Epidemiological features of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in Chengdu city with a population of 14 million based on data from a single institution.

AIM: Recent studies on gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) in the United States as well as the European studies demonstrate an increasing GEP-NETs incidence. Most information on the epidemiology of neuroendocrine tumors comes from western countries. However, the epidemiological profile of GEP-NETs in West China is still unclear. The aim of study was to reflect the regional features of GEP-NETs in Chengdu city of West China based on data from a single institution.
METHODS: West China Hospital (WCH), the largest university hospital located in Chengdu (West China) with population of 14.04 million, has established a serial of databases in recent years. According to the data from Medical Records Section of WCH and Chengdu Health Bureau, the total patients per year in WCH covered about 25.6-28% patients of Chengdu city during the 5 years. Therefore, we have used GEP-NETs diagnosed in WCH from 2009 to 2013 to reflect the regional epidemiological profile of GEP-NETs.
RESULTS: GEP-NETs proportion in WCH increased 1.6-folds during past 5 years from 1.28/10(5) to 2.03/10(5) , P < 0.05. The average duration of symptom before diagnosis was 16.8 months. About 46.6% (115/248) of GEP-NETs were metastatic. Seventy-seven percent (190/248) of patients were over 40 years. Proportions of GEP-NETs from primary sites were rectum 30.6% (76/248), pancreas 23.4% (58/248), gastric 13.3% (33/248) and esophagus 11.3% (28/248). Proportions of insulinoma, vipoma and nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (P-NETs) were 43.1% (25/58), 1.7% (1/58) and 55.2% (32/58) separately in the P-NETs.
CONCLUSIONS: There is a distinct epidemiologic profile between West China and western countries based on a single institution data. The delayed diagnosis reflects inadequate disease awareness of GEP-NETs and paucity of research funding.