Endocrine Abstracts

In the gastroentero-pancreatic tract, a spectrum of neuroendocrine tumors (NET) exists, including low grade tumors (carcinoid), intermediate grade malignant carcinoid, and high grade poorly differentiated carcinomas of the small and large cell types. In year 2000, the WHO presented a classification scheme for all NETs, but mostly applied to gastroentero-pancreatic tumors. This term carcinoid was replaced by (neuro)endocrine tumor, malignant carcinoid by well differentiated (ne...

Background: Typing somatostatin receptor (SSTR) expression in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is of relevance to target an octreotide-based diagnostic approach and treatment. The expanding use of immunohistochemistry to detect SSTR is to date not paralleled by an accurate methodological setting and standardized interpretation of the results.Objective: A multicentric study was designed to compare SSTR immunohistochemical expression with in vivo scinti...

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), apart from stimulating GH secretion in the pituitary, exerts many peripheral functions, including stimulation of cell proliferation and survival. In fact, GHRH and GHRH receptors (GHRH-Rs) are expressed in different cancer cell types, where they promote proliferation and survival. Conversely, GHRH antagonists exert antineoplastic activities in several tumors, including lung cancer, one of the leading causes of death by cancer worldwide....