Surgical treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (including carcinoid)

Purpose of review Neuroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract are rare tumors, but as they have become recognized more often, and their care has been concentrated at some centers, standards of care have developed. With these standards, questions in the field have led to focused studies to inform practitioners. Recent findings The efficacy and morbidity of care have been well delineated now for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, as well as the effect of stretching the bounds of resection to include vascular reconstruction. The management of the gallbladder in patients with mid-gut carcinoid tumors and palliative approaches to mesenteric vein compression have been reported. The operative management of liver metastases shows the benefit of this approach, even when incomplete, as well as the safety of performing complex procedures in appropriate situations. Summary Some of the difficult or controversial decision areas in the surgical care of patients with neuroendocrine tumors are now more clear because of recently reported data.