The importance of the measurement of circulating markers in patients with neuroendocrine tumours of the pancreas and gut.

in Endocrine-Related Cancer
Authors:
J E S Ardill Regional Regulatory Peptide Laboratory, Royal Hospitals Trust and Queen's University Belfast, Mulhouse Building, Belfast BT12 6BJ, UK.

Search for other papers by J E S Ardill in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
and
B Erikkson Regional Regulatory Peptide Laboratory, Royal Hospitals Trust and Queen's University Belfast, Mulhouse Building, Belfast BT12 6BJ, UK.

Search for other papers by B Erikkson in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Volume/Issue:
Volume 10: Issue 4
Article Type:
Abstract
Page Range:
459–462
Online Publication Date:
Dec 2003
Free access

Sign up for journal news

The measurement of general and specific biochemical markers in patients with neuroendocrine tumours assists with diagnosis and gives an indication of the effectiveness of treatment and they may be used as prognostic indicators. There is much agreement that chromogranin A is the most universally helpful marker; it is found to be elevated in the circulation of about 90% of patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumours and there are several excellent commercially available kits which give reliable estimations. Specific markers are useful for diagnosis also, and are helpful indicators of the effectiveness of treatment, particularly where tumour bulk may not change as much as tumour activity. Sporadic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours may secrete more than one peptide and this indicates a worsening prognosis. Because of the wide variation in the progression of neuroendocrine tumours, a prognostic indicator gives a significant advantage to the clinician in order to facilitate optimum treatment at the optimum stage of disease. Both chromogranin A and neurokinin A have been used as powerful prognostic indicators for midgut carcinoid tumours.

Endocrine-Related Cancer is committed to supporting researchers in demonstrating the impact of their articles published in the journal.

The two types of article metrics we measure are (i) more traditional full-text views and pdf downloads, and (ii) Altmetric data, which shows the wider impact of articles in a range of non-traditional sources, such as social media.

More information is on the Reasons to publish page.

Sept 2018 onwards Past Year Past 30 Days
Full Text Views 765 475 84
PDF Downloads 185 60 1

 

  • Collapse
  • Expand
Print ISSN:
1351-0088
Online ISSN:
1479-6821
Page(s):
4
Print Publication Date:
01 Jan 2003
Online Publication Date:
Dec 2003