Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Recruiting
Administrative data
NCT number |
NCT06402695 |
Other study ID # |
5981 |
Secondary ID |
|
Status |
Recruiting |
Phase |
|
First received |
|
Last updated |
|
Start date |
September 15, 2023 |
Est. completion date |
July 2026 |
Study information
Verified date |
April 2024 |
Source |
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS |
Contact |
Maria Grazia Maratta, MD |
Phone |
+39 0630156318 |
Email |
mariagrazia.maratta[@]guest.policlinicogemelli.it |
Is FDA regulated |
No |
Health authority |
|
Study type |
Observational
|
Clinical Trial Summary
Observational ambispective monocentric study on the clinical, laboratory, pathological and
molecular characteristics of patients suffering from gastroenteropancreatic tract and
pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors and their prognostic and predictive value.
Description:
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a heterogeneous group of rare epithelial neoplasms arising
from cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system. In recent years their incidence has been
constantly increasing and up to 80% of cases already begin in an advanced stage. The most
frequent site of primary localization is the gastroenteropancreatic tract (GEP-NET) in 60% of
cases, followed, in 25%, by the lung (L-NET). Clinically, NETs are classified as functioning
(F) or non-functioning (NF) based on the presence of symptoms caused by hormonal secretion
produced by tumor cells. NETs are characterized by great clinical and biological, inter- and
intra-tumoral heterogeneity. The WHO classification identifies four categories:
well-differentiated NETs, G1, G2 and G3, and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas
(NECs), which represent 10%-20% of all neuroendocrine neoplasms. This classification,
together with the TNM stage according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC 8th
edition) takes on an important prognostic value. However, these two criteria are not
exhaustive in predicting the aggressiveness of the pathology nor the response to oncological
therapies. There is therefore a clear clinical need, to date unsatisfied, for new prognostic
and predictive biomarkers, which can better define the heterogeneity of NETs by implementing
classification and staging, to guide prognosis and support therapeutic decisions.
The main feature of all well-differentiated NETs is the overexpression of the somatostatin
receptor, measured by PCR-based or immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based methods or by imaging.
Among these receptors, the SSTR2A subtype is the most commonly expressed. Diagnostic and
therapeutic approaches aimed at SSTR have shown advantages but it is not clear how much the
degree of expression of SSTR in positive patients influences the response to treatment and
whether it has a correlation with survival, regardless of the oncological treatments used.
Furthermore, since the expression of this receptor appears inversely proportional to the
degree of differentiation and can be different within the same disease between primary tumor
and metastatic disease, this receptor could have a further role as a measure of tumor
heterogeneity and disease progression.