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Everything you need to know about neuroendocrine tumors (NETs)

What Are NETs? What Causes NETs? Symptoms of NETs How Common Are NETs?

Types of NETs What May Happen Long Term? Your Care Team Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Diagnostic Tests Tumor Marker Tests

Imaging Methods Other Tests For NETs

Learn how to cope and live with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs)

Coping With Emotions Talking About NETs Gathering information about NETs Information For Caregivers

How are NETs treated? Liver-directed therapies Carcinoid syndrome treatments What to expect

Diet & Nutrition Keeping Track of Medical Care Traveling with NETs Working with NETs Managing Symptoms & Side Effects Hobbies & Interests Preparing for Imaging Scans Patient App

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Diagnostic tests

It is likely that your doctor will use a combination of tests and scans to properly diagnose, monitor, and treat neuroendocrine tumors (NETs); also referred to as GI-NETs, GEP-NETs, pancreatic NETs, and lung NETs. In the past, NETs were also referred to as carcinoid tumors, however NETs are now more commonly named after their primary location.

Your doctor may need a variety of information in order to best diagnose and treat you. Some information and tests that may be performed include taking your medical history, performing a physical exam, and taking a biopsy of the tumor to see what type of NETs you have. Tumor marker tests and imaging may also be used to diagnose and monitor your condition long term.

Below is a description of some of the tests your doctor may consider.

‍Remember, you should work with your doctor to decide which tests are important for your diagnosis and treatment. You may not receive all of the listed tests.

The tests that may be considered are shown in the table below. Keep in mind, this is not a full list and there may be different tests your doctor may consider.

Medical history	Personal and family medical history
Biopsy	Fine needle biopsy
Tumor marker tests	Blood and urine tests
Imaging methods	Ultrasound
	Computed tomography (CT)
	Digestive endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound
	Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
	Echocardiography
Scintigraphy scans	Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy
	MIBG scan
	Bone scan (bone scintigraphy)
	Positron emission tomography (PET) (can be combined with CT or MRI)
Other tests	Bronchoscopy
Other tests	Lung function tests

Medical history and physical examination

Before performing any tests for NETs, your doctor will probably ask questions about your medical history.

This is a record of present symptoms, risk factors, and the medical events and problems that you have had in the past. The medical history of your relatives may also help the doctor to diagnose neuroendocrine cancer.

When taking a medical history, your doctor may ask questions about:

Whether anyone else in your family has or has had cancer or similar problems
A family history of disorders like Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) and Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome, which are rare genetic disorders that cause the development of multiple tumors
Your signs and symptoms of NETs

A physical examination will also allow your doctor to look for any signs of NETs and any areas of pain or tenderness, or any lumps or bumps.

Biopsy

If your doctor suspects NETs, they might take a tissue sample from the suspected tumor in your body. This is usually carried out using a method called “fine needle biopsy” in which a thin needle is inserted into the body to remove the tissue, similar to taking a blood sample.

The doctor may use this test to determine what treatment is necessary and repeat the test periodically to monitor the effects of certain treatments for NETs that you may receive. Remember, many factors are needed to determine a likely long-term outcome.

Read about tumor marker tests >