Management of high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms: impact of functional imaging
Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms(GEP NEN) exhibit substantial biological heterogeneity, impacting clinical management and outcomes. In 2019, the WHO introduced the neuroendocrine tumour(NET) grade 3 (G3) subgroup, characterized by Ki-67>20% and a well-differentiated morphology and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas(NEC) (Ki-67>20%). Since this update, questions about the prognostic implications and best treatment strategies for NET G3 and NEC remain. Therefore we initiated a real-world retrospective observational cohort study, using data from 225 NEC and 58 NET G3 patients treated in Belgium. Analysis of patient and tumour characteristics and the effect of survival was conducted. Most frequent primary locations were pancreatic (32.9%) and colorectal (21.5%), and 71.8% was diagnosed with stage IV disease. Median overall survival(mOS) was higher in NET G3 (41.3 months(m)) compared to NEC (13.2m). Of those who underwent functional imaging, fluorodeoxyglucose-po