Neuroendocrine tumors: A tertiary care hospital study on clinicopathology features and prognosis

TL;DR

This study examines 12 cases of neuroendocrine tumors to understand their clinical features, diagnosis, and survival rates.

Contribution

The paper provides clinicopathological insights and prognosis data from a small cohort of neuroendocrine tumor cases.

Findings

Grade III tumors had a mean survival of 15 months, while grades I and II had 100% survival.

The stomach was the most common primary site, and male patients were more frequently affected.

Functional symptoms were present in 41% of cases, including hypoglycemia and diarrhea.

Abstract

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare, heterogeneous malignancies with variable progression and diverse clinical manifestations.
Therefore, it is of interest to analyze 12 histologically and immunohistochemically confirmed NET cases diagnosed between 2021 and 2025.
Biopsies were obtained from primary or metastatic sites and tumor grading was determined using histomorphology and Ki-67 index. The
median age at diagnosis was 60 years (range 17-87), with a male predominance (M:F = 1.4:1). The stomach was the most common primary
site (33%). Seven patients (59%) had nonfunctional symptoms, while five (41%) presented with functional manifestations such as
hypoglycemia, abdominal distension and diarrhea. Metastatic disease was noted in 33% of cases. Chemotherapy was administered in two
grade III NETs. Overall survival was 100% in grades I and II, whereas grade III had a mean survival of 15 months. NETs require precise
histopathologic and immunohistochemical differentiation, particularly in high-grade forms, to enable timely diagnosis and improved
management strategies.