Driving forward innovative research
Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumor Study Group
Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors together are among the most common malignancies. However, they comprise many subtypes whose treatment requires specialized knowledge and expertise for optimal clinical management. Conversely, multicenter studies are often required to recruit a sufficient number of patients for meaningful clinical trials. These considerations were the basis for the establishment of a BZKF study group for endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors.
Clinical care and research in the field of endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors is well established at the BZKF sites. Four sites (UKER, LMU, TUM and UKW) are certified Centers of Excellence (CoE) of the "European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society" (ENETS). LMU and UKW are also CoEs of the "European network for the study of adrenal tumors" (ENSAT). In addition, LMU, TUM and UKW are members of EURACAN, the European Reference Network for Endocrine Tumors. Research in the field of neuroendocrine and endocrine tumors at the BZKF sites also has a strong national and international presence.
With the formation of this study group, the centers aim to deepen and expand existing collaborations to improve clinical management and prepare joint multicenter clinical trials. The collaborative efforts of the study group will focus in particular on advancing personalized treatment strategies and integrating theranostic approaches to improve patient outcomes.
During the first funding period, we want to achieve the following milestones:
- Collection of data on the number of newly diagnosed patients with endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors at the six BZKF sites per year and the number of patients who visit the centers as part of their follow-up care per year. These data will serve as a reference for future clinical studies. It will also allow us to determine the extent to which patients throughout Bavaria have access to centers specializing in diagnostics and therapy.
- Collection of data on the frequency of presentation of endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors in molecular tumor boards (MTBs), the number of actionable recommendations and their implementation
- Collection of data on the frequency of radiopharmaceutical therapies for neuroendocrine tumors and investigation of the frequency of side effects of these therapies over a longer period of time.
By leveraging its collective knowledge and state-of-the-art technologies, the group aims to advance innovative research, optimize treatment protocols and establish new standards of care for patients with endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors. To achieve these goals, the study group will collaborate with several existing structures of the BZKF: the Theranostics lighthouse project to advance molecular imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy, the ECTU/MTB network and the Omics, Genomics and Liquid Biopsies lighthouse project for precision therapies for individual patients based on molecular characterization of tumor tissue.
Further study groups
- Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP)
- Head and neck tumors
- Liver carcinoma
- Lung tumors
- Lymphoma
- Malignant melanoma
- Multiple myeloma
- Breast cancer
- Ovarian carcinoma
- Pancreatic carcinoma
- Primary and secondary brain tumors
- Prostate carcinoma
- R/R ALL
- Urothelial carcinoma
- Soft tissue sarcomas
- CNS tumors in children and adolescents
