title: An overview of the current diagnosis and recent developments in neuroendocrine tumours of the gastroenteropancreatic tract: the diagnostic approach.
abstract: Neuroendocrine tumours of the gastroenteropancreatic tract (GEP-NETs) comprise a group of very heterogeneous neoplasms, which are considered 'rare diseases'. Epidemiological studies on the incidence of GEP-NETs worldwide have reported a remarkable increase in the detection of these tumours. In a recent study, based on pathology reports (PALGA) to investigate the incidence of pancreatic and duodenal neuroendocrine tumours in the Netherlands from 1991 until 2009, we also noticed a significant increase in the incidence of these tumours. In particular, the incidence of non-functioning neuroendocrine tumours had significantly increased over this period. Remarkably, a substantial discrepancy was observed between the numbers of neuroendocrine tumours diagnosed in the clinical as opposed to the pathological setting, emphasising that these tumours provide a real diagnostic challenge. To improve the diagnosis of GEP -NET s, we advocate that these complex neoplasms should receive more specialised attention. In this mini-review we provide an overview of the current diagnostic approach to GEP-NETs, and add the recent developments in establishing the diagnosis of these tumours, in order to increase knowledge and awareness of GEP-NETs among clinicians and pathologists. Early detection in order to prevent morbidity from GEP-NETs is advocated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands. p.kuiper@lumc.nl
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuiper
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Verspaget
authors.forename: L I H
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Overbeek
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Biemond
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lamers
mesh_terms: D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D035583:Rare Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology