EPIDEMIOLOGY AND TREATMENT PATTERNS OF NEUROENDOCRINE TUMORS IN GERMANY: INSIGHTS FROM A NATIONAL CANCER REGISTRY
Author(s)
Sebastian Krug, PhD1, Sophia Grötsch, MSc2, Kim S. Krinke, PhD3, Hanna Ungewiß, PhD2.
1Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany, 2Ipsen, Munich, Germany, 3Cencora, Hanover, Germany.
1Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany, 2Ipsen, Munich, Germany, 3Cencora, Hanover, Germany.
OBJECTIVES: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are characterized by substantial clinical heterogeneity, reflected in diverse treatment approaches across tumor subgroups. This study aimed to describe real-world treatment patterns for NET patients in Germany.
METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the German Center for Cancer Registry Data (ZfKD). Adult patients newly diagnosed with NET between 2020 and 2023 were identified and stratified into predefined subgroups based on tumor localization: pancreatic NET (PanNET), gastrointestinal NET (GI-NET), NET of the lung (LungNET), and Other NETs. Patient clinical and demographic characteristics and treatment patterns were assessed descriptively, including surgery, radiation, and systemic therapy. Radiation therapies were pre-defined while surgeries were assessed by German procedure classification (OPS) codes and systemic treatment was identified and categorized via Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes.
RESULTS: In total 21,168 incident NET patients diagnosed between 2020 and 2023 were included in the analysis. Patients were stratified into the following subgroups: 2,414 PanNET (11.4%), 13,152 GI-NET (62.1%), 4,192 LungNET (19.8%), and 1,500 Other NETs (7.1%) patients. Substantial heterogeneity in treatment utilization was observed across subgroups. Surgical interventions represented the most frequently applied modality, particularly in LungNET (64.7%) and PanNET (58.2%), compared to GI-NET (47.8%) and Other NETs patients (28.3%). Across all subgroups, radiation therapy was used less frequently, varying between 1.2% (GI-NET) and 10.5% (Other NETs). Systemic therapy varied considerably, ranging from 28.7% in Other NETs to 8.3% in GI-NET, with intermediate use in PanNET (13.1%) and LungNET (12.8%). Among patients receiving systemic therapy, only a minority progressed beyond first-line treatment, with proportions decreasing steadily across subsequent therapy lines in all subgroups.
CONCLUSIONS: Treatment patterns for NET patients in Germany vary across tumor subgroups, reflecting underlying biological and clinical heterogeneity. These findings highlight the importance of real-world evidence to better understand treatment pathways and support clinical decision-making in NET.
METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the German Center for Cancer Registry Data (ZfKD). Adult patients newly diagnosed with NET between 2020 and 2023 were identified and stratified into predefined subgroups based on tumor localization: pancreatic NET (PanNET), gastrointestinal NET (GI-NET), NET of the lung (LungNET), and Other NETs. Patient clinical and demographic characteristics and treatment patterns were assessed descriptively, including surgery, radiation, and systemic therapy. Radiation therapies were pre-defined while surgeries were assessed by German procedure classification (OPS) codes and systemic treatment was identified and categorized via Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes.
RESULTS: In total 21,168 incident NET patients diagnosed between 2020 and 2023 were included in the analysis. Patients were stratified into the following subgroups: 2,414 PanNET (11.4%), 13,152 GI-NET (62.1%), 4,192 LungNET (19.8%), and 1,500 Other NETs (7.1%) patients. Substantial heterogeneity in treatment utilization was observed across subgroups. Surgical interventions represented the most frequently applied modality, particularly in LungNET (64.7%) and PanNET (58.2%), compared to GI-NET (47.8%) and Other NETs patients (28.3%). Across all subgroups, radiation therapy was used less frequently, varying between 1.2% (GI-NET) and 10.5% (Other NETs). Systemic therapy varied considerably, ranging from 28.7% in Other NETs to 8.3% in GI-NET, with intermediate use in PanNET (13.1%) and LungNET (12.8%). Among patients receiving systemic therapy, only a minority progressed beyond first-line treatment, with proportions decreasing steadily across subsequent therapy lines in all subgroups.
CONCLUSIONS: Treatment patterns for NET patients in Germany vary across tumor subgroups, reflecting underlying biological and clinical heterogeneity. These findings highlight the importance of real-world evidence to better understand treatment pathways and support clinical decision-making in NET.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
HSD42
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health, Health Service Delivery & Process of Care, Study Approaches
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, Oncology