Neuroendocrine tumor treatment with chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is widely used as a component of combined therapy for patients with advanced stages of neuroendocrine tumors and distant metastases. It might help decrease the primary tumor volume and make the patient applicable for further surgical treatment. Nowadays, chemotherapy is considered a suitable method for metastatic and unresectable (non-applicable for surgical removal) NETs, with an overall response rate ranging from 30% to 60%. Many chemotherapy medications are widely available, including chlorozotocin, doxorubicin, streptozocin, fluorouracil, etc. In addition, oncologists often might prescribe a combination of various drugs to get better results. Still, multiple factors affect future chemotherapy schemes, including the current patient's condition, tumor histological type, and comorbid conditions and diseases. Typically, chemotherapy delivers via intravenous injections or droppers, but oral administration forms are also available. A single course of chemotherapy for neuroendocrine tumors might include over eight cycles of procedures, with up to 4 weeks of rest between every single treatment session. Therefore, a single treatment session might take up to a few hours. Also, patients will receive symptomatic therapy to decrease symptoms' severity and prevent possible adverse effects.