Biochemical Diagnosis and Preoperative Imaging of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors are a group of neoplasms that can arise in a variety of locations throughout the body and often metastasize early. A patient's only chance for cure is surgical removal of the primary tumor and all associated metastases, although even when surgical cure is unlikely, patients can benefit from surgical debulking. A thorough preoperative workup will often require multiple clinical tests and imaging studies to locate the primary tumor, delineate the extent of the disease, and assess tumor functionality. This review discusses the biomarkers important for the diagnosis of these tumors and the imaging modalities needed.