title: Neuroendocrine tumors: a critical appraisal of management strategies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This supplement represents the proceedings of a panel of investigators whose goal was to assess the quality of evidence pertaining to current therapeutic approaches in the management of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). It will examine the differences in opinions between expert faculty and community physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Neuroendocrine Tumors Summit convened in December 2009 to address 6 statements prepared by panel members that reflect important questions in the management of NETs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Panel members were polled on their acceptance of each statement, and those results were compared with community-based oncologists, gastroenterologists, and endocrinologists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More education regarding the treatment of NETs, including pertinent studies, is needed for physicians. Additional multicenter, prospective, placebo-controlled trials are necessary to demonstrate the benefits of somatostatin analogs, including their ability to control symptoms and affect tumor growth, and their synergistic effect with other therapies. New trials should be reported consistently and include time to tumor progression and progression-free survival as primary or secondary end points.
authors.affiliation: Research and Neuroendocrine Unit, Eastern Virginia Medical School Strelitz Diabetes Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders, Norfolk, VA 23510, USA. VinikAI@evms.edu
authors.forename: Aaron I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Vinik
authors.forename: Lowell
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anthony
authors.forename: J Philip
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Boudreaux
authors.forename: Vay Liang W
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Go
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: O'Dorisio
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruszniewski
authors.forename: Eugene A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Woltering
mesh_terms: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D013004:Somatostatin; D015282:Octreotide