Clinical efficacy of octreotide in the treatment of metastatic neuroendocrine tumors. A study by the Italian Trials in Medical Oncology Group

New therapeutic approaches to metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: A glimpse into the future

Neuroendocrine (NE) gastroenteropancreatic tumors are a heterogeneous group of neoplasias arising from neuroendocrine cells of the embryological gut. Their incidence have increased significantly over the past 3 decades probably due to the improvements in imaging and diagnosis. The recent advances in molecular biology have translated into an expansion of therapeutic approaches to these patients. Somatostatin analogs, which initially were approved for control of hormonal syndromes, have recently been proven to inhibit tumor growth. Several new drugs such as antiangiogenics and others targeting mammalian target of rapamycin pathways have been approved to treat progressive pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) although their role in non-pancreatic is still controversial. The treatment of NETs requires a coordinated multidisciplinary approach. The management of localized NETs primarily involves surgical resection followed by surveillance. However, the treatment of unresectable and/or metastatic disease may involve a combination of surgical resection, systemic therapy, and liver-directed therapies with the goal of alleviating symptoms of peptide release and controlling tumor growth. This article will review the current therapeutic strategies for metastatic gastroenteropancreatic NETs and will take a glimpse into the future approaches.

Duodenal adenocarcinoma: Advances in diagnosis and surgical management

Duodenal adenocarcinoma is a rare but aggressive malignancy. Given its rarity, previous studies have traditionally combined duodenal adenocarcinoma (DA) with either other periampullary cancers or small bowel adenocarcinomas, limiting the available data to guide treatment decisions. Nevertheless, management primarily involves complete surgical resection when technically feasible. Surgery may require pancreaticoduodenectomy or segmental duodenal resection; either are acceptable options as long as negative margins are achievable and an adequate lymphadenectomy can be performed. Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation are important components of multi-modality treatment for patients at high risk of recurrence. Further research would benefit from multi-institutional trials that do not combine DA with other periampullary or small bowel malignancies. The purpose of this article is to perform a comprehensive review of DA with special focus on the surgical management and principles.