Background and aim: The incidence of gastric neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) has increased tenfold since the 1970s. Our aim was to describe the clinicopathologic profile, management, and outcomes of type I gastric NETs at The Mount Sinai Hospital.
Methods: From existing databases of the Mount Sinai Division of Gastrointestinal Pathology and the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation, we identified 56 patients with type I gastric NETs seen at The Mount Sinai Hospital from 1993 to 2012. We generated a comprehensive dataset encompassing demographic, clinical, endoscopic, and pathologic factors. Survival information was determined from medical records and the Social Security Death Index. Tumor-node-metastasis staging was conducted, and tumors were graded based on mitotic counts and Ki67 index.
Results: Median NET size was 3.0 mm; 55.8 % displayed multifocal disease. Stages I, II, III, and IV disease were observed in 83.8, 10.8, 5.4, and 0 %, respectively. Tumors were either low (69.7 %) or intermediate (30.3 %) grade. Furthermore, 3.6 % of patients developed gastric dysplasia, and 5.5 % had gastric adenocarcinoma. Patients underwent endoscopy every 15 months, while 28.6 % underwent polypectomy, 32.7 % somatostatin therapy, and 46.4 % surgical resection. 5- and 10-year disease-specific survival was 100 %.
Conclusions: Most patients received annual endoscopic surveillance, with a minority undergoing surgical resection, though outcomes remained excellent independent of therapeutic approach. We identified a very low but real rate of loco-regional spread, despite the generally indolent behavior of type I gastric NETs. Several patients demonstrated concurrent dysplasia or adenocarcinoma, underscoring the efficacy of regular endoscopic management not only for gastric NETs, but also for dysplasia and adenocarcinoma.