PANCREATIC NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOURS Introduction

PANCREATIC NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOURS Introduction

As with neuroendocrine cells in the intestine, pancreatic neuro endocrine cells are believed to be derived from pluripotent stem cells that di ff erentiate into endocrine cells. From these, tumours may arise tha t are known as P-NETs. They are a heterogeneous group of tumours with diverse morphologies and behaviour. Non-functioning tumours constitute a substantial proportion of all P-NETs (25–100%). The subtypes of P-NET are listed in Table 57.4 . This section focuses on insulinoma, gastrinoma and non-functioning tumours because they represent 90% of all P-NETs.