title: Epidemiology, tumour biology and histopathological classification of neuroendocrine tumours of the gastrointestinal tract.
abstract: The diffuse neuroendocrine cell gives rise to a heterogeneous population of tumours which differ in their morphological and functional features. The term 'carcinoid', although well established in medical terminology, is therefore no longer adequate to cover the entire spectrum of neuroendocrine neoplasms. Here we use the term neuroendocrine tumours (NET), which was suggested in the WHO classification of 2000, and review the most important NET entities that are currently recognised in the gastrointestinal tract, highlighting their distinguishing features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Kiel, Germany. gkloeppel@path.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klöppel
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anlauf
mesh_terms: D001063:Appendiceal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007078:Ileal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D007580:Jejunal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D018761:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D013005:Somatostatinoma / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology