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An elderly man is outdoors, wearing glasses, a jacket, and a striped scarf. He has a gray beard and short hair, and a contemplative expression. The background is blurred greenery.

oncology and supportive care

Neuroendocrine tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors – a life-limiting disease

Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are slow-growing cancerous tumors originating from cells in the endocrine and nervous systems. The tumors can occur throughout the body, including the abdomen and lungs. It is a relatively rare and life-limiting disease that is often diagnosed late in disease progression.

Disease overview

Rising cases and varied symptoms

The neuroendocrine tumors can occur throughout the body, including in the abdomen and lungs. Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, GEP-NET, is the most common subgroup of NETs where the tumors are located in the gastrointestinal tract or pancreas.1

Steadily rising prevalence of neuroendocrine tumors

The incidence and prevalence of neuroendocrine tumors are steadily increasing in both North America, Asia and Europe, with the highest increase recorded in North America. There are today an estimated 350,000 patients with GEP-NET in the EU and US.1,2 Better utilization of healthcare resources, with more efficient and earlier diagnosis, is likely to be a contributing factor to the increase in disease incidence. In parallel with access to better treatment options, survival for patients with GEP-NET has improved over time.2-4

Heterogeneous disease and display of neuroendocrine tumor symptoms

NET can be present with or without symptoms. The most common syndrome of NET, carcinoid syndrome, is predominantly characterized by flushing, diarrhea, and asthma-like symptoms.3 Symptoms of NET can be very diverse, and depend on the tumor location, size and hormone produced by the affected cells. Often, a person has no symptoms until the tumor spreads, making NET hard to diagnose due to the slow growth rate of the tumor. Patients with GEP-NET are on average 63 years old at diagnosis, and the disease is equally common in women and men.5

Principles of neuroendocrine tumors treatment

The primary strategy in GEP-NET is surgical removal of the tumor. However, this is often not possible due to the location of the tumors and may not be curative, as metastases are commonly observed before or shortly after diagnosis.6 In such case, standard medical treatment is somatostatin receptor ligands (SRL). Treatment with SRL aims to prevent tumor growth and further spread of the tumor, as well as to alleviate symptoms of an uncontrolled hormone production.7

References

  1. Das, S., et al. Current Oncology Reports. Mar 14; 23(4): 43, 2021.
  2. Sandvik O., et al. Br J Surg. 2016;103(3):226-32.
  3. Alwan H., et al. ICancer Med. 2020;9(24):9454-61.
  4. Dasari, A., et al. JAMA Oncology. 3(10):1335-1342, 2017.
  5. Sackstein PE, et al. Seminars in Oncology 45, 249-58, 2018.
  6. Globe Life Sciences rapport 2022, data on file.
  7. Díez M., et al. Ann Gastroenterol. 2013; 26(1): 29-36.
  8. INCA International Neuroendocrine Cancer Alliance. https://incalliance.org/ncd-2022/campaign-messages/

  • 350,000
    patients

    in the EU and US are estimated to have GEP-NET1,2

  • 55%

    of patients with GEP-NET are initially misdiagnosed with for example irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastritis or anxiety8

Symptoms

  • Redness of the skin (flushing)
  • Diarrhea, stomach pain
  • Asthma-like symptoms
  • Carcinoid heart disease

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of NET is based on clinical symptoms, imaging studies and biochemical tests.

Management

Several factors help define the appropriate treatment of NET, including tumor location, invasiveness, hormone secretion, and proliferation. Surgery is often performed either as a cure or for symptom relief. In secretory tumors, somatostatin receptor ligands are used to relieve symptoms by blocking the release of hormones.