A case of solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas and tumor doubling time

Background. Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas is a rare tumor with unique clinicopathological features. Although it is considered to grow slowly, little is known about its doubling time. Method: We encountered a young Japanese woman with a solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas that had been detected at another hospital 5 years previously but was resected at our hospital. The tumor showed only a solid component without any cysts. Computed tomographic scans taken 5 years apart were compared to determine the tumor doubling time. Result: The tumor doubling time according to the formula of Schwartz and co-workers was determined to be 765 days. Conclusion: These findings confirm that this tumor grows quite slowly and also support long disease-free periods even in patients who have recurrence or metastases. Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel and IAP.