title: Long-term endoscopic and clinical follow-up of untreated type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumours.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumour surveillance and treatment are a matter of debate. Endoscopic, or surgical, resection and chronic somatostatin analog therapy have been proposed. Based on the favourable behaviour of this neoplasm, we performed an endoscopic and clinical follow-up in 11 patients affected by type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumours, avoiding any specific treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1994 and 2006, we prospectively recorded the data of 11 untreated patients with type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumours who underwent an endoscopic and clinical follow-up. All the patients were also evaluated by means of an abdominal computed tomography scan, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy and blood tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the follow-up (median 54 months, range 9-136), the endoscopic picture of 4 (36%) out of 11 patients changed in terms of increased number of lesions. In none of the cases were detected any lesions that exceeded 10mm in diameter, and none of the patients demonstrated any evidence of local or distant metastases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data confirm the literature data of the indolent behaviour of type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumours and suggest that a careful endoscopic follow-up, without any treatment, might represent a reasonable and safe option in selected patients.
authors: European Institute of Oncology, Division of Endoscopy, Via Ripamonti 435, Milan, Italy. davide.ravizza@ieo.it
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Ravizza
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Fiori
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Trovato
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Fazio
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Bonomo
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Bodei
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Pelosi
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Tamayo
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Crosta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000473:pathology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016312:Treatment Refusal