Clinicohistopathological features and treatment outcomes of neuroendocrine tumors: a single center experience

Abstract

Purpose: Tumor and patient characteristics of neuroendocrine tumors (NET) significantly change between geographical locations that probably induced by environmental and genetic factors throughout the world. Therefore, reporting single center experience may help clarifying epidemiological view and improving decision-making process.

Materials and Methods: We performed retrospective analysis of 115 patients of NETs those who followed by Baskent University, department of Medical Oncology and department of General Surgery to record patients and tumors characteristics, treatment modalities, survival rates, and prognostic factors.

Results: Median overall survival (OS) time for all group and localized NETs were 44 and 24 months, respectively. Most common primary site was found as gastrointestinal system and then pancreatic region. Curative surgical resection rate was 46% and 8.5% of patients presented with carcinoid syndrome. Liver metastasis was far the most common metastatic site compared to lung, bone, and lymph node metastasis. Over 70 percent of patients were treated with chemotherapy and somatostatin analogs.

Conclusion: Patients with higher grade, male gender, and advanced age (>65 years old) had poor survival rate. However, relatively low number of patients and less usage of (<10%) of new treatment modalities created limitations for producing future directions from our study.