Neuroendocrine neoplasms

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs)

(by Coiled)

=1             Comments=

1.1.1                examples of site specific malignant potential
pituitary and parathyroid » rather less malignant

pancreas and small intestine » rather very malignant

1.2.1                NEC (neuroendocrine carcinomas)
highly malignant

poorly differentiated

metastasize

invade

1.2.2                NET (neuroendocrine tumors)
not highly malignant, but malignant

well differentiated

potential to invade or metastasize depends on tumor site and type

=2             Sites=

2.1.1                NET
Lung carcinoid

• In lungs the term carcinoid still can be used

• low grade

2.1.2                NEC
large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC)

small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC)

2.2.1                pancreas
NET » well-differentiated NE tumors (PanNETs)

NEC » poorly differentiated NE carcinomas (PanNECs)

• Small cell NE carcinoma

• Large cell NE carcinoma

2.2.2                gastrointestinal
GI-NETs » small intestine NETs

2.3.1                only NETs
tumors of neural crest

pheochromocytoma » if located in adrenal medulla we use the term pheochromocytoma

paraganglioma (sometimes called extra-adrenal pehochromocytoma) » if located not in adrenal medulla

all are well differentiated

2.4.1                C-cells
medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)

most of MTC are NETs

only 1% is NEC

2.5.1                new proposal
not to divide them into adenomas and carcinomas

rather call them NETs » PitNETs

poorly differentiated NECs do not exist in pituitary

2.6.1                NET
carcinoid typical

carcinoid atypical

2.6.2                NEC
small cell carcinoma

large cell NE carcinoma

2.7      Parathyroid NENs
mainly NETs

parathyroid NECs are very rare

2.8      Breast NENs
rare