A systematic review of management of neuroendocrine tumors: An experience from a tertiary care centre from India

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) encompass a heterogeneous group of tumors demonstrating varied clinical behavior. The field has recently witnessed several important developments stemming from improvements in the histopathological classification schemes, advanced imaging techniques, and a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor progression. These tumors have indolent clinical courses, with long survival rates even for the patients with metastatic disease. The mainstay of treatment is surgery. Somatostatin analogs play a key role in controlling the symptoms; however, they are seldom associated with tumor regression. Traditional cytotoxic chemotherapies have a very limited role in well differentiated NETs, but platinum based chemotherapy is highly effective in neuroendocrine carcinomas. Recently, the biological targeted agents have shown promise in patients with metastatic disease. Evolving modalities like peptide receptor targeted therapies and radioembolization have opened up new avenues in refractory and advanced disease.