Neuroendocrine neoplasms

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs)

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs)

(by Coiled)

1             Comments

1.1      Take all NENs as malignant!

1.1.1                examples of site specific malignant potential

pituitary and parathyroid » rather less malignant

pancreas and small intestine » rather very malignant

1.2      General devision

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      Lung NENs

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      Pancreatic and GIT NENs

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      Adrenal gland and paraganglia

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      Thyroid NENs

2.4.1                C-cells

medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)

most of MTC are NETs

only 1% is NEC

2.5      Pituitary NENs

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      Uterus (corpus and cervix)

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