Survival for neuroendocrine cancer

Survival (prognosis Open a glossary item) for neuroendocrine cancer depends on many factors. These include your type and stage of neuroendocrine cancer. No one can tell you exactly how long you will live.

Neuroendocrine cancers are a group of cancers that develop in cells of the neuroendocrine system Open a glossary item. You might also hear the term neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN). This means the same as neuroendocrine cancer.

There are 2 key groups of neuroendocrine cancer: 

  • neuroendocrine tumours (NETs Open a glossary item
  • neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs Open a glossary item

NETs and NECs are very different. So it is important to know which one you have. Talk to your doctor or specialist nurse if you are not sure.

Some neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) have a very good outlook. But neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) grow quickly and can spread to other parts of the body. And some NETs are fast growing and can also spread. These faster growing cancers can be more difficult to treat.

Doctors usually work out the outlook for a certain disease by looking at large groups of people. But neuroendocrine cancer is less common than some other types of cancer, and there are many different types. So survival is harder to estimate than for other, more common cancers.

Some of the statistics have to be based on a small number of people. Remember, they can't tell you what will happen in your individual case.

Your doctor can give you more information about your own prognosis.

You can also talk about this to the Cancer Research UK nurses on freephone 0808 800 4040, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

About these statistics

The terms 1 year survival and 5 year survival don't mean that you will only live for 1 or 5 years.

The NHS, other health organisations, and researchers collect information. They record what happens to people with cancer in the years after their diagnosis. 5 years is a common time point to measure survival. But some people live much longer than this.

5 year survival is the number of people who have not died from their cancer within 5 years after diagnosis.

What affects survival

Prognosis means the likely outlook for your cancer. In other words, how likely it is that treatment can cure or control your cancer, and how long you might live after your diagnosis.

Your prognosis depends on many factors. These are called prognostic factors. Below are some prognostic factors for neuroendocrine cancer. 

Type of cancer

Neuroendocrine cancer is a group of cancers that start in neuroendocrine cells. Doctors also call these cancers neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). There are 2 key groups of NENs: 

  • neuroendocrine tumours (NETs)
  • neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs)

NETs are often slow growing and usually have a better prognosis than NECs. NECs are faster growing and are more likely to spread to other parts of the body.

NETs and NECs are very different. So it is important to know which one you have. Talk to your doctor or specialist nurse if you are not sure.

Doctors also group neuroendocrine cancers depending on the place they start growing. They call this your primary Open a glossary item site. For example, a lung neuroendocrine cancer starts in the lung. Your prognosis depends on the primary site of your neuroendocrine cancer. 

Grade of the cancer 

The grade affects your prognosis. The grade refers to how fast the cancer cells are growing. The higher the grade, the faster the growth. Generally, fast growing (high grade) cancers are more likely to come back after treatment than slow growing (low grade) cancers.

Stage of the cancer

This refers to the size of the cancer, and whether it has spread. There are 4 stages of neuroendocrine cancer - stage 1 to stage 4. The stage of the cancer affects your outlook. Cancers that are larger or that have spread are more difficult to treat than early, small cancers.

Age and general health at diagnosis

Your prognosis is often better if you are younger and in good health. If you are very fit and healthy, you are likely to recover quicker from treatment. 

Survival for the different types of neuroendocrine cancer

There are no UK-wide statistics available for people with each type of neuroendocrine cancer. The following statistics come from a study in England. This looked at people diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in England, between 2012 and 2018.

The statistics don’t take into account the age of the people with neuroendocrine cancer. Statistics that do take into account the age are not available. 

Below we have a section of survival statistics for each primary site of neuroendocrine cancer. Each section includes statistics for:

  • neuroendocrine tumour (NET) and neuroendocrine cancer (NEC)
  • each stage Open a glossary item of cancer - there are 4 stages (1 to 4)

Talk to your healthcare team if you are unsure about your type or stage of neuroendocrine cancer.

Survival for lung neuroendocrine cancer

The following statistics are for survival for the different stages of lung neuroendocrine cancer. We have statistics for:

  • lung neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) - these include typical carcinoid (TC) and atypical carcinoid (AC)
  • lung neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) 

Stage 1 lung NETs

Around 90 out of 100 people (around 90%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 lung NETs

More than 80 out of 100 people (more than 80%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 lung NETs

Around 55 out of 100 people (around 55%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 lung NETs

More than 10 out of 100 people (more than 10%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 1 lung NECs

75 out of 100 people (75%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 lung NECs

More than 45 out of 100 people (more than 45%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 lung NECs

Around 20 out of 100 people (around 20%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 lung NECs

Around 5 out of 100 people (around 5%) survive for 5 years or more

Survival for stomach neuroendocrine cancer

The following statistics are for survival for each stage of stomach neuroendocrine cancer. Stage refers to the size of your cancer and whether it has spread. There are 4 stages.

This is different to the 3 types of stomach neuroendocrine tumour (NET). You can read about the different types of stomach NETs at the link below.

There are 3 types of stomach NETs. The prognosis for type 1 is usually excellent, type 2 is usually good, and type 3 is less good than 1 and 2.

