Pediatric Pancreatic Tumors: A Review of Current Concepts

Introduction Pancreatic tumors are a rare entity, accounting for approximately 3% of cancers in the United States. Pediatric pancreatic tumors are an even rarer entity, with an incidence of 0.46 per million (under 30 years of age). The purpose of this article is to review the existing literature to give an overview of pediatric pancreatic tumors and to delineate current treatment strategies. Materials and Methods A literature search was performed using the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Scopus databases. The primary forms of the articles were case series, case reports, and reviews. All articles in the English language literature with patients under the age of 18 years were included. Search terms included pediatric pancreatic tumor, pediatric pancreatic endocrine tumor, pediatric pancreatic primitive neuroectodermal tumor, and pancreatoblastoma. Results and Conclusions Solid pseudopapillary tumors and insulinomas are the most common type of pancreatic tumors in children with the most literature available reviewing surgical methodology. Surgery remains the treatment for pediatric pancreatic tumors. Laparoscopic surgery is acceptable for benign lesions if negative margins can be achieved. Given the rarity of many pediatric pancreatic tumors, only a few case reports were available for review in many instances. An international collaborative is necessary to facilitate development of adequate treatment strategies for rare pediatric pathology such as pancreatic tumors. Received October 12th, 2015-Accepted December 12th, 2015