A neuroendocrine tumor is a growth that can form in many parts of the body, including the stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, appendix, pancreas, and lung. The tumors that form in the pancreas are sometimes referred to as “islet cell tumors” or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET). The ones that form in the stomach, intestine and colon/rectum are sometimes referred to as “carcinoid” tumors.
Neuroendocrine tumors are often slow-growing tumors, but there can be significant differences in how one tumor behaves compared to another. A diagnosis of a gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor may increase your risk of developing another cancer in the digestive system.