Neuroendocrine carcinoma initiates in the hormone-producing cells of the neuroendocrine system of the body that is made is up of nerve cells and hormone-creating endocrine cells. Neuroendocrine cells are found across the body in organs including gastrointestinal tract and lungs and are responsible for performing specific functions. Neuroendocrine cells undergo certain changes at times and are witnessed to grow or behave abnormally, which in turn lead to neuroendocrine tumors. While some neuroendocrine tumors are detected in early stages, others could spread across other parts of the body causing neuroendocrine carcinoma. With the prevalence of neuroendocrine carcinoma across the globe, the world has witnessed several developments to manage this malignant disease.
According to the Future Market Insights, the neuroendocrine carcinoma market is expected to grow substantially over the forthcoming years owing to several steps taken with respect to effective disease management and the burgeoning research activities that strengthen the overall neuroendocrine carcinoma therapeutics. With new and improved treatment alternatives, the neuroendocrine carcinoma treatment is expected to improve considerably.
Novel Targeted Therapy to Battle Neuroendocrine Carcinoma
Neuroendocrine carcinoma being a rare disease having well-differentiated tumors to poorly differentiated tumors, the treatment approaches could vary substantially. Targeted therapy is said to hold significant potential for the treatment of neuroendocrine carcinoma. Unlike standard chemotherapy drugs, targeted drugs target the specific parts of cancer cells and are considered helpful in cases where chemotherapy is ineffective. Novel targeted therapies designed with effectiveness are backed with clearance from the regulatory bodies as such as FDA for their use in the neuroendocrine carcinoma therapeutics.
For instance, the revolutionary and promising non-surgical treatment made available at Roswell Park is an effective and new targeted therapy for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. The targeted radiation drug, Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) is designed for the treatment was given approval by the FDA. The lutetium Lu 177 dotatate consists of radioactive isotope that binds to the specific molecules present on neuroendocrine tumors, post which the drug delivers a dose of radiation to the tumor. Targeted only to cancer cells, this treatment spares the healthy cells and this drug is first-of-its-class to gain an FDA approval for treating neuroendocrine tumors.
Disease Detection Made Better with this New Method
Neuroendocrine tumors could occur is almost any organ of the body. Most commonly observed in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas, the neuroendocrine carcinoma is not visibly detected on early stage, with 3 to 10 years of average time until diagnosis. Nearly 40 to 95 percent of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are known to spread across the body until the disease is diagnosed. This has created the need for new disease detection methods for the effective mitigation of neuroendocrine carcinoma.
With thorough research in line with these requirements, researchers at have showcased a new nuclear medicine procedure that could detect cancerous pancreatic and gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors with greater efficacy and safety compared to the current methods used for detection of neuroendocrine carcinoma.