Small bowel neuroendocrine cancer

Small bowel neuroendocrine cancers are rare cancers. They start in the neuroendocrine cells of the small bowel (small intestine). You might also hear them called neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). This means the same as neuroendocrine cancer. There are 2 key groups of small bowel neuroendocrine cancer: 

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

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.

Small bowel neuroendocrine tumours need different treatment to other more common types of small bowel cancer.