Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are rare tumors that can arise anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract. They often present in advanced stage and portend a poor prognosis when compared to adenocarcinomas of the same stage. Characterization of these tumors is best accomplished with tissue biopsy, as peripheral tumor markers commonly used in NECs are of little utility. Therapeutic strategies often involve chemotherapeutic regimens that have been used to treat small-cell lung cancer. Recent studies have shown that programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression within poorly differentiated NECs is a poor prognostic indicator. However, PD-L1 expression may represent a possible target for immunotherapy drugs, often called checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1 inhibitors.
Keywords: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors; Immunotherapy; Neuroendocrine carcinomas; Programmed death-ligand 1; Small-cell lung cancer.