Incidence, clinical features and survival among patients with functional pancreatic neuroendrocrine tumors

Introduction: Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are rare neoplasms derived from neuroendocrine cells that have the ability to synthesize biogenic amines and peptide hormones. Lungs, small and large intestine and pancreas are the most common localizations of these tumors. Depending on the existence of the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mijušković Ana, Čamur Viktor, Popović Bojana
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Belgrade, Medical Faculty 2024-01-01
Series:Medicinski Podmladak
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0369-1527/2024/0369-15272406054M.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850276909439516672
author Mijušković Ana
Čamur Viktor
Popović Bojana
author_facet Mijušković Ana
Čamur Viktor
Popović Bojana
author_sort Mijušković Ana
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are rare neoplasms derived from neuroendocrine cells that have the ability to synthesize biogenic amines and peptide hormones. Lungs, small and large intestine and pancreas are the most common localizations of these tumors. Depending on the existence of the hormone secretory syndrome and its clinical manifestations, NETs are divided into functional and non-functional tumors. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, biological behavior and survival of patients with functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Material and methods: We analyzed 272 patients diagnosed with pancreatic NET. Tumor grade was evaluated based on pathohistological characteristics of the tissue samples obtained by biopsy or surgery, while stage was determined based on the size of the primary tumor and the presence of locoregional and/or distant dissemination. Diagnoses were established by using indicative clinical presentations and by determining baseline hormone values, appropriate functional testing and immunohistochemical confirmation of the secretory product in the tumor tissue sample. Results: Among 272 retrospectively analyzed patients, 77.6% of patients had non-functional tumors, while functional tumors were found in 22.4% cases. Functional NETs were significantly smaller and had a lower tumor grade, as well as significantly lower frequency of metastases and stage IV disease compared to the non-functional ones (p < 0.05). The overall survival of patients with functional tumors was 104 ± 56.72 months, but it was not significantly longer compared to non-functional ones (p = 0.259). However, a difference in survival existed between subgroups of functional tumors depending on hormone secretion (p < 0.05), where insulinomas showed the longest survival and the shortest survival was among patients with ectopic ACTH/CRH production. Conclusion: There were no differences in survival between functional and non-functional tumors overall, but we demonstrated that some tumors' hormonal products represent a good survival marker, such as in insulinomas, while the ectopic secretion of the ACTH/CRH represents a marker of poor survival.
format Article
id doaj-art-7e4ff678824c4738b25868798c6368ea
institution OA Journals
issn 0369-1527
2466-5525
language English
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher University of Belgrade, Medical Faculty
record_format Article
series Medicinski Podmladak
spelling doaj-art-7e4ff678824c4738b25868798c6368ea2025-08-20T01:50:02ZengUniversity of Belgrade, Medical FacultyMedicinski Podmladak0369-15272466-55252024-01-01756545910.5937/mp75-532540369-15272406054MIncidence, clinical features and survival among patients with functional pancreatic neuroendrocrine tumorsMijušković Ana0Čamur Viktor1Popović Bojana2Univerzitet u Beogradu, Medicinski fakultet, Beograd, SerbiaUniverzitet u Beogradu, Medicinski fakultet, Beograd, SerbiaUniverzitet u Beogradu, Medicinski fakultet, Beograd, SerbiaIntroduction: Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are rare neoplasms derived from neuroendocrine cells that have the ability to synthesize biogenic amines and peptide hormones. Lungs, small and large intestine and pancreas are the most common localizations of these tumors. Depending on the existence of the hormone secretory syndrome and its clinical manifestations, NETs are divided into functional and non-functional tumors. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, biological behavior and survival of patients with functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Material and methods: We analyzed 272 patients diagnosed with pancreatic NET. Tumor grade was evaluated based on pathohistological characteristics of the tissue samples obtained by biopsy or surgery, while stage was determined based on the size of the primary tumor and the presence of locoregional and/or distant dissemination. Diagnoses were established by using indicative clinical presentations and by determining baseline hormone values, appropriate functional testing and immunohistochemical confirmation of the secretory product in the tumor tissue sample. Results: Among 272 retrospectively analyzed patients, 77.6% of patients had non-functional tumors, while functional tumors were found in 22.4% cases. Functional NETs were significantly smaller and had a lower tumor grade, as well as significantly lower frequency of metastases and stage IV disease compared to the non-functional ones (p < 0.05). The overall survival of patients with functional tumors was 104 ± 56.72 months, but it was not significantly longer compared to non-functional ones (p = 0.259). However, a difference in survival existed between subgroups of functional tumors depending on hormone secretion (p < 0.05), where insulinomas showed the longest survival and the shortest survival was among patients with ectopic ACTH/CRH production. Conclusion: There were no differences in survival between functional and non-functional tumors overall, but we demonstrated that some tumors' hormonal products represent a good survival marker, such as in insulinomas, while the ectopic secretion of the ACTH/CRH represents a marker of poor survival.https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0369-1527/2024/0369-15272406054M.pdfpancreatic neuroendocrine tumorsfunctional tumorshormone syndromesurvival
spellingShingle Mijušković Ana
Čamur Viktor
Popović Bojana
Incidence, clinical features and survival among patients with functional pancreatic neuroendrocrine tumors
Medicinski Podmladak
pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
functional tumors
hormone syndrome
survival
title Incidence, clinical features and survival among patients with functional pancreatic neuroendrocrine tumors
title_full Incidence, clinical features and survival among patients with functional pancreatic neuroendrocrine tumors
title_fullStr Incidence, clinical features and survival among patients with functional pancreatic neuroendrocrine tumors
title_full_unstemmed Incidence, clinical features and survival among patients with functional pancreatic neuroendrocrine tumors
title_short Incidence, clinical features and survival among patients with functional pancreatic neuroendrocrine tumors
title_sort incidence clinical features and survival among patients with functional pancreatic neuroendrocrine tumors
topic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
functional tumors
hormone syndrome
survival
url https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0369-1527/2024/0369-15272406054M.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT mijuskovicana incidenceclinicalfeaturesandsurvivalamongpatientswithfunctionalpancreaticneuroendrocrinetumors
AT camurviktor incidenceclinicalfeaturesandsurvivalamongpatientswithfunctionalpancreaticneuroendrocrinetumors
AT popovicbojana incidenceclinicalfeaturesandsurvivalamongpatientswithfunctionalpancreaticneuroendrocrinetumors