ENETS 2024 Daily highlight 3

Prof Dr Timon Vandamme, digestive oncologist from the University Hospital Antwerp, provides a comprehensive overview of the third day at the ENETS conference held in Vienna in March 2024. The day’s agenda prominently featured discussions surrounding the pivotal role of radionuclide therapy, particularly peptide-receptor radiotherapy (PRRT), in managing neuroendocrine tumours (NETs).

Central to the discussions was a presentation by Prof Christophe Deroose from the University Hospitals of Leuven, offering profound insights into the dynamic landscape of PRRT. Prof Deroose delineated the ongoing evolution of PRRT treatment strategies, illuminating promising avenues such as PRRT in conjunction with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and olaparib. There was a notable shift towards innovative PRRT formulations, including novel somatostatin receptor (SSTR) agonists and antagonists, signalling a paradigmatic advancement in therapeutic modalities.

Of particular significance was the discourse on the groundbreaking NETTER-2 trial, showing the efficacy of PRRT in managing high-grade neuroendocrine tumours. The trial findings underscored a substantial improvement in progression-free survival, reaffirming PRRT’s pivotal role in the therapeutic armamentarium against NETs.

Furthermore, Dr Hannes Leupe presented pioneering research on 18F and 18F DOPA imaging techniques for neuroendocrine tumours. Leupe’s elucidation on the clinical applicability of these novel imaging modalities, developed at University Hospitals Leuven and trialled across prominent Belgian academic institutions, showed promising avenues for enhancing diagnostic precision and therapeutic efficacy.

Beyond this scientific symposium, a parallel session orchestrated by the International Neuroendocrine Cancer Alliance (INCA) shed light on the indispensable role of patient advocacy and public awareness in combating neuroendocrine tumours. Emphasising the persistent diagnostic delays in NETs, the session underscored the imperative of disseminating comprehensive knowledge about these malignancies to both the general populace and healthcare practitioners. In a concerted effort to bridge this informational chasm, INCA unveiled innovative initiatives, including educational videos, aimed at fostering greater awareness and early detection of neuroendocrine tumours.