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This ‘Neuroendocrinology'special issue provides a collection of papers generated at the first consensus conference devoted to gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors. The conference was held in Frascati (Rome, Italy) in November 2005. The focus was on neuroendocrine tumors of foregut origin, stomach, duodenum and pancreas. A standard approach based on WHO tumors classification was adopted with 63 experts and practicing clinicians confronting their experience and evidence-based data to devise effective strategies for the management of patients with this neglected cancer disease. Papers are organized on an anatomical basis, specific issues are discussed and minimal consensus statements defined and highlighted for easy recognition. Topics include Classification and Epidemiology; Clinical presentation/Prognosis/Heredity; Diagnostic Procedures (imaging-lab tests); Pathology and Genetics; Surgical Therapy (curative and palliative); Loco-Regional Ablative Therapy; Liver Transplantation; Medical Therapy (biotherapy and chemotherapy); Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy and Follow-Up scheduling. Readers will be able to find specific answers to key questions for specific tumors, such as the follow-up for stomach type 1 carcinoids; the diagnostic procedure for gastrinoma or the algorithm for liver metastasis treatment in patients with pancreatic non-functioning neuroendocrine carcinomas.