Neuroendocrine tumors of unknown primary site: Gold dust or misdiagnosed neoplasms?

Abstract

Neuroendocrine tumors of an unknown primary site are difficult to identify but their incidence is higher than previously reported, and the prognosis remains unfavorable.

Ga-68 DOTANOC PET/CT imaging in detection of primary site in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumours of unknown origin and its impact on clinical decision making: experience from a tertiary care centre in India

“…Of these sixty-eight patients, 73.5% patients presented with hepatic metastasis (50 out of 68 patients). Rest of the patients presented with lymph nodal [10], mesenteric [6], skeletal [1] and orbital soft tissue [1] metastasis. On carefully re-examining all the histopathological reports, grades of NETs were documented in only 31 out of 68 patients ( Table 1).…”

“…In our study, we found that majority of the patients (>50%) presented with well-differentiated (grade I) metastatic neuroendocrine lesions. Catena et al (10) also found that patients with well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor of unknown primary site usually have liver metastases. A total of 73.5% of our patients presented with hepatic metastasis (50 out of 68 patients).…”

“…Ambrosini et al (32) and Naswa et al (33) in their studies evaluating role of Ga-68 Patients with metastatic NETs and unknown primary site (CUP-NET) constitute 10-13% of total NET study populations (9,10) and have a relatively poorer prognosis than other NET patients (11). Catena et al (10) reported that majority of CUP-NETs are well-differentiated. In our study, we found that majority of the patients (>50%) presented with well-differentiated (grade I) metastatic neuroendocrine lesions.…”

“…A total of 73.5% of our patients presented with hepatic metastasis (50 out of 68 patients). Rest of the patients presented with lymph nodal [10], mesenteric [6], skeletal [1], orbital soft tissue [1] metastasis.…”

“…Patients with metastatic NETs and unknown primary site (CUP-NET) constitute less than 5% of overall carcinomas of unknown primary (CUP) population (8). However, they constitute 10-13% of total NET study populations (9,10). CUP-NET patients have a poorer prognosis than other NET patients (11).…”