| Primitive neuroectodermal tumor | |
|---|---|
| Other names | PNET |
 | |
| Micrograph of an H&E stained section of a peripheral PNET. | |
| Specialty | Oncology |
Primitive neuroectodermal tumor is a malignant (cancerous) neural crest tumor.[1] It is a rare tumor, usually occurring in children and young adults under 25 years of age. The overall 5 year survival rate is about 53%.[2]
It gets its name because the majority of the cells in the tumor are derived from neuroectoderm, but have not developed and differentiated in the way a normal neuron would, and so the cells appear "primitive". PNET belongs to the Ewing family of tumors.
- ^ "primitive neuroectodermal tumor" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
- ^ Smoll, N. R. (2012). "Relative survival of childhood and adult medulloblastomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs)". Cancer. 118 (5): 1313–1322. doi:10.1002/cncr.26387. PMID 21837678. S2CID 8490276.