Prognostic and Predictive Significance of Selected Gene Mutations in Pancreatic and Intestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) constitute a heterogeneous and predominantly malignant group of neuroendocrine neoplasms that arise from endocrine cells dispersed throughout the body. Their clinical presentation, biological behavior, prognosis, and therapeutic management vary considerably depending on the primary tumor location and hormonal activity. Despite substantial progress in understanding the biology of NETs, identifying reliable molecular biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response remains a major challenge. Increasing attention has therefore been devoted to the molecular characterization of NETs, with particular focus on recurrent genetic alterations that may contribute to tumor initiation and progression. In this review, we summarize current knowledge and recent findings referring to certain genes involved in the tumorigenesis of pancreatic and intestinal neuroendocrine tumors. We chose the genes based on data from the COSMIC (Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer) database, which compiles somatic mutations identified across numerous human cancers. We outline the biological functions of these changes and discuss their potential prognostic and predictive role as molecular markers. We also discuss their clinical relevance in both sporadic and familial forms of NETs, alongside their implications for future research and personalized management strategies.