Below we have statistics for:

  • all types of stomach neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) - this includes type 1, type 2 and type 3 stomach NETs
  • all stomach neuroendocrine carcinoma (NECs) - this includes large cell and small cell stomach NECs

Stage 1 stomach NETs

Around 85 out of 100 people (around 85%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 stomach NETs

More than 70 out of 100 people (more than 70%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 stomach NETs

70 out of 100 people (70%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 stomach NETs

Around 20 out of 100 people (around 20%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 1 stomach NECs

More than 35 out of 100 people (more than 35%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 stomach NECs

Almost 20 out of 100 people (almost 20%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 stomach NECs

More than 20 out of 100 people (more than 20%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 stomach NECs

2 out of 100 people (2%) survive for 5 years or more

Survival for small bowel neuroendocrine cancers

The following statistics are for survival for each stage of small bowel neuroendocrine cancer. The small bowel is also called the small intestine. There are different parts of the small bowel. The following statistics are for neuroendocrine cancers that start in the:

  • jejunum 
  • ileum

We have statistics for:

  • small bowel neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) 
  • small bowel carcinomas (NECs) 

Stage 1 small bowel NETs

Around 85 out of 100 people (around 85%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 small bowel NETs

Almost 75 out of 100 people (almost 75%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 small bowel NETs

80 out of 100 people (80%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 small bowel NETs

Almost 45% out of 100 people (almost 45%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 1 small bowel NECs

60 out of 100 people (60%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 small bowel NECs

Around 45 out of 100 people (around 45%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 small bowel NECs

Almost 60 out of 100 people (almost 60%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 small bowel NECs

More than 30 out of 100 people (more than 30%) survive for 5 years or more

Survival for large bowel neuroendocrine cancers

The following survival statistics are for each stage of large bowel neuroendocrine cancer. The large bowel is also called the colon or the large intestine. 

We also have survival statistics for neuroendocrine cancers that start in the caecum. The caecum is part of the large bowel. It is the pouch that connects the large bowel to the small bowel.

We have statistics for:

  • large bowel neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) 
  • large bowel carcinomas (NECs) 
  • neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) of the caecum
  • neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) of the caecum

We have a separate section below about survival for rectal neuroendocrine cancers. The rectum (back passage) is the last part of the large bowel. 

Stage 1 large bowel NETs

95 out of 100 people (95%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 large bowel NETs

Around 75 out of 100 people (around 75%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 large bowel NETs

Almost 65 out of 100 people (almost 65%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 large bowel NETs

Almost 20% out of 100 people (almost 20%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 1 large bowel NECs

80 out of 100 people (80%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 large bowel NECs

Almost 60 out of 100 people (almost 60%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 large bowel NECs

Around 30 out of 100 people (around 30%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 large bowel NECs

Almost 5 out of 100 people (almost 5%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 1 caecal NETs

90 out of 100 people (90%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 caecal NETs

75 out of 100 people (75%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 caecal NETs

More than 80 out of 100 people (more than 80%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 caecal NETs

Almost 50% out of 100 people (almost 50%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 1 caecal NECs

50 out of 100 people (50%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 caecal NECs

Almost 55 out of 100 people (almost 55%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 caecal NECs

Around 20 out of 100 people (around 20%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 caecal NECs

Around 5 out of 100 people (around 5%) survive for 5 years or more

Survival for rectal neuroendocrine cancers

The following survival statistics are for each stage of rectal neuroendocrine cancer. The rectum (back passage) is the last part of the large bowel. 

We also have separate survival statistics for neuroendocrine cancers that start in the large bowel. You can see these higher up the page.

We have statistics below for:

  • rectal neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) 
  • rectal neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) 

Stage 1 rectal NETs

More than 95 out of 100 people (more than 95%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 rectal NETs

More than 85 out of 100 people (more than 85%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 rectal NETs

65 out of 100 people (65%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 rectal NETs

More than 20% out of 100 people (more than 20%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 1 rectal NECs

Around 75 out of 100 people (around 75%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 rectal NECs

Around 30 of 100 people (around 30%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 rectal NECs

Around 20 out of 100 people (around 20%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 rectal NECs

1 out of 100 people (1%) survive for 5 years or more

Survival for pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer

The following statistics are for survival for the different stages of all types of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer. We have statistics for:

  • all types of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) - this includes insulinoma, gastrinoma, VIPoma, glucagonoma, somatostatinoma and non functioning pancreatic NETs
  • pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs)

Stage 1 pancreatic NETs

More than 85 out of 100 people (more than 85%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 pancreatic NETs

85 out of 100 people (85%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 pancreatic NETs

Around 70 out of 100 people (around 70%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 pancreatic NETs

Around 25% out of 100 people (around 25%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 1 pancreatic NECs

Around 70 out of 100 people (around 70%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 2 pancreatic NECs

Around 60 out of 100 people (around 60%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 3 pancreatic NECs

Almost 35 out of 100 people (almost 35%) survive for 5 years or more

Stage 4 pancreatic NECs

Around 10 out of 100 people (around 10%) survive for 5 years or more

Coping with 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.

  • Incidence and survival of neuroendocrine neoplasia in England 1995−2018: A retrospective, population based study
    B White and others
    Lancet Regional Health Europe, 2022. Volume 23, pages 1 - 11

  • Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the esophagus and stomach
    L Mastracci and others
    Pathologica, 2021. Volume 113, Issue 1, Pages 5 - 11

  • Non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours: emerging trends in incidence and mortality
    J Wu and others
    BMC Cancer, 2019. Volume 19, Page 334 

  • Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Survival in Patients With Functional Neuroendocrine Tumors of Gastrointestinal Origin
    A Kaur and others
    Pancreas, 2022. Volume 51, Issue 9, Pages 1171 - 1178

  • Epidemiologic Trends of and Factors Associated With Overall Survival for Patients With Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors in the United States
    Z Xuand others
    JAMA Netw Open, 2021. Volume 4, Issue 9

Last reviewed: 
18 Mar 2025
Next review due: 
18 Mar 2028

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