title: New horizons for targeted treatment of neuroendocrine tumors.
abstract: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare and heterogeneous tumors and there is a paucity of randomized clinical trials evaluating the different therapeutic strategies. Over recent years, some important molecular aspects have been investigated and multiple targeted therapies are currently available. One of the most promising targets for the therapy of NETs are the mTOR and angiogenic growth factor receptors. The advent of the inhibitors of the mTOR pathway, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and of somatostatin analogs have shown their efficacy in randomized clinical trials in terms of implementing clinical hormone-induced syndromes and progression-free survival of advanced NETs. This article summarizes the standard therapies and new perspectives in NET's treatment, which remains still very heterogeneous and little known entity.
authors.affiliation: First Department of General Surgery Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi Varese, Department of Human Morphology & Surgical Sciences Insubria University Varese-Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mangano
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery Ioannina University Hospital, Centre for Biosystems & Genomic Network Medicine Ioannina University, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Lianos
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery Ioannina University Hospital, Centre for Biosystems & Genomic Network Medicine Ioannina University, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Roukos
authors.affiliation: ICENI Centre, Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JL, UK.
authors.forename: Sam E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hoon Yub
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: First Department of General Surgery Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi Varese, Department of Human Morphology & Surgical Sciences Insubria University Varese-Como, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianlorenzo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dionigi
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019468:Disease Management; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: carcinoid tumors; gastroenteropancreatic tumors; intertumor heterogeneity; intratumor heterogeneity; neuroendocrine tumors; targeted agents