Quality of pathology reporting and adherence to guidelines in rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms: a Belgian national study

The incidence of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) in the rectum is rising since the introduction of colonoscopy screening programs. Guidelines, such as the European NeuroEndocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) algorithm, are mainly based on expert opinion. The goal of this nationwide study is to gain a better insight into the evolution in pathology reporting and adherence to the ENETS guidelines in Belgium. In Belgium, all NENs have to be reported to the Belgian Cancer Registry. We thoroughly reviewed all available pathology reports, coded as rectal NEN between 2004 and 2015, and reclassified according to World Health Organisation (WHO) classification 2019. To evaluate the adherence to the ENETS guidelines, population-based cancer registry data were linked with the medical procedures of the Belgian Health Insurance database. A total of 670 rectal NEN were retained and 16% of the cases needed reclassification. Annual incidence between 2004 and 2015 tripled from 0,20 to 0,61 per 100.000 inhabitants. Reporting of Ki67 proliferation index ameliorated most, while reporting of tumor size, lymphovascular and perineural invasion remained disappointing. Endoscopic ultrasound was performed in only 36.6% of the cases, while the mostly recommended mode of treatment (endoscopic/surgical/no resection) was followed in the majority of the cases. Incidence of rectal NEN in Belgium increased throughout the years and quality of pathology reporting improved especially after the WHO classification update in 2010. The growing awareness and knowledge among clinicians and pathologists in the community counters the need for centralization.