Outcomes of resected nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: Do size and symptoms matter?

Background Nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PNETs) are rare tumors with highly variable outcome. Current guidelines recommend surveillance for small tumors (≤2 cm), but a scientific basis for such recommendation is scarce. Methods Patients who underwent surgery for NF-PNET during 2001–2013 were identified from a prospectively maintained database and reviewed retrospectively. Results Fifty-eight patients that had undergone an operative procedure for NF-PNET were identified. Forty-one patients (71%) were symptomatic. Median size of the tumor was 2.5 cm (range 0.9–12.0 cm). WHO 2010 grade was predictive of both overall- and disease-free survival ( P