Questions and answers with Dr. Wade Christopher

Published on Monday, October 17, 2022

Dr. Wade Christopher, an assistant professor of surgery and member of the CCRI Interdisciplinary Gastrointestinal Cancer Care team, answers a few questions about a rare cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, the team encounters.

Q: What are neuroendocrine cancers?
A: These tumors form from cells that have the ability to release hormones into the blood in response to a signal from the nervous system.  When these tumors develop, they may release high levels of hormones that can cause different symptoms.  Other neuroendocrine tumors may not release any hormones and are classified as non-functional. When referring to GI neuroendocrine tumors, we routinely see these tumors arising from the pancreas, small bowel, appendix and rectum.

Q: How are they treated?
A: We treat these tumors based on their location, size, grade and ability to produce hormones.  Surgical removal is a cornerstone in the treatment although we may recommend observation for some small non-functional tumors.  We have multiple medical treatments for tumors that cause symptoms or metastasize.

Q: Why is there little mention of them?
A: These tumors are rare in the general population. Estimates show about 12,000 people are diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumors in the United States every year. They are typically treated at tertiary referral centers by physicians who specialize in treating this type of tumor.

Q: Are these cancers worse than others?
A: These tumors exhibit many different symptoms. Many are not as aggressive compared to other malignancies and can be effectively treated with curative intent.  When patients do present with or develop metastatic disease, there are many effective medical therapies that can provide patients with a good quality of life for many years.