Advancing Care for Neuroendocrine Tumors in Northern Nevada
Renown Health’ s Neuroendocrine Tumor( NET) Program brings leading-edge, multispecialty care to a region that long lacked it.
Katharine Thomas, MD
Nick Manguso, MD
ESTABLISHED IN 2024, THE NET PROGRAM helped fill a local need for the diagnosis and treatment of this rare group of tumors.
“ Historically, patients with NETs in northern Nevada often needed to travel out of state for comprehensive evaluation and advanced therapies,” says Katharine Thomas, MD, director of education for medical training in the Hematology / Oncology department, and assistant professor of Internal Medicine at Renown Health and the University of Nevada, Reno.“ We developed the NET Program to provide high-quality, multidisciplinary care locally, with the long-term goal of evolving into a formal Neuroendocrine Center of Excellence as the program continues to grow.”
Wide Range of Therapeutic Options
Alicia Gingrich, MD, MS
Renown Health experts treat many types of NETs, including gastroenteropancreatic NETs, pulmonary carcinoids and high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas.
“ One of the most significant challenges in treating NETs is their biologic heterogeneity,” Dr. Thomas says.“ These tumors vary widely in grade, clinical behavior and hormone activity, requiring individualized treatment strategies and close longitudinal follow-up.”
The NET Program offers the most up-to-date treatments for NETs, including:
• Chemotherapy
• Histotripsy, which uses focused ultrasound to treat liver metastases
• Somatostatin analogs, a type of hormone therapy that can stop production of excess hormones
• Surgical resection of abdominal tumors, including removal of the tumor’ s blood supply and drainage of the lymph nodes
Renown Health will soon offer peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, giving patients access to an innovative targeted therapy for NETs. Additional advanced therapies will be available as the NET Program expands its clinical trial portfolio.
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Typically
, neuroendocrine tumors behave much differently from their adenocarcinoma counterparts, requiring a tailored, multidisciplinary approach. Neuroendocrine tumors range from indolent to aggressive. The Neuroendocrine Tumor Program delivers timely, well-coordinated care for patients with aggressive tumors, as well as sustainable care and surveillance for patients with indolent tumors.”
Alicia Gingrich, MD, MS
Surgical oncologist at Renown Health’ s William N. Pennington Cancer Institute and the University of Nevada, Reno
Team Approach to Treatment Planning Multispecialty care is vital to and a hallmark of successful NET treatment. At Renown Health, NET Program clinicians meet in an interdisciplinary tumor board to determine the optimal treatment plan for each patient.
“ Collaboration involves a large team, including representatives from surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, nuclear medicine, nurse navigation and social work,” says Nick Manguso, MD, surgical oncologist at Renown Surgery Care.“ This approach ensures we provide high-quality, evidence-based care to every patient, regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic status. The type of care we provide can improve survival and quality of life and decrease rates of recurrence.”
Refer a patient to Renown Hematology / Oncology by calling 775-982-4000.
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