The Epidemiology of Neuroendocrine Tumors in Taiwan: A Nation-Wide Cancer Registry-Based Study

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 8; no. 4; p. e62487
• Main Authors: Tsai, Hui-Jen, Wu, Chun-Chieh, Tsai, Chia-Rung, Lin, Sheng-Fung, Chen, Li-Tzong, Chang, Jeffrey S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 22.04.2013; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Appendix; Biology; Bronchus; Cancer; Cancer research; Child; Classification; Epidemiology; Female; Health risk assessment; Hospitals; Humans; Incidence; Internal medicine; Lungs; Male; Males; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Medicine; Middle Aged; Neuroendocrine tumors; Neuroendocrine Tumors - epidemiology; Pathogenesis; Population; Rectum; Registries; Sex Distribution; Stomach; Studies; Survival; Survival Analysis; Taiwan - epidemiology; Tumors; Young Adult; Taiwan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062487

The epidemiology of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is not well illustrated, particularly for Asian countries. The age-standardized incidence rates and observed survival rates of NETs diagnosed in Taiwan from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2008 were calculated using data of the Taiwan Cancer Registry (TCR) and compared to those of the Norwegian Registry of Cancer (NRC) and the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. During the study period, a total of 2,187 NET cases were diagnosed in Taiwan, with 62% males and a mean age of 57.9 years-old. The age-standardized incidence rate of NETs increased from 0.30 per 100,000 in 1996 to 1.51 per 100,000 in 2008. The most common primary sites were rectum (25.4%), lung and bronchus (20%) and stomach (7.4%). The 5-year observed survival was 50.4% for all NETs (43.4% for men and 61.8% for women, P<0.0001). The best 5-year observed survivals for NETs by sites were rectum (80.9%), appendix (75.7%), and breast (64.8%). Compared to the data of Norway and the US, the age-standardized incidence rate of NETs in Taiwan is lower and the major primary sites are different, whereas the long-term outcome is similar. More studies on the pathogenesis of NETs are warranted to devise preventive strategies and improve treatment outcomes for NETs.