Surgical Treatment of NEN of Small Bowel: A Retrospective Analysis

F M Watzka1, C Fottner2, M Miederer3

  • 1Clinic of General, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, University Medicine Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany.

World Journal of Surgery
|January 30, 2016
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the small intestine are increasingly diagnosed. Systematic lymphadenectomy during surgical treatment significantly improves survival rates for these patients.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) of the small intestine are diagnosed more frequently, accounting for 25% of all NENs.
  • Despite an indolent nature and good prognosis, the benefit of surgical intervention remains debated.
  • Small intestinal tumors represent 29% of all small intestine tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the impact of surgical treatment and lymphadenectomy on the prognosis of patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms of the small intestine.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of systematic versus selective lymphadenectomy in improving patient survival.
  • To determine the significance of mesenteric lymph node metastasis in the overall outcome.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 83 surgically treated patients with small intestine NENs.
  • Data collected from the MaDoc database at the University Medical Center of Mainz.
  • Statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 20, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and Log-Rank tests.

Main Results:

  • Abdominal pain (37.3%) and carcinoid syndrome (32.5%) were the most common symptoms.
  • Lymph node metastasis (78.3%) and distant metastasis (69.9%) were highly prevalent at diagnosis.
  • Systematic lymphadenectomy showed significantly higher 5-year survival rates (82.2%) compared to selective lymphadenectomy (40.0%).

Conclusions:

  • Mesenteric lymph node metastases are nearly universal and critically impact prognosis.
  • Systematic lymphadenectomy is crucial for preventing complications and enhancing patient survival.
  • Early surgical intervention is recommended to mitigate potential complications.