ENDOCRINE TUMORS - THE STATE OF THE QUEST ION

Progress in radioimmunology and immunohistochemistry and the use of in traoperative ultrasonography has considerably improved the diagnosis o f endocrine tumors. These advances have changed the prognosis of these tumors since the outcome directly depends on early diagnosis. Surgery is the treatment of choice, in many cases even in the presence of hep atic metastasis. Medical treatment should be used when surgery is cont raindicated and includes cytostatic agents (e.g. streptozotocin, 5-FU) or interferons and drugs preventing hormone release such as long-acti ng somatostatin analogs (SMS 201-995). Finally, symptomatic treatment alone should be confined to cases of unresectable tumors with diffuse metastatization.