Biology and evolution of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumors

DS Rickman, H Beltran, F Demichelis, MA Rubin - Nature medicine, 2017 - nature.com
Nature medicine, 2017nature.com
Neuroendocrine (NE) cancers are a diverse group of neoplasms typically diagnosed and
treated on the basis of their site of origin. This Perspective focuses on advances in our
understanding of the tumorigenesis and treatment of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine
tumors. Recent evidence from sequencing indicates that, although neuroendocrine tumors
can arise de novo, they can also develop as a result of lineage plasticity in response to
pressure from targeted therapies. We discuss the shared genomic alterations of these …
Abstract
Neuroendocrine (NE) cancers are a diverse group of neoplasms typically diagnosed and treated on the basis of their site of origin. This Perspective focuses on advances in our understanding of the tumorigenesis and treatment of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumors. Recent evidence from sequencing indicates that, although neuroendocrine tumors can arise de novo, they can also develop as a result of lineage plasticity in response to pressure from targeted therapies. We discuss the shared genomic alterations of these tumors independently of their site of origin, and we explore potential therapeutic strategies on the basis of recent biological findings.
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