title: Natural history of gastro-entero-pancreatic and thoracic neuroendocrine tumors. Data from a large prospective and retrospective Italian epidemiological study: the NET management study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The few epidemiological data available in literature on neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are mainly based on Registry databases, missing therefore details on their clinical and natural history.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate epidemiology, clinical presentation, and natural history of NET.
  
  
  METHODS
  A large national retrospective survey was conducted in 13 Italian referral centers. Among 1203 NET, 820 originating in the thorax (T-NET), in the gastro-enteropancreatic tract (GEP-NET) or metastatic NET of unknown primary origin (U-NET) were enrolled in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  93% had a sporadic and 7% a multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1)-associated tumor; 63% were GEP-NET, 33% T-NET, 4% U-NET. Pancreas and lung were the commonest primary sites. Poorly differentiated carcinomas were <10%, all sporadic. The incidence of NET had a linear increase from 1990 to 2007 in all the centers. The mean age at diagnosis was 60.0 ± 16.4 yr, significantly anticipated in MEN1 patients (47.7 ± 16.5 yr). Association with cigarette smoking and other non-NET cancer were more prevalent than in the general Italian population. The first symptoms of the disease were related to tumor burden in 46%, endocrine syndrome in 23%, while the diagnosis was fortuity in 29%. Insulin (37%) and serotonin (35%) were the most common hormonal hypersecretions. An advanced tumor stage was found in 42%, more frequently in the gut and thymus. No differences in the overall survival was observed between T-NET and GEP-NET and between sporadic and MEN1-associated tumors at 10 yr from diagnosis, while survival probability was dramatically reduced in U-NET.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data obtained from this study furnish relevant information on epidemiology, natural history, and clinico-pathological features of NET, not available from the few published Register studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology, Section of Endocrinology, University of Naples "Federico II", Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faggiano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferolla
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campana
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manzoni
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Davì
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valcavi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giuffrida
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fanciulli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arnaldi
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Franchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Francia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fasola
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crinò
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pontecorvi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tomassetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018761:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
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