Clinical presentation and management of carcinoid tumors

The generally indolent nature of neuroendocrine tumors is an advantage in the management of patients who have localized disease, and surgery alone is often curative. This same property presents a challenge in the treatment of patients who have metastatic disease, in whom standard cytotoxic chemotherapy has a limited benefit. In such patients, the use of somatostatin analogs, interferon, and the treatment of hepatic metastases may provide effective palliation. The highly vascular nature of carcinoid tumors has led to the investigation of antiangiogenic agents in this setting. Preliminary reports of activity associated with agents targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway suggest that such strategies may play a role in the future treatment of patients who have this disease.