Radiological Imaging

Imaging is essential in the management pathway of neuroendocrine tumours, in order to select patients for surgery and plan the procedure. Imaging is primarily directed at accurate localization and staging of the tumour, although research into the predictive or prognostic features on imaging, such as radiomic or texture features, is active research areas. Preoperative localization increases the chances of successful surgical resection and reduces the likelihood of surgical complications. The role of cross-sectional imaging in the management of patients with a suspected or confirmed neuroendocrine tumour is described, including ultrasound, CT and MRI. The imaging workup for NETs does vary depending on local availability of particular techniques and expertise. Nuclear imaging techniques are also a key part of the imaging workup, often in combination with cross-sectional imaging techniques and are discussed in Chapter 8. Cross-sectional imaging is valuable in the context of patient follow-up, for evaluating treatment response and in the detection of recurrent or metastatic disease. This chapter will describe the cross-sectional imaging techniques and appearances of NETs.