Stomach neuroendocrine cancer
Stomach neuroendocrine cancers start in the neuroendocrine cells of the stomach.
Read 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). Your doctor will discuss your treatment with you. They will talk about the benefits and the possible side effects.
The treatment you have depends on:
the type of stomach neuroendocrine cancer
whether it has spread (the stage)
how fast the cells are growing (the grade)
the symptoms you have
your general health and fitness level
The type of neuroendocrine cancer means whether you have a NET or NEC. There are then different subtypes:
There are 3 different types of NET. These are type 1, type 2 and type 3.
There are 2 main types of NEC. These are small cell and large cell NEC.
This affects what treatment you have, so it is important to know your type.
Read about types, stages and grades of stomach neuroendocrine cancer
You are likely to have a clinical nurse specialist (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.
Neuroendocrine cancers grow at different rates. Some NETs grow very slowly. And some might not grow at all for months or years. So, you might not need treatment straight away. Your doctor might ask you to have regular tests to keep an eye on it. They call this ‘watch and wait’ or surveillance.
It can be hard to hear that you have cancer but not have treatment. You might feel worried that you aren't doing anything to stop the cancer. Or you might feel like the doctors are keeping treatment from you. Waiting for test results and check ups can also be difficult.
Read more about watch and wait
The treatment options depend on whether you have a NET or a NEC.
The main treatments for stomach NETs are:
removing it during an
surgery
a called peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT)
surgery or other treatments for cancer that has spread to your liver
For stomach NECs you might have:
surgery
chemotherapy
treatment for cancer that has spread to your liver
On this page 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
There are different ways to remove cancer from the stomach. It is more common for a surgeon to be able to remove a stomach NET than a stomach NEC.
The treatment you have depends on your type and stage of cancer. We have more detailed information further down the page about treatment for each type of stomach neuroendocrine cancer.
Your surgeon might remove the cancer during an endoscopy. An endoscopy looks at the inside of the food pipe (oesophagus) and stomach. Your doctor uses a long flexible tube that has a light and camera at the end.
Your doctor will use one of the following procedures to do this:
endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)
endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR)
Read about having an endoscopy
The type of surgery you have depends on your situation. It is more common to have surgery for a NET than a NEC.
There are different types of operation to remove cancer from the stomach:
A subtotal or partial gastrectomy means your surgeon removes part of your stomach.
A total gastrectomy means your surgeon removes your whole stomach.
Your surgeon will also remove some of the nearby lymph nodes.
Read about different types of stomach surgery in our stomach cancer section
There are 3 types of stomach NETs: Type 1, type 2 and type 3.
Treatment depends on your individual situation. Unfortunately, stomach NECs are harder to treat than most stomach NETs. This is because NECs always grow fast and are more likely to spread.
You might have follow up appointments every few months after treatment. For some people, the appointments might be less often than this.
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 might also have tests on some visits. The tests might include:
blood tests
CT scan
MRI scan
radioactive scan (octreotide scan)
How often you see your doctor depends on:
the grade of the stomach neuroendocrine cancer
the type of NET (type 1, 2 or 3)
whether it has spread to other parts of the body
what treatment you have had
any side effects you might have
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: 02 May 2025
Next review due: 01 May 2028
Stomach neuroendocrine cancers are rare. You might not have symptoms. If you do, these might include tummy pain, feeling or being sick or unexplained weight loss.
The grade shows how quickly or slowly the cancer cells are growing and dividing. The stage tells you the size of the cancer and if it has spread. There are 3 types of stomach NET - type 1, type 2 and type 3. There are 2 types of stomach NEC - small cell and large cell.
Treatment depends on the type of neuroendocrine cancer you have, where it is, its size and whether it has spread (the stage).
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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