Eric Liu--Updates from NANETS 2014 Nashville, TN

Hello everyone.  I'm going to do my best to summarize some of the presentations at this year's NANETS meeting.  It was a great program developed by Drs. David Metz and Pamela Kunz.  The sessions included: NET Science & Trials, Application of Molecular Analysis in NETs, Rare NETs & Syndromes, Management of Liver Metastases Debate, IMprovements in NET Imaging, Fibrosis & Carcinoid Syndrome, and The Affordable Care Act.  There were also sessions where young investigators could present their research and sessions on complicated cases.  If you want to see the agenda, go to:  http://www.nanets.net/2014-nashville-agenda--2.  

Session 1:  NET Science & Trials - Drs. Emily Bergsland, Pamela Kunz, and Jon Strosberg presented the current state of clinical research.  It was essentially a summary of some of the trials that are on-going and in development.  An easy way to get a sense of what's available is to go to clinicaltrials.gov and type in carcinoid or neuroendocrine.  The major trial that is on-going for carcinoid is the NETTER-1 trial, looking at Lutathera PRRT in the treatment of progressive midgut carcinoid.  The trial is almost closed, so we await the interesting results.  However, there are other trials still going on.  Lexicon is testing their drug Telotristat in carcinoid syndrome.  Other studies of medications, such as pasireotide, pazopanib, everolimus after surgery are interesting.  From the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society, we learned that the NETest is being evaluated and pathology standards are being slowly refined to maybe give a better sense of the differences in NETs.  

--Eric Liu