A Nation-wide 10-year Retrospective Clinical Epidemiological Study Of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors In China

ObjectivesThis study aims to create a gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) profile of Chinese patients and to describe the current treatment approaches for these patients.Materials and methodsIn the seven regions of China, we conveniently selected at least one general hospital and one cancer hospital. All inpatient cases with confirmed pathology in the selected 23 hospitals were reviewed and related information was collected based on the designed case report form (CRF) which included patients’general information, clinical features and treatment modalities.ResultsThe mean age of 2010 patients at diagnosis was 51.7 years (s.d.= 14.0 yrs), and the sex ratio (male/female) was 1.4/1. The most common primary sites for GEP-NET patients were the gastric, rectum, and pancreas, each took about 30% in all. Small intestinal and colonic NENs took up a relatively small proportion of all GEP-NENs, at 5.6% and 3.0% respectively. Additionally, pancreatic and rectal NENs, rather than gastric NENs, tended to be found in younger, urban residents with a higher education level and were also more likely to be detected at an earlier stage and grade. Gastric and rectum NENs were more common in male patients. Surgery remained the primary treatment method (performed on 1,820 patients), and the use of other treatment options, such as chemotherapy and biotherapy, was limited. Among patients with biomarker test information, about 90% were synaptophysin positive, and choromogranin A, CD56, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S-100 protein, and CK (AE1/AE3) occurred at relatively lower rates.The age of insulinomas patients was three years younger than non-functional pancreatic NENs (PNENs) patients, and they were also more easily to be detected at earlier stage and grade. Female patients took larger proportion in both groups, and urban residents took a larger proportion in non-functional pan-NET.20% of the non-functional PNEN patients had undergone chemotherapy, and 30% patients had biotherapy in each group.Conclusions and suggestionsThe age of Chinese GEP-NEN patients were younger, and the epidemiological characteristics, clinical features of NENs from different organs were various. Anticipating the better prognosis and survival, more examination and treatment methods are needed to be combined for the diagnosis and treatment of Chinese GEP-NET patients.