Types of neuroendocrine cancer
These are a group of cancers that develop in cells of the .
There are 2 key groups of neuroendocrine cancer:
These cancers can develop in different parts of the body, such as the stomach, bowel, pancreas or lungs.
It is important not to confuse the term neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) with neuroendocrine cancer.
NECs are a group of neuroendocrine cancers. The cells of NECs look very abnormal. They are not like normal neuroendocrine cells at all. Doctors call them poorly differentiated cancers.
They are also fast growing and are likely to spread.
This page is about neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC).
Find information about types of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs)
A specialist doctor () looks at the cancer cells under a microscope. This is to find out what type of cancer you have. They check to see whether the cells look normal or not. If they are abnormal, the pathologist reports:
how abnormal they look – this is called differentiation
how quickly or slowly the cancer cells are dividing and growing – this is called grading
NECs are poorly differentiated cancers. This means they look very abnormal and are not like normal neuroendocrine cells at all.
Doctors don’t usually give NECs a grade. This is because they are all fast growing (high grade).
There are different types of NEC, depending on what the cells look like. The main types are small cell NEC and large cell NEC.
NETs are well differentiated cancers. This means they look abnormal. But they still have some similarities to normal neuroendocrine cells.
NETs may be grade 1, 2 or 3. This means they can be slow, medium or fast growing.
Some neuroendocrine cancers can disrupt how much the neuroendocrine cells make and release.
It is much more common for NETs to produce abnormal levels of hormone than NECs. This can cause symptoms. If a NET makes and releases abnormal levels of hormone, doctors call it a functioning NET.
Read more about the difference between NETs and NECs
NECs are not common. Around 1,500 are people are diagnosed with an NEC in England every year.
They are less common than NETs. Around 60 out of 100 neuroendocrine cancers (around 60%) are NETs. And around 40 out of 100 neuroendocrine cancers (around 40%) are NECs.
Doctors group NECs depending on where they start to develop. This is called the . For example, a lung NEC starts to develop in the lung.
They also group NEC depending on what the cancer cells look like. There are different types including:
small cell NEC
large cell NEC
You can also get neuroendocrine cancer cells mixed in a tumour with a different type of cancer. Doctors call this MiNEN or mixed cell carcinoma.
If your doctor suspects cancer, you have tests to check the type of cancer you have. Tests also show the size of the cancer and whether it has spread. This helps your doctor plan your treatment.
Tests for NEC might include:
blood tests - these check your general health
tests to look inside your body and take a cancer sample () - such as , or
an on its own, or as part of the test above
of your chest and tummy
to show the size of the cancer and whether it has spread
Read more about tests to diagnose neuroendocrine cancer
Your treatment depends on your:
primary site - this is where the NEC starts to grow
type - this is either small cell, large cell or mixed cell
stage - this means the size of the cancer and whether it has spread
general health and wellbeing
We have information about the different types of treatment in our treatment section.
You can read about the different cancer drugs by selecting it from the A-Z list of cancer drugs.
Choose a cancer drug from the A-Z list
Your treatment depends on the stage of your cancer, and whether it is large cell or small cell.
Read more about what lung neuroendocrine cancer is, and the types and stages
Early stage means that the cancer is small and hasn’t spread. Treatment for early stage is usually surgery to remove the part of the lung that contains the cancer. You often have afterwards. You might also have .
You have chemotherapy if your cancer is more advanced. You usually have a combination of chemotherapy drugs. For example, etoposide and either cisplatin or carboplatin.
This is similar to the treatment for small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Small cell lung cancers tend to grow quickly and spread quite early on. So the main treatment is chemotherapy. You might have chemotherapy:
on its own, or together with
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 treatment for SCLC in the lung cancer section
Digestive NECs start in the and include:
small bowel NECs
large bowel and rectal NECs
stomach NECs
pancreas NECs
You might have surgery if your cancer hasn’t spread. The type of surgery you have depends on where the cancer is in your body. You can read about the different surgeries in the treatment section for your type of neuroendocrine cancer.
Select your type of neuroendocrine cancer and go to the treatment page
You usually also have chemotherapy treatment as well as surgery. You might have this:
before surgery – this is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy
after surgery – this is called adjuvant chemotherapy
You have chemotherapy on its own or with radiotherapy. This is called chemoradiotherapy.
Chemotherapy drugs include:
carboplatin or cisplatin
etoposide
irinotecan
Some cancer cells contain neuroendocrine cancer cells mixed with a different type of cancer. Doctors call this MiNEN or mixed cell carcinoma.
Treatment is similar to other types of NEC.
For MiNEN that hasn't spread, you might have surgery, followed by chemotherapy. The chemotherapy drugs you have depend on your situation. Chemotherapy options might include:
cisplatin or carboplatin with etoposide
5FU with oxaliplatin or irinotecan
Go to our treatment section for further information about the different types of treatment
Unfortunately NEC can be harder to treat than NETs. This is because they are fast growing and have often spread to other parts of the body.
Your is better if you have an early stage NEC that has not spread. In a few cases, it might be possible for the surgeon to completely remove your cancer. But there is often a high chance that the cancer will come back.
Prognosis is also affected by:
where the NEC started in your body
whether you have a large or small cell carcinoma
your general health and fitness
Read more about survival for NEC on our survival page
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
Neuroendocrine cancers are also called neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). There are 2 key groups - neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs).
Treatment depends on the type of neuroendocrine cancer you have, where it is, its size and whether it has spread (the stage).
There are many cancer drugs, cancer drug combinations and they have individual side effects.
There are many different types of neuroendocrine cancer. They are usually named after the part of the body where they develop.
Survival (prognosis) depends on several factors. This includes your type of neuroendocrine cancer, where it is in your body, and whether it has spread.
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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