Published online Oct 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i39.14348
Revised: April 24, 2014
Accepted: June 12, 2014
Published online: October 21, 2014
Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are a heterogeneous group of cancers, with indolent behavior. The most common primary origin is the gastro-intestinal tract but can also appear in the lungs, kidneys, adrenals, ovaries and other organs. In general, NET is usually discovered in the metastatic phase (40%-80%). The liver is the most common organ involved when metastases occur (40%-93%), followed by bone (12%-20%) and lung (8%-10%).A number of different therapeutic options are available for the treatment of hepatic metastases including surgical resection, transplantation, ablation, trans-arterial chemoembolization, chemotherapy and somatostatin analogues. Recently, molecular targeted therapies have been used, usually in combination with other treatment options, to improve outcomes in patients with metastases. This article emphasizes on the role of surgery in the treatment of liver metastases from NET.
Core tip: This is an extensive review of the literature focusing on the role of surgery (resection and transplantation) and the recently published literature in the treatment of liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumors.