Neuroendocrine tumors: A critical appraisal of management strategies

Objectives: This supplement represents the proceedings of a panel of investigators whose goal was to assess the quality of evidence pertaining to current therapeutic approaches in the management of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). It will examine the differences in opinions between expert faculty and community physicians. Methods: The Neuroendocrine Tumors Summit convened in December 2009 to address 6 statements prepared by panel members that reflect important questions in the management of NETs. Results: Panel members were polled on their acceptance of each statement, and those results were compared with community-based oncologists, gastroenterologists, and endocrinologists. Conclusions: More education regarding the treatment of NETs, including pertinent studies, is needed for physicians. Additional multicenter, prospective, placebo-controlled trials are necessary to demonstrate the benefits of somatostatin analogs, including their ability to control symptoms and affect tumor growth, and their synergistic effect with other therapies. New trials should be reported consistently and include time to tumor progression and progression-free survival as primary or secondary end points.