title: Clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: analysis from a single-institution.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (GEP-NEN) is the most common type of neuroendocrine neoplasm. We summarized data in our centre to investigate the clinicopathological features, diagnostic methods, therapeutic approaches and prognosis for this neoplasm to increase knowledge of this disease in Asian populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 122 patients treated at Sun Yet-san Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2000 and December 2011 were analyzed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pancreas was the most common site of involvement (65/122, 53.3%); this disease has no special symptoms; positive rates of chromogranin A (CgA) and synaptophysin (Syn) were 81.1% and 87.7%, respectively. The positive rate of Syn had statistical difference among the three grades, but not CgA. Some 68 patients had G1 tumors, 32 G2 tumors and 22 G3 tumors, and Chi-square test showed that higher grading was correlated with worse prognosis (χ2=32.825, P=0.0001). A total of 32 patients presented with distant metastasis, and 8 cases emerged during following up. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling showed that the tumor grade (P=0.01), lymphatic metastasis (P=0.025) and distant metastasis (P=0.031) were predictors of unfavorable prognosis. The overall 5-year survival rate was 39.6%, the 5-year survival rate of G1 was 55.7%, and the G2 and G3 were 34.2% and 0%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors has risen over the last 12 years. All grades of these diseases metastasize readily, and further research regarding the treatment of patients after radical surgery is needed to prolong disease-free survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenteropancreatic Surgery, The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China E-mail : sumschuzhonghua@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Yu-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Jie-Zhi
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: He-Yang
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhong-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D053379:Chromogranin A; D016708:Synaptophysin