Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Jun 15, 2024; 16(6): 2295-2299
Published online Jun 15, 2024. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i6.2295
Mixed neuroendocrine and adenocarcinoma of gastrointestinal tract: A complex diagnosis and therapeutic challenge
Santosh Shenoy
Santosh Shenoy, Department of General Surgery, Kansas City VA Medical Center, University of Missouri - Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64128, United States
Author contributions: Shenoy S designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript and the writing, discussion, editing the manuscript, and review of literature.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Santosh Shenoy, FACS, MD, Professor, Department of General Surgery, Kansas City VA Medical Center, University of Missouri - Kansas City, 4801 E Linwood, Kansas City, MO 64128, United States. shenoy2009@hotmail.com
Received: January 8, 2024
Revised: March 5, 2024
Accepted: April 10, 2024
Published online: June 15, 2024
Processing time: 158 Days and 10.8 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Mixed neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine neoplasms and mixed adeno-neuroendocrine cancer of the gastrointestinal system are a rare heterogeneous group of tumors with high malignant potential, rapid growth, and poor prognosis. The occurrence of cells with both neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine morphological features co-exist in varying amounts, and these tumors occur in almost all organs. The origin of these mixed cancers is not clearly defined but may be the result of certain genetic alterations and growth stimulation by the neuroendocrine peptides produced by neuroendocrine component. Regardless of the organ of origin, these tumors portend poor prognosis with increased proportion of neuroendocrine component. Multidisciplinary services and strategies are required for the management of these mixed malignancies to provide the best oncological outcomes.