Lung neuroendocrine cancer
Lung neuroendocrine cancers start in the of the lung.
Find out more about the difference between NETs and NECs
A team of doctors and other professionals discuss the best treatment and care for you. They are called a multidisciplinary team (MDT).
The treatment you have depends on:
where the neuroendocrine cancer started in your lung
the type of lung neuroendocrine cancer
whether it has spread
how fast the cells are growing - this is the grade
your symptoms
your general health and fitness
what you want to do, especially if there is a choice
Read about the different types and stages of lung neuroendocrine cancer
You are likely to have a clinical nurse specialist (or CNS). They go to the MDT meetings. They can help answer your questions and support you. They are often your main point of contact throughout your treatment.
The main treatment depends on whether you have a lung NET or a lung NEC.
The main treatment for lung NETs is surgery. Surgery might be all the treatment you need if your cancer hasn’t spread.
Other types of treatment for lung NETs are:
surgery or other treatments for cancer that has spread to your liver
For lung NECs you might have:
surgery
chemotherapy
treatment for cancer that has spread to your liver
Read more about each of these treatments
The type of surgery you have depends on your situation. It is more common to have surgery for a lung NET than a lung NEC.
There are different types of operation to remove cancer from the lung:
A lobectomy means removing a section (lobe) of the lung.
A bilobectomy means removing 2 lobes of the lung.
A segmentectomy means removing an area of the lung along with the veins, arteries and airways.
A pneumonectomy means removing the whole lung.
A lymphadenectomy means removing nearby lymph nodes.
Some operations remove particular areas of the lung:
A wedge resection means the surgeon removes an area of the lung that includes part of one or more lobes.
A sleeve resection means they remove the affected section of the airway, and any surrounding cancer in the lobe. You might have this if your cancer is in the central area of your lung and growing into one of your main airways (bronchi).
Read more about surgery types in the main lung cancer section
The 2 main types of lung NET are:
typical carcinoid (TC)
atypical carcinoid (AC)
The 2 main types of lung NEC are:
small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
large cell neuroendocrine cancer (LCNEC)
Below we include some information about cancer drugs. You can read about these and their side effects by selecting the drug name from our A-Z list below.
Go to our A - Z list of cancer drugs to read more about the drug treatments
The main treatment for typical carcinoid (TC) and atypical carcinoid (AC) is surgery.
The type of surgery you have depends on the size of the cancer, where it is in the lung and whether it has spread. Surgery is usually the only treatment you need for most lung NETs.
You may have also have one or more of the following treatments:
These medicines include octreotide and lanreotide. If your NET makes large amounts of hormones you might have a group of symptoms called carcinoid syndrome. Somatostatin analogues can help with carcinoid syndrome.
Chemotherapy uses anti cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. It isn't that common to have chemotherapy, but you might have it if your NET:
is likely to grow quickly and you can’t have other types of treatment
has a high risk of coming back after surgery
You might have treatment with chemotherapy drugs such as temozolomide or oxaliplatin.
You might have a targeted drug called Everolimus if your NET has spread to other body parts. It can help to stop or slow down the growth of lung NETs.
Treatment if your NET has spread to your liver You might have other treatments if your lung NET has spread to the liver. This includes chemoembolisation (TACE).
Small cell lung cancers tend to grow quickly and spread quite early on. So the main treatment is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs circulate in the bloodstream around the body. So, they can treat cells that have broken away from the lung cancer and spread to other parts of the body.
You might have chemotherapy:
on its own, or together with immunotherapy
before, after or with radiotherapy
before or after surgery – this is only for very early small cell lung cancer
There are different chemotherapy drugs. You might have etoposide with either cisplatin or carboplatin.
You may have these drugs together with the immunotherapy drugs atezolizumab or durvalumab.
Read more about the treatment of small cell lung cancer in our lung cancer section
Your treatment depends on the stage of your cancer.
Early stage means that the cancer is small and hasn’t spread.
You usually have surgery to remove the part of the lung that contains the cancer. This is called a lobectomy. You usually have chemotherapy afterwards and you might also have radiotherapy.
You have chemotherapy if your cancer is more advanced. You usually have a combination of chemotherapy drugs such as etoposide and either cisplatin or carboplatin.
This is similar to the treatment for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). You can read more at the link above.
You usually have follow up appointments every few months after treatment for a lung neuroendocrine cancer.
This is to check how you are and see whether you have any problems or worries. The appointments also give you the chance to raise any concerns you have about your progress.
You usually see your doctor about 2 to 6 weeks after treatment finishes. After that, you have appointments with your doctor or specialist nurse at regular intervals, usually every 2 to 3 months. You are likely to have regular check ups for at least 5 years.
You might also have tests at some visits. The tests might include:
CT scans or MRI scans
PET scans
chest x-rays
blood tests
Doctors are always trying to improve treatments and reduce the side effects. As part of your treatment, your doctor might ask you to take part in a clinical trial. This might be to test a new treatment or to look at different combinations of existing treatments.
Find out about the latest UK research into neuroendocrine cancer
You might have physical changes to your body because of your cancer or the treatment. These changes can be hard to cope with and can affect the way you feel about yourself. It can help to talk to friends and family. Or join a support group to meet people in a similar situation.
We have a discussion forum called Cancer Chat. It is a place for anyone affected by cancer. You can share experiences, stories and information with other people with cancer.
You might need practical advice about benefits or financial help. There is help and support available. There are also organisations to support and provide information to people affected by neuroendocrine cancer.
We have information about living and coping with a neuroendocrine cancer
Last reviewed: 14 Feb 2025
Next review due: 14 Feb 2028
Lung neuroendocrine cancers include typical and atypical lung carcinoids, and small and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Symptoms include a cough, feeling short of breath and pain in your chest.
The grade shows how quickly or slowly the cancer cells are dividing and growing. The stage tells you its size and whether it has spread. There are different types. Typical carcinoid and atypical carcinoid are types of lung NET. Small cell and large cell are types of lung NEC.
Neuroendocrine cancers are also called neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). There are 2 key groups - neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs).
Survival (prognosis) depends on several factors. This includes your type of neuroendocrine cancer, where it is in your body, and whether it has spread.
Practical and emotional support is available to help you cope with neuroendocrine cancer.
Neuroendocrine cancers develop in cells of the neuroendocrine system. They can develop in different parts of the body including the lungs, stomach, pancreas and bowel.
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