title: New strategies for advanced neuroendocrine tumors in the era of targeted therapy.
abstract: Low- to intermediate-grade neuroendocrine tumor (NET) constitutes a group of indolent malignancies that share the capacity for secreting hormones and neuroamines. Until recently, there were few therapeutic options for oncologic control. The PROMID study showed that octreotide long-acting repeatable formulation can delay tumor growth in midgut NETs. And, recent phase III studies showed both everolimus and sunitinib improved progression-free survival in pancreatic NETs, validating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt/mTOR pathway and angiogenesis as important targets for further advances. Ongoing and planned pivotal studies targeting these pathways in other NET subtypes may widen their therapeutic application. Development of rational combinations may further improve therapeutic outcome. These successes and our improved understanding of the underlying molecular biology are likely to lead to further important advances on the horizon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Alexandria T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D000068338:Everolimus; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008954:Models, Biological; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077210:Sunitinib; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000068338:Everolimus; D007211:Indoles; D015282:Octreotide; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D011758:Pyrroles; D020123:Sirolimus; D000077210:Sunitinib; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; C546842:MTOR protein, human