Neuroendocrine neoplasms: Consensus on a patient care pathway

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) present significant challenges including delayed diagnosis and limited access to specialized care.
• Increasing incidence and prevalence of NENs in England exacerbate existing diagnostic and management inequities.
• Low awareness among healthcare professionals contributes to suboptimal patient outcomes.

Approach:

• Developed England's first NEN patient care pathway through a two-phase process.
• Phase 1 involved a literature review to create a draft pathway.
• Phase 2 refined the draft pathway via semi-structured interviews with expert stakeholders and multidisciplinary group consensus.

Key Points:

• Identified critical barriers in NEN diagnosis and management.
• Proposed actionable strategies to overcome identified care gaps.
• Findings are relevant beyond England, including the UK and international contexts.

Conclusions:

• The developed pathway offers a framework for optimal and equitable NEN care in England.
• Integration within NHS England is expected to improve care provision for all NEN patients.
• The pathway is designed to be feasible within existing multidisciplinary expert teams.