THE LACNETS PODCAST
Episode 21 - What to Know About Small Bowel NETs
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
How are small bowel NETs diagnosed, treated, and monitored? How is it different from other types of NETs? What are some exciting new treatments for small bowel NETs? NET oncologist Dr. David Zhen of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle answers 10 common questions about small bowel NETs.
MEET THE SPEAKER
DAVID B. ZHEN, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington
Assistant Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Dr. David Zhen is a medical oncologist who specializes in treating patients with gastrointestinal cancers. His research centers around the development of clinical trials evaluating new therapies and combination approaches for the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal cancers, particularly for neuroendocrine and gastroesophageal cancers. He is also conducting research to understand the interactions of the immune system in gastrointestinal cancers and how this can be manipulated to improve upon the response to immunotherapy drugs called checkpoint inhibitors, which block a braking system that cancers use to tamp down the immune response.
TOP 10 QUESTIONS
1. What are small bowel NETs? Where are they located?
2. How are small bowel NETs found? What are the symptoms of a small bowel NET?
3. What types of labs, scans, or testing is done to determine if someone has a small bowel NET? Why are small bowel NETs not found in routine endoscopy or colonoscopy?
4. What are some ways that small bowel NETs differ from other types of NETs?
What makes small bowel NETs unique from other types of NETs?
5. How do you decide if the small bowel NET(s) can be surgically removed? What type of surgeon would make that determination?
6. How are small bowel NETs treated medically?
7. How are treatments sequenced?
8. How are the treatments different from other NETs?
9. What are some exciting new treatments in the pipeline for small bowel NETs? What are clinical trials we should be aware of for small bowel NETs?
10. How are small bowel NETs monitored?
What types of bloodwork or tests should be done and how often should they be done?
What is the best type of scan for small bowel NETs?
Bonus: What words of hope would you like to share with the NET community?
Systemic Therapy: GI NET
2020 LACNETS Patient Education Conference
Recording of Dr. Zhen Visiting the LACNETS Support Group
LACNETS Podcasts are created for educational purposes only and do not substitute for medical advice. The views shared in this Podcast are the personal opinions of the experts and do not necessarily reflect the views of LACNETS. Please contact your medical team with questions or concerns about your individual care or treatment.