Identifying Prognostic Factors for Well-Differentiated Metastatic Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours: A Retrospective International Multicentre Cohort Study.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNETs) represent rare neoplasms of all NETs often presenting without functional activity. Many sporadic non-functioning pNET patients are already metastatic at the time of diagnosis, and the therapeutic approach to such patients is mostly palliative. In this international, multicentre, retrospective cohort study, we assessed the prognostic value of a set of anthropometric, clinical, biochemical, radiological and pathological parameters at baseline and the impact of the therapeutic strategies on the survival of patients with sporadic grade 1/2, stage IV, non-functioning pNETs.

Hallmarks of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumours: implications for treatment.

In the past few years, there have been advances in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and improvements in our understanding of NET biology. However, the benefits to patients have been relatively modest and much remains yet to be done. The 'Hallmarks of Cancer', as defined by Hanahan and Weinberg, provide a conceptual framework for understanding the aberrations that underlie tumourigenesis and to help identify potential targets for therapy.