Most NETs develop slowly over several years but they can also be aggressive and grow quickly, spreading to other parts of the body and causing problems.
In the early stages, NETs may not cause symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they will depend on where in the body the tumour is and if the tumour cells are making hormones. It is common to feel tired or lose your appetite.
Learn about common symptoms of these types of NETs:
Gastro-intestinal
Symptoms may include:
- abdominal (tummy) pain and bloating
- changes in bowel or bladder habits, including diarrhoea
- bowel obstruction (blockage) or bleeding from the anus
- redness of the face or neck, and rashes
- wheezing
- fast heartbeat.
Lung
Symptoms may include:
- repeated pneumonia or chest infections
- coughing up blood
- shortness of breath
- wheezing
- chest pain.
Pancreatic
| Non-functional pancreatic NETs | These do not produce extra hormones and rarely cause symptoms in the early stages. Symptoms usually appear when the tumour is large enough to affect nearby organs, or spreads (most commonly to the liver). As the tumour grows, it may also cause weight loss and pain in the upper abdomen, side or back. |
| Functional pancreatic NETs | These produce too many hormones, which can sometimes cause the first symptoms. |
Symptoms may include:
- low blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia), causing shaking, sweating, confusion, dizziness and fast heartbeat
- high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia), causing increased urination (weeing), excessive thirst and blurry vision
- indigestion (heartburn) and stomach ulcers
- rash in the groin or armpit area
- losing weight for no reason
- nausea or vomiting
- changes in bowel habits, including diarrhoea or pale, foul-smelling stools that are hard to flush.
Carcinoid syndrome
When NETs make a large amount of hormones (such as serotonin), this can cause a group of symptoms known as carcinoid syndrome.
These symptoms may include:
- redness of the face or neck
- diarrhoea
- wheezing
- fast heartbeat
- carcinoid heart disease.
Carcinoid syndrome is most common in people with gastrointestinal NETs, including duodenal and small bowel, and lung NETs that have spread (metastasised). However, not everyone with these NETs will develop carcinoid syndrome.
More information is available from NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia.
For a directory of NET specialists, visit NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia.
Prof Michael Michael, Gastrointestinal and Neuroendocrine Medical Oncologist and Co-Chair Neuroendocrine Unit, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Tracey Bilson, Consumer; Meredith Cummins and Kahlia Wolsley, NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia; Dr Ganessan Kichenadasse, Medical Oncologist and Pharmacologist, Flinders Medical Centre, SA; Dr Nat Lenzo, Nuclear Medicine Physician, ICON, WA; A/Prof David Pattison, Co-Director, Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Services, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital, QLD; Prof Jas Samra, Head of Upper GI Surgery, RNSH and Clinical Prof of Surgery, University of Sydney, NSW; Jillian van Zijl, 131120 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; A/Prof David Wyld, Director, Medical Oncology, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital, QLD.
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