title: Questions and answers: what can be said by diagnostic imaging in neuroendocrine tumors?
abstract: The neuroendocrine tumors (NET) of the gastro-entero-pancreatic area (GEP) represent a heterogeneous group of malignancies from the histologic, clinico-laboratoristic (functioning and non-functioning variants), and therapeutic point of view. It is an issue becoming more frequent for the diagnostic imager, being radiologist as well as nuclear physician. Imaging (together with biopsy) plays a key role in the diagnostic assessment and staging (including grading and prognostic definition), in evaluating response to treatment, and in follow-up of GEP-NET. Multislice computed tomography (MSCT), octreoscan and PET-CT are the most widely diffuse and accurate imaging modalities employed in this setting. Other methods, such as Magnetic Resonance and Endoscopic Ultrasound, may also play a significant role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seconda Università degli Studi, Naples, Italy. vincenzo.cuccurullo@unina2.it
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cuccurullo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faggiano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scialpi
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Cascini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piunno
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colao
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mansi
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D009684:Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital; D009842:Oligopeptides; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000032:analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D013004:Somatostatin; C081788:pentetreotide