A neuroendocrine tumor (NET) is a rare, cancerous growth in the cells of the body’s endocrine and nervous systems. These tumors, sometimes referred to as carcinoids, can grow almost anywhere throughout the body, but are found most commonly in the digestive tract and pancreas, although they also can appear in the lungs and glands in the neck.
NETs are difficult to diagnose and treat because these types of tumors behave differently depending on where they grow in the body. Their symptoms can be similar to a number of other conditions, and, routine imaging tests often cannot detect NET early and clearly, making misclassification a common problem.
That is why it is crucial that patients with NET be seen by a multidisciplinary team with the expertise to diagnose and treat this cancer type correctly from the start, like the NET team at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Working together, our nationally recognized doctors use cutting-edge diagnostic tools to identify these complex tumors. The surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, and gastroenterologists at Fox Chase complete a thorough work up as a group, and develop an individualized plan for each NET patient.
Because many of our doctors actively participate in research efforts, in addition to being clinicians, our patients have the opportunity to join clinical trials specific to NET that may not be offered elsewhere.
