The Epidemiology of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecl.2010.12.005Get rights and content

Section snippets

Methods

The SEER program was used to provide comprehensive epidemiology data on GEP-NETs. Data were also identified from the End Results Group (ERG) and the Third National Cancer Survey (TNCS) programs of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) between 1950 and 1971. The SEER program (Fig. 1) was established in 1973 by the NCI to provide representative cancer incidence and survival rates in the United States and has collected information on all cancer cases diagnosed in 9 areas or registries (SEER 9

Results

A total of 49,012 NETs were included in the SEER epidemiology analysis, including 29,664 patients with GEP-NETs. The distribution of NETs by GEP primary site as accrued in successive national registries is detailed in Table 2. In the most recent SEER registry (SEER 17), more than half of all NETs (61.0%) were GEP-NETs, with highest frequency in the rectum (17.7% of NETs), small intestine (17.3% of NETs) and colon (10.1% of NETs). Pancreatic, gastric, and appendiceal sites accounted for 7.0%,

Discussion

The overall incidence of GEP-NETs continues to exhibit a persistent increase, maintaining the trend noted in earlier epidemiologic studies.5, 10, 11, 12, 13 Although the incidence increased at all primary sites, the change is mostly accounted for by the escalation in rectal and small intestinal NETs, with the highest proportional change occurring in rectal and gastric NETs. Because the anatomic location exhibiting the most change is luminal, it is appealing to attribute observations of increase

Summary

GEP-NET disease is increasing in incidence, and there is evidence that in specific areas such as rectum, small intestine, and stomach, this incidence is escalating at a greater rate. There is a distinct epidemiologic profile for each primary site. For example, rectal NETs are diagnosed at a younger age and a lower stage and demonstrate good survival, whereas colonic NETs are diagnosed at an older age and a higher stage and have poor survival. As might be expected, based on advances in diagnosis

First page preview

First page preview
Click to open first page preview

References (27)

  • I.M. Modlin et al.

    Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours

    Lancet Oncol

    (2008)
  • E.D. Williams et al.

    The classification of carcinoid tumours

    Lancet

    (1963)
  • G. Gatta et al.

    Survival from rare cancer in adults: a population-based study

    Lancet Oncol

    (2006)
  • M.N. Zikusoka et al.

    The molecular genetics of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

    Cancer

    (2005)
  • H. Scherubl et al.

    Neuroendocrine tumors of the stomach (gastric carcinoids) are on the rise: small tumors, small problems?

    Endoscopy

    (2010)
  • Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. SEER*Stat Database: Incidence - SEER 17 Regs Research...
  • J.C. Yao et al.

    One hundred years after “carcinoid”: epidemiology of and prognostic factors for neuroendocrine tumors in 35,825 cases in the United States

    J Clin Oncol

    (2008)
  • J. Soga et al.

    Pathologic analysis of carcinoids. Histologic reevaluation of 62 cases

    Cancer

    (1971)
  • A.G. Pearse

    The diffuse neuroendocrine system and the apud concept: related “endocrine” peptides in brain, intestine, pituitary, placenta, and anuran cutaneous glands

    Med Biol

    (1977)
  • E. Solcia et al.

    Histological typing of endocrine tumours: WHO International Histological Classification of Tumours

    (2000)
  • E.A. Perez et al.

    7201 carcinoids: increasing incidence overall and disproportionate mortality in the elderly

    World J Surg

    (2007)
  • O. Hauso et al.

    Neuroendocrine tumor epidemiology: contrasting Norway and North America

    Cancer

    (2008)
  • I.M. Modlin et al.

    A 5-decade analysis of 13,715 carcinoid tumors

    Cancer

    (2003)
  • Cited by (704)

    • Surgical management of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

      2023, Laparoscopic, Endoscopic, and Robotic Surgery
    • Management of non-hepatic distant metastases in neuroendocrine neoplasms

      2023, Best Practice and Research: Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
    View all citing articles on Scopus

    B.L. was supported in part by the Murray Jackson Clinical Fellowship, Genesis Oncology Trust, Auckland, New Zealand.

    The authors have nothing to disclose.

    View full text