cancers Review Neuroendocrine Carcinomas of the Digestive Tract: What Is New? Anna Pellat 1,*, Anne Ségolène Cottereau 2, Benoit Terris 3 and Romain Coriat 1 1 Gastroenterology and Digestive Oncology Unit, Cochin Teaching Hospital, AP-HP, Université de Paris, 27 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014 Paris, France;
[email protected] 2 Nuclear Medicine Department, Cochin Teaching Hospital, AP-HP, Université de Paris, 27 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014 Paris, France;
[email protected] 3 Pathology Department, Cochin Teaching Hospital, AP-HP, Université de Paris, 27 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014 Paris, France;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Simple Summary: In this narrative review, we describe the current data and management of neu- roendocrine carcinomas (NEC) of the digestive tract. These tumors are very rare and suffer from a lack of clinical trials which would allow for standardized therapeutic management. To date, most guidelines come from studies in small-cell lung cancer, which is a similar entity in the lung. The incidence of NEC is rising and their prognostic is very low, underlying the urgent need for more trials to help define their best management. Abstract: Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) are rare tumors with a rising incidence. They show poorly differentiated morphology with a high proliferation rate (Ki-67 index). They frequently arise in the lung (small and large-cell lung cancer) but rarely from the gastrointestinal tract. Due to their rarity, very little is known about digestive NEC and few studies have been conducted. Therefore, most of therapeutic recommendations are issued from work on small-cell lung cancers (SCLC).