Clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasms

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a group of rare tumors with strong heterogeneity. Among these tumors, well-differentiated tumors can have a relatively good survival prognosis, while some tumors can have strong malignant potential and lead to increased mortality. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which has a long history of thousands of years, has been widely used to treat tumors due to its unique advantages, such as economy, efficacy and few side effects. In recent years, the role of TCM in the treatment of NENs has gradually emerged. It can not only help prevent tumor recurrence and reduce the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy but also relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. Various clinical studies have indicated that TCM has achieved good curative effects at different stages of treatment. We summarized the last 10 years of research progress on the clinical application of TCM in the treatment of NENs from four points of entry, aiming to provide a reference for the treatment of NENs.