Italian Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AME) and Italian AACE Chapter Position Statement for Clinical Practice: Assessment of Response to Treatment and Follow-Up in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Title:Italian Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AME) and Italian AACE Chapter Position Statement for Clinical Practice: Assessment of Response to Treatment and Follow-Up in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Volume: 18 Issue: 5

Author(s): Franco Grimaldi*, Nicola Fazio*, Roberto Attanasio, Andrea Frasoldati, Enrico Papini, Nadia Cremonini, Maria V. Davi, Luigi Funicelli, Sara Massironi, Francesca Spada, Vincenzo Toscano, Annibale Versari, Michele Zini, Massimo Falconi and Kjell Oberg

Affiliation:

• Endocrinology and Metabolic Disease Unit, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Udine, Udine,Italy

• Division of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology and Neuroendocrine Tumor, European Institute of Oncology, Milan,Italy

Keywords: Neuroendocrine tumors, NET follow-up, criteria of response, markers, imaging, non-functioning NET, carcinoid syndrome, gastrinoma, insulinoma, NEN.

Abstract: Well-established criteria for evaluating the response to treatment and the appropriate followup of individual patients are critical in clinical oncology. The current evidence-based data on these issues in terms of the management of gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) are unfortunately limited.

This document by the Italian Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AME) on the criteria for the follow-up of GEP-NEN patients is aimed at providing comprehensive recommendations for everyday clinical practice based on both the best available evidence and the combined opinion of an interdisciplinary panel of experts.

The initial risk stratification of patients with NENs should be performed according to the grading, staging and functional status of the neoplasm and the presence of an inherited syndrome. The evaluation of response to the initial treatment, and to the subsequent therapies for disease progression or recurrence, should be based on a cost-effective, risk-effective and timely use of the appropriate diagnostic resources.

A multidisciplinary evaluation of the response to the treatment is strongly recommended and, at every step in the follow-up, it is mandatory to assess the disease state and the patient performance status, comorbidities, and recent clinical evolution.

Local expertise, available technical resources and the patient preferences should always be evaluated while planning the individual clinical management of GEP-NENs.

Cite this article as:

Grimaldi Franco *, Fazio Nicola *, Attanasio Roberto , Frasoldati Andrea , Papini Enrico , Cremonini Nadia , Davi V. Maria, Funicelli Luigi , Massironi Sara , Spada Francesca, Toscano Vincenzo , Versari Annibale , Zini Michele , Falconi Massimo and Oberg Kjell , Italian Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AME) and Italian AACE Chapter Position Statement for Clinical Practice: Assessment of Response to Treatment and Follow-Up in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms, Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets 2018; 18 (5) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871530318666171213145803