Dr Chan on the Prevalence of Neuroendocrine Tumors in Young-Adult Patients

"[A younger diagnosis is] more common in [patients with] pancreas neuroendocrine tumors who are in their teenage years and on the verge of adulthood. I've taken care of several over the years, [and] its [prevelance] is certainly something to be aware of."

Jennifer Chan, MD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and clinical director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discussed the occurrence of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) in pediatric and younger adult populations in recognition of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week.

Although NETs are most commonly diagnosed in middle-aged adult patients, these tumors can also occur in younger patients, including adolescents and, more rarely, children, Chan began. In pediatric cases, advanced or metastatic NETs are uncommon. When NETs are identified in this population, they are often appendiceal tumors discovered incidentally during appendectomy procedures. These tumors are typically localized and carry an excellent prognosis. In most cases, surgical resection is curative, and patients do not require further treatment.

In young adults and adolescents, pancreatic NETs may occasionally present. Chan noted that she has treated several patients who were teenagers or young adultswith pancreatic NETs, although such cases remain rare. Unlike appendiceal tumors, pancreatic NETs may require more complex management strategies depending on disease extent and clinical presentation.

Despite the rarity of NETs in younger individuals, it is essential for clinicians to remain aware of them as a diagnostic consideration in patients across all age groups, Chan continued. Although the majority of pediatric and adolescent cases are cured with local therapy, a subset may present with more advanced disease that necessitates ongoing monitoring or systemic treatment. Furthermore, although not all NETs in younger patients are hereditary, clinicians should remain vigilant in evaluating potential underlying genetic syndromes in cases with suggestive clinical or family histories, Chan said.