Key Takeaways
- Understanding insulinoma pancreatic tumor seniors blood sugar is important for seniors and their caregivers.
- Symptoms are most common when you are fasting or skip or delay a meal.
- After fasting, your blood may be tested for:
- Surgery is the usual treatment for insulinoma.
- In most cases, the tumor is non-cancerous (benign), and surgery can cure the disease.
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An insulinoma is a
tumor
in the pancreas that produces too much insulin.
What Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?
Understanding insulinoma pancreatic tumor seniors blood sugar is important for seniors and their caregivers. the pancreas is an organ in the abdomen. The pancreas makes several
enzymes
and hormones, including the hormone insulin. Insulin’s job is to reduce the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood by helping sugar move into cells.
Most of the time when your blood sugar level decreases, the pancreas stops making insulin to make sure that your blood sugar stays in the normal range. Tumors of the pancreas that produce too much insulin are called insulinomas. Insulinomas keep making insulin, even when it’s not needed, and can make your blood sugar level too low (hypoglycemia).
A high blood insulin level causes a low blood sugar level (
hypoglycemia
). Hypoglycemia may be mild, leading to symptoms such as anxiety and hunger. Or it can be severe, leading to seizures, coma, and even death.
Insulinomas are very rare tumors. They usually occur as single, small tumors. But there can also be several small tumors.
Most insulinomas are non-cancerous (benign) tumors. People with certain genetic disorders, such as
multiple endocrine neoplasia type I
, are at higher risk for insulinomas.
What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?
Symptoms are most common when you are fasting or skip or delay a meal. Symptoms may include:
-
Anxiety
, behavior changes, or
confusion
- Clouded vision
-
Loss of consciousness
or coma
-
Convulsions
or tremor
- Dizziness or headache
- Hunger between meals; weight gain is common
-
Fast heart rate
or palpitations
- Sweating
📖 What Are Exams and Tests?
What Are Exams and Tests?
After fasting, your blood may be tested for:
-
Blood
C-peptide
level
- Blood glucose level
- Blood insulin level
- Medicines that cause the pancreas to release insulin
-
The response of your body to a shot of glucagon
CT
,
MRI
, or
PET
scan of the abdomen may be done to look for a tumor in the pancreas. If a tumor is not seen in the scans, one of the following tests may be performed:
-
Endoscopic ultrasound
(test that uses a flexible scope and sound waves to view digestive system organs)
- Octreotide scan (special test that checks for specific hormone-producing cells in the body)
-
Pancreatic
arteriography
(test that uses special dye to view the arteries in the pancreas)
- Pancreatic venous sampling for insulin (test that helps locate the approximate location of the tumor inside the pancreas)
📖 How Is It Treated?
How Is It Treated?
Surgery is the usual treatment for insulinoma. If there is a single tumor, it will be removed. If there are many tumors, part of the pancreas will need to be removed. At least 15% of the pancreas must be left to produce normal levels of enzymes for digestion.
In rare cases, the entire pancreas is removed if there are many insulinomas or they come back after surgery. Removing the entire pancreas leads to diabetes because there is no longer any insulin being produced. Insulin shots (injections) are then required.
If no tumor is found during surgery, or if you can’t have surgery, you may get the medicine diazoxide to lower insulin production and prevent hypoglycemia. A water pill (diuretic) is given with this medicine to prevent the body from retaining fluid. Octreotide is another medicine that is used to reduce insulin release in some people.
📖 What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?
What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?
In most cases, the tumor is non-cancerous (benign), and surgery can cure the disease. But a severe hypoglycemic reaction or the spread of a cancerous tumor to other organs can be life threatening.
📖 What Are Possible Complications?
What Are Possible Complications?
Complications may include:
- Severe hypoglycemic reaction
-
Spread of a cancerous tumor (
metastasis
)
- Diabetes if the entire pancreas is removed (rare), or food not being absorbed if too much of the pancreas is removed
- Inflammation and swelling of the pancreas
📖 When to Contact a Medical Professional?
When to Contact a Medical Professional?
Contact your health care provider if you develop any symptoms of insulinoma. Seizures and losing consciousness are an emergency. Call 911 or the local emergency number right away.
Insulinoma; Islet cell adenoma; Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor; Hypoglycemia – insulinoma
-
Endocrine glands
-
Food and insulin release
Arbelaez AM, Rickels MR. Hypoglycemia. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Rosen CJ, Kopp PA, eds.
Williams Textbook of Endocrinology
. 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 39.
Asban A, Patel AJ, Reddy S, Wang T, Balentine CJ, Chen H. Cancer of the endocrine system. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds.
Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology
. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 68.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network website. NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology (NCCN guidelines): Neuroendocrine and adrenal tumors. Version 4.2024.
www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/neuroendocrine.pdf
. Updated January 17, 2025. Accessed January 27, 2025.
Strosberg JR, Al-Toubah T. Neuroendocrine tumors. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds.
Sleisenger and Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease
. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 34.
Updated by: Sandeep K. Dhaliwal, MD, board-certified in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Springfield, VA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Editorial update 01/17/2025.
-
Benign Tumors
-
Pancreatic Cancer
-
Pancreatic Diseases
Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
Surgery is the usual treatment for insulinoma.
What Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?
enzymes
and hormones, including the hormone insulin.
What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?
Anxiety
, behavior changes, or
confusion
Clouded vision
Loss of consciousness
or coma
Convulsions
or tremor
Dizziness or headache
Hunger between meals; weight gain is common
Fast heart rate
or palpitations
Sweating
📖 What Are Exams and Tests?
What Are Exams and Tests?
Blood
C-peptide
level
Blood glucose level
Blood insulin level
Medicines that cause the pancreas to release insulin
The response of your body to a shot of glucagon
CT
,
MRI
, or
PET
scan of the abdomen may be done to look for a tumor in the pancreas. If a tumor is not seen in the scans, one of the following tests may be performed:
Endoscopic ultrasound
(test that uses a flexible scope and sound waves to view digestive system organs)
Octreotide scan (special test that checks for specific hormone-producing cells in the body)
Pancreatic
arteriography
(test that uses special dye to view the arteries in the pancreas)
Pancreatic venous sampling for insulin (test that helps locate the approximate location of the tumor inside the pancreas)
📖 How Is It Treated?
How Is It Treated?
About the Author: This article was researched and written by the SilverWell Hub editorial team. It was medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Mitchell, MD, Geriatrics.
Sources: This article is adapted from MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. See our full Medical Disclaimer.
Published: July 24, 2026 | Next review: January 2027
