Neuroendocrine tumours
Types of neuroendocrine tumours
Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP NETs) are tumours that develop in the gut or pancreas.
Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumours (GI NETs) develop in the digestive system, which includes the bowel, stomach or oesophagus. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNETs) develop in the pancreas.
Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumours develop in the lungs. Rarely, NETs can also develop in other parts of the body, including in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, kidneys, ovaries, or testicles.
Some NETs, known as functioning tumours, produce hormones that cause specific symptoms. Tumours that don't cause symptoms are known as non-functioning tumours.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are a wide-ranging group of rare tumours that develop from neuroendocrine cells.
Types of neuroendocrine tumours
Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP NETs) are tumours that develop in the gut or pancreas. Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumours (GI NETs) develop in the digestive system, which incl
Symptoms of neuroendocrine tumours
The symptoms ofaneuroendocrine tumourcan vary depending on where it is and what hormones it produces. For example,atumour in the digestive system may cause Traveller's diarrhoea , constipation or tum
What causesneuroendocrine tumours?
What causes neuroendocrine tumours isn't fully understood. However,your chance of developing an NET is increasedif you have one of the following rare conditions or syndromes: multiple endocrine neo
Diagnosingneuroendocrine tumours
There are many tests that canbe used to diagnose NETs, including blood tests , urine tests, scans, and a biopsy (where a small tissue sample is taken for closer examination). Different types of scan
Treating neuroendocrine tumours
How a neuroendocrine tumour is treated will depend on yourindividual circumstances. For example, your treatment will depend on: where the tumour is how advanced your condition is your overallhealt
Information about you
If you haveneuroendocrine tumours, your clinical team will pass information about you on to the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Service (NCARDRS). This helps scientists loo
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