Review of recents advances in medical treatment for neuroendocrine neoplasms: somatostatin analogs and chemotherapy

Abstract

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a heterogeneous group of rare tumours often producing high levels of hormones and causing symptoms. There are a number of different types of NENs. They usually arise as advanced and low/intermediate grade only in a minority of cases, as high grade. Treatment depends on which type and may include surgery, interventional radiology, and systemic treatment, including chemotherapy, somatostatin analogs, interferon α2b, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, and only for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, molecular targeted agents, including everolimus and sunitinib. The aim of the article is to review the medical approaches with somatostatin analogs and chemotherapy. The treatment of NENs is mainly based on their biological characteristics of aggressiveness and functional features, such as symptoms and endocrine markers.