28 months (4 - 83 months). The survival rate for this group of patients was 83.5% in the first year, 72.6% in the second year and 54.4% in the fifth year.

CONCLUSIONSMalignant PNETs is the proper indication for surgical treatments. More accumulation of clinical data is needed to evaluate the significance of local resection of malignant PNETs in pancreatic head and cytoreductive surgery.