Potential Molecular Predictors of Response to Novel Therapies in Metastatic Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

Sunitinib and everolimus are two new treatments approved in 2011 for patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). In addition, some traditional chemotherapies are often used to treat pancreatic NETs. Traditional chemotherapy is also known as "cytotoxic therapy" and works by killing cells that are actively dividing. There have been no studies to compare the different types of treatment. Since the patient is eligible for treatment with either sunitinib, everolimus or traditional chemotherapy it can help us identify factors that may help future patients benefit from these therapies.