Neuroendocrine Neoplasia Management, 1st ed. 2021 New Approaches for Diagnosis and Treatment

This book provides the most recent update on the management of neuroendocrine neoplasia (NEN), a term covering all tumors of various organs and/or with a particular histology, including MEN (multiple endocrine neoplasia) related tumors, MiNEN (mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms), NEC (neuroendocrine carcinoma) and Merkel?s carcinoma. NENs are heterogeneous in their biology, clinical presentation and prognosis, showing a great variability in aggressiveness and therapy response. As a result, their treatment is based on a large spectrum of options. The standard therapies are surgery in early disease, various loco-regional procedures in certain conditions and mostly of a palliative nature in metastatic disease. At present, thanks to our increased understanding of molecular signaling pathways, several pharmacological approaches can be used in patients with advanced NENs. Somatostatin analogs display both anti-tumor effects and symptom control. Novel peptide-radio-receptortreatment (PRRT) is used in patients with well differentiated tumors. The agents targeting angiogenesis and/or PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, alone or in combination with analogues, have provided encouraging results in advanced disease.

The first part of the book focuses on the history, epidemiology and the most relevant scientific achievements, covering the discoveries in genetic and molecular biology, the endoscopic techniques with guided biopsy, and the metabolic imaging with hybrid PET/CT and MRI/CT. It particularly highlights the emerging strategies in therapy, surgery and mini-invasive surgery as well as loco-regional and systemic treatments, including targeted therapy and/or biological therapies. The second part then explores the management of NENs of various anatomical origins and/or with peculiar biology. It describes the range of the current options and the most relevant results from the clinical trials.

This informative book provides valuable insights for all thoseinterested in the management of neuroendocrine neoplasia.

Giordano Beretta specialized in medical oncology at the University of Milan in 1986. From 1980 to 1983 he was a student and medical resident at the Medical Oncology Unit of the San Carlo Hospital in Milan. Between 1986 and 1988 pursued research on tumor markers, funded by the AIRC (Italian Association in Cancer Research). He worked at the Internal Medical Division of Bassini Hospital in Cinisello Balsamo (Milan) from 1989 to 1997, where he was responsible of the Oncology Section from May 1990. He was Deputy Director of the Oncology Unit of Ospedali Riuniti in Bergamo from 1998 until 2006, where he was also Coordinator of GIOG (Gastrointestinal Interdisciplinary Oncology Group) and Director of the Oncology Gastrointestinal Unit (2003-2006). He was Director of the Medical Oncology Unit of the Sant’Orsola-Fatebenefratelli Hospital in Brescia from 2006 to 2010, and of the Medical Oncology Unit and Internal Medicine Unit of Humanitas Gavazzeni in Bergamo from 2010 to 2018. Since April 2018, he has been Director of the Medical Oncology Unit.    

He has been an AIOM (Italian Association of Medical Oncology) member since 1985 and has been its President since October 2019. He is a member of ESMO and of ASCO and in 1996 he obtained the European Certification of Medical Oncology in Vienna.  He has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications.

Alfredo Berruti specialized in medical oncology at the University of Turin in 1989. From 1985 to 1999 he was a Postdoc Fellow at the Medical Pathology Department and later an assistant at the Internal Medicine Department of the same university, and from 1999 to 2006 he was a senior assistant in the Medical Oncology Department there. From 2006 to 2016 he was Associate Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Turin – Azienda Ospedaliera San Luigi Gonzaga, Orbassano (TO) first, and later at the University of Brescia. Currently, he is Chief of the Medical O