| [ Summary ] |
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is classified into well differentiated tumor and poorly differentiated carcinoma, and chemotherapy is differently applied according to these histological grades. Somatostatin analogs, molecular targeted agents, and chemotherapeutic agents are used to treat well differentiated tumors such as NETs. Chemotherapeutic agents generally show higher anti-tumor effect than that of somatostatin analogs and molecular targeted agents. Streptozocin is only approved for the treatment of NETs and used as monotherapy or in combination with fluorouracil. Temozolomide and capecitabine demonstrate promising anti-tumor effects, and the approval for its use to treat NETs is expected. On the contrary, cisplatin-based chemotherapy combined with irinotecan or etoposide, which is a standard regimen to treat small cell lung cancer, is applied to neuroendocrine carcinoma. |