Andrew E. Hendifar, MD, and Eric Liu, MD, FACS, recognize current challenges surrounding the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors and suggest ways to address limitations and optimize care for patients.

Dr. Maggie Ryan, 2016 LungNET Conference, Jun 11 in Denver CO

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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
1:03 Causes of carcinoid tumor
1:48 Symptoms of carcinoid tumor
2:27 Diagnosis of carcinoid tumor
3:33 Treatment of carcinoid tumor



A carcinoid (also carcinoid tumor) is a slow-growing[1] type of neuroendocrine tumor originating in the cells of the neuroendocrine system. In some cases, metastasis may occur. Carcinoid tumors of the midgut (jejunum, ileum, appendix, and cecum) are associated with carcinoid syndrome.

Carcinoid tumors are the most common malignant tumor of the appendix, but they are most commonly associated with the small intestine, and they can also be found in the rectum and stomach. They are known to grow in the liver, but this finding is usually a manifestation of metastatic disease from a primary carcinoid occurring elsewhere in the body. They have a very slow growth rate compared to most malignant tumors. The median age at diagnosis for all patients with neuroendocrine tumors is 63 years.

Alex Haragan, BSc, MBBS, MSc, of the University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK, discusses the emergence of DLL3 as a biomarker and therapeutic target in neuroendocrine tumors of the lung. The antibody-drug conjugate rovalpituzumab tesirine has been developed to target this tumor-specific antigen, although there have been some issues with toxicity. However, as emphasized here by Dr Haragan, this population is in desperate need of new treatments. This interview took place at the British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG) 2019 Annual Conference, held in Dublin, Ireland.