EVMS hosts neuroendocrine tumor forum
EVMS and the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) recently brought together patients and healthcare providers for a regional educational forum entitled “The Changing Face of NETs.”
Each year, NANETS partners with universities and cancer centers for these regional education programs that focus on the diagnosis, treatment and management of NETs, according to Aaron Vinik, MD, PhD, the Murray Waitzer Endowed Chair in Diabetes Research, Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of Research and the Neuroendocrine Unit in the Strelitz Diabetes Center.
“We were able to attract some of the most outstanding experts in the field from the whole of the U.S. and Internationally,” Dr. Vinik says.
Among highlights of the meeting were presentation of the recent advances in scanning techniques using Gallium DOTATOC, the use of new combinations of drugs capable of achieving 75 percent to 95 percent remission in carcinoid NETS and the recently approved use of Lutetium peptide receptor radiotherapy (PRRT) for midgut carcinoids capable of percent greater responses than somatostatin analog therapy.
“These are huge strides in the field,” Dr. Vinik says.
Speakers included EVMS and Sentara neuroendocrine physicians, surgeons, radiologists, oncologists, nuclear medicine, nutritionists and quality-of-life experts.
“Perhaps the greatest return for EVMS was the patient forum wherein patients heard from the experts and heard the debate on patient management,” Dr. Vinik says. “NANETs sent a complimentary note indicating that this meeting was considered to be the best so far with an outstanding entourage and a great program.”