Clinical pathways for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Identifying and classifying indicators affected by performing clinical pathways in hospitals: a scoping review

AIM

To analyse the evidence regarding indicators affected by clinical pathways (CPW) in hospitals and offer suggestions for conducting comprehensive systematic reviews.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic scoping review and searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science, Scopus, OVID, Science Direct, ProQuest, EMBASE and PubMed. We also reviewed the reference lists of included studies. The criteria for inclusion of studies included experimental and quasi-experimental studies, implementing CPW in secondary and tertiary hospitals and investigating at least one indicator. Quality of included studies was assessed by two authors independently using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program for clinical trials and cohort studies and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool for Quasi-Experimental Studies.

RESULTS

Forty-seven out of 2191 studies met the eligibility and inclusion criteria. The majority of included studies had pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design and had been done in developed countries, especially the United States. The investigation of evidence resulted in identifying 62 indicators which were classified into three categories: input indicators, process and output indicators and outcome indicators. Outcome indicators were more frequent than other indicators. Complication rate, hospital costs and length of hospital stay were dominant in their own category. Indicators such as quality of life and adherence to guidelines have been considered in studies that were done in recent years.

CONCLUSION

Implementing CPW can affect different types of indicators such as input, process, output and outcome indicators, although outcome indicators capture more attention than other indicators. Patient-related indicators were dominant outcome indicators, whereas professional indicators and organizational factors were considered less extensively. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC?: WHAT DOES THIS ARTICLE ADD?

Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: an Update

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are rare and comprise only 1-2 % of all pancreatic neoplastic disease. Although the majority of these tumors are sporadic (90 %), pNETs can arise in the setting of several different hereditary genetic syndromes, most commonly multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). The presentation of pNETs varies widely, with over 60 % having malignant distant disease at the time of initial diagnosis involving the liver or other distant sites. Functioning pNETs represent approximately 10 % of all pNETs, secrete a variety of peptide hormones, and are responsible for several clinical syndromes caused by profound hormonal derangement. Surgery remains the cornerstone of therapy and the only curative approach. It should be pursued for localized disease and for metastatic lesions amenable to resection. Multimodality therapies, including liver-directed therapies and medical therapy, are gaining increasing favor in the treatment of advanced pNETs. Their utility is multifold and spans from ameliorating symptoms of hormonal excess (functional pNETs) to controlling the local and systemic disease burden (non-functional pNETs). The recent introduction of target molecular therapy has promising results especially for the treatment of progressive well-differentiated G1/G2 tumor. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge and give an update on recent advancements made in the therapeutic strategies for pNETs.

Update on pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are relatively rare tumors comprising 1-2% of all pancreas neoplasms. In the last 10 years our understanding of this disease has increased dramatically allowing for advancements in the treatment of pNETs. Surgical excision remains the primary therapy for localized tumors and only potential for cure. New surgical techniques using laparoscopic approaches to complex pancreatic resections are a major advancement in surgical therapy and increasingly possible. With early detection being less common, most patients present with metastatic disease. Management of these patients requires multidisciplinary care combining the best of surgery, chemotherapy and other targeted therapies. In addition to surgical advances, recently, there have been significant advances in systemic therapy and targeted molecular therapy.

[Drug therapy for neuroendocrine tumours]

The author aims to review the established medical treatment options of neuroendocrine tumours, which have expanded greatly in recent years and present the most important aspects to be considered in planning patients' management. Medical treatment is usually considered in advanced stages of these tumours, as well as in cases of hormone overproduction. Somatostatin analogues have been known to be effective in alleviating hormone excess syndromes, especially carcinoid syndrome for the past 25 years. There is a convincing evidence that the somatostatin analogue octreotide is useful as an antitumor agent, at least in well-differentiated small intestinal neuroendocrine tumours and probably also in those of pancreatic origin. Interferons may be also used and the indications for their use may be almost the same. Optimal patient selection is mandatory for the use of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Streptozotocin- and, recently, temozolomide-based chemotherapies should be considered in progressive phases of well differentiated (G1/G2) pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. A cisplatin-etoposide combination is the first choice for the treatment of G3 neuroendocrine carcinomas of any origin. Recently, the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor everolimus and the combined tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib were registered for the treatment of G1/G2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. The most recent drug treatment recommendations and therapeutic algorithms to improve systemic therapy in patients with neuroendocrine tumours are summarized and novel drug candidates with particular potential for future management of these tumours are outlined.

Advancements in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) have increased in incidence in the USA over the last 20 years. Although PanNETs are often misconceived as being indolent tumors as they have a far more favorable prognosis over pancreatic adenocarcinoma, roughly 60-70% of patients have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis due to presentation late in the disease process. While improvements in imaging modalities allow for early detection and better tumor localization, recent advancements in basic science, as well as surgical and medical management of PanNETs have further improved the prognosis. The mainstay of therapy for localized PanNETs is surgical intervention, which has become safer and is slowly shifting towards a more minimally invasive approach. However, the prognosis still remains relatively bleak for patients with unresectable disease. Fortunately, novel molecular targeted therapies, such as everolimus and sunitinib, have recently come into the limelight and have shown significant promise for the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic disease.