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25 Years of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of the Gastrointestinal Tract

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Abstract

This paper provides a personal pathologist’s view of how neuroendocrine tumors (NET) were perceived and defined in the last quarter of a century. In years when the Helicobacter pylori, omeprazole and the adenoma–carcinoma sequence in colon carcinogenesis significantly impacted on gastrointestinal (GI) pathology daily practice, neuroendocrine neoplasms of the GI tract passed from the original carcinoid definition to the current NET and neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) definitions. The development of different concepts, basic tumor biology knowledge, tools for pathology diagnosis and the various World Health Organization (WHO) classifications from 1980 through 2010 are briefly reviewed and discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was in part supported by internal university grants to GR (line D1/2011-2012, Università Cattolica).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Policlinico A. Gemelli, Largo A. Gemelli, 8, 00168, Rome, Italy

    G. Rindi, G. Petrone & F. Inzani

  2. Institute of Anatomic Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Policlinico Gemelli, Largo A. Gemelli, 8, 00168, Roma, Italy

    G. Rindi

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Correspondence to G. Rindi.

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Rindi, G., Petrone, G. & Inzani, F. 25 Years of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Endocr Pathol 25, 59–64 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12022-013-9292-5

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