ASO Author Reflections: Circulating Neuroendocrine Gene Transcripts (NETest): A Promising Biomarker for Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours (PanNET)

Excerpt

Surgery is the treatment of choice for localized pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNET) being associated with a high rate of cure and favorable prognosis.1 The overall risk of recurrence after radical pancreatic resection is relatively low although it can be higher in the presence of aggressive features such as large tumors or distant metastases. Currently, high-quality imaging techniques represent the main modality of follow-up after surgery for PanNET but they can fail to early detect recurrent disease or residual tumor. Blood biomarkers, such as Chromogranin A (CgA), have been advocated but several studies have demonstrated the low sensitivity and specificity in determining the surgical efficacy in patients affected by PanNET.2 A blood test panel of NET markers genes (NETest) has provided useful information regarding disease progression after different types of treatment.3 This study evaluated the efficacy of NETest in the diagnosis of PanNET and in the assessment of the efficacy of pancreatic surgical resections for PanNET. …