Condition · 1 treatment path
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour
A pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour is a rare tumour of the hormone-producing cells in the pancreas. It is usually slower-growing than ordinary pancreatic cancer.
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- Treatment paths
- 1Treatment paths
- Specialties
- 2Specialties
- Typical severity
- SevereTypical severity
About pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour
What to know
Some tumours release hormones such as insulin or gastrin and cause symptoms like low blood sugar or ulcers, while others are silent and found by chance on scans. Diagnosis uses CT or MRI, a biopsy, blood tests for hormones and chromogranin A, and a special PET scan using a tracer such as gallium-68 DOTATATE. Grade affects the outlook.
Small, low-grade tumours without symptoms may simply be watched. Surgery is the main treatment for tumours that can be removed, with distal pancreatectomy for those in the body or tail. For advanced disease, somatostatin analogues, targeted drugs, chemotherapy and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy can control the tumour for years. Patients may travel abroad for radionuclide therapy.
Pre-flight workup
Tests to have already done
- Biopsy or pathology report with Ki-67 index and grade (G1, G2 or G3), and a note on whether it is well differentiated.
- Contrast CT or MRI of the abdomen, and a somatostatin receptor scan such as Gallium-68 DOTATATE PET.
- Hormone blood tests such as chromogranin A, insulin, gastrin and glucagon, depending on symptoms.
- Endoscopic ultrasound results, if performed.
- Family history and genetic information, as MEN1 and related syndromes can be involved.
Second opinion
When to get a second look
- A small tumour found by chance and surgery is advised while observation is also an option.
- The tumour has spread to the liver and you want to discuss all treatment options.
- You have hormone symptoms such as low blood sugar or severe flushing and diarrhoea.
- Genetic syndromes such as MEN1 have not been checked.
Talking to your doctor
Questions to ask
- What grade and Ki-67 level does my tumour have?
- Is it hormone-producing, and what does that mean for me?
- Is surgery needed, or can it be watched?
- What operation is needed, and will I be left with diabetes or digestive problems?
- What medical therapies exist if it has spread?
- Should I have genetic testing?
Outlook
Realistic prognosis
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours generally have a much better outlook than pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Small, low-grade tumours can be cured by surgery, and even with spread to the liver many people live for years with drug therapy. Outcome depends on grade, size, stage and whether it produces hormones. Long-term follow-up is needed because recurrence can occur late.
01 · Specialties
Specialties that treat Pancreatic
Diagnostic workup
Before you pick a hospital, get the workup right
Picking the right treatment is downstream of a complete diagnosis. Skip steps here and the destination surgeon usually re-orders them anyway — at higher cost and another week on the ground.
- Confirm the diagnosis on imaging or labs
For pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour, plan on the workup your home doctor would order anyway — typically a recent specialist consult plus the imaging / labs the destination team will need to quote accurately. Anything older than 90 days usually gets re-done.
- See a oncology specialist locally first
An in-person clinical exam at home — even a single consult — costs little and dramatically improves the destination plan. Bring back: written impression, recommended procedure, surgical-risk class, and any contra-indications.
- Send us the file for a free second opinion
Two surgeons in our medical panel review the workup independently. They tell you whether they'd operate, watch, or refer — even if that means recommending against travel.
- Pick a path with timeline + cost in writing
Once a treatment is the right call, we line up 2–3 hospital options with itemized quotes, surgeon profiles, and a travel timeline. You hold the file — switch hospitals or step away at any point.
03 · Treatment paths
Treatment options
Where to be treated
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour treatment by destination
04 · FAQ
Common questions about pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour
Is a pancreatic NET the same as pancreatic cancer?
No. It arises from different cells, behaves differently and usually grows more slowly. Treatments are different as well.
Does a small tumour always need surgery?
Not always. Small tumours without symptoms and with low grade are sometimes monitored with scans, depending on size and risk.
What if it has spread to the liver?
Several treatments exist, including somatostatin analogues, targeted drugs, peptide radionuclide therapy, chemotherapy and liver-directed treatments. Many people live a long time.
Could it run in families?
Occasionally, with syndromes such as MEN1 or von Hippel-Lindau. Genetic testing may be offered, particularly with younger age or multiple tumours.
Clinical context
Working up pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour properly
A condition like pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour is rarely well-served by jumping straight to treatment shopping. The sequence below is what a oncology specialist would expect to see completed — and the absence of any step is the right cue to delay travel decisions.
Diagnostic workup, in sequence
- First-line clinical assessment
History, physical exam, and risk-factor review by a senior generalist or oncology specialist. Symptoms list, family history, prior workup notes, and current medication list should travel with the patient.
- Standard imaging + labs
Baseline blood work, condition-specific imaging (ultrasound / X-ray / MRI / CT — depending on indication), and ECG / pulmonary function as relevant. Bring digital copies of any prior imaging — saves repeat scans and the cost that goes with them.
- Specialist diagnostic workup
Procedure-specific tests — biopsy, cardiac catheterisation, endoscopy, or genetic / molecular profiling depending on the suspected diagnosis. Done at the centre that will treat, ideally, so results integrate cleanly into the treatment plan.
- Multidisciplinary review (where indicated)
Cancer, complex cardiac, transplant, and rare-disease cases should be reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel — surgical, medical, imaging, and pathology — before any treatment commits. Single-discipline plans for complex disease are a quality red flag.
When to escalate urgently
- Acute worsening of established symptoms — sudden chest pain, shortness of breath at rest, neurological deficit, severe bleeding, persistent high fever.
- Loss of consciousness, severe persistent vomiting, or any focal neurological event.
- Symptoms in the early hours of onset that fit a time-sensitive treatment window (stroke, MI, sepsis) — every hour costs outcome.
- If you are travelling internationally for treatment and develop these symptoms in transit, divert to the nearest emergency department; do not wait to reach the planned destination.
Before you book international travel
- Confirm your specific diagnosis is fully worked up before you commit to a treatment plan abroad. Travelling for the workup is fine; travelling for treatment without the workup done is not.
- Get your case reviewed remotely by the destination centre's team before you book flights — credible international patient programs review imaging + reports before they confirm the surgical plan.
- Bring a digital + physical copy of your full medical record: imaging on USB drive in DICOM format, labs in PDF, current medication list with dosages, allergies, and any prior surgical reports.
- Plan for longer recovery + post-discharge therapy continuation before you fly — the surgery itself is rarely the bottleneck.
- Confirm that follow-up imaging and any necessary in-person reviews can be done at home — a treatment plan that requires repeat international trips is more burdensome (and more expensive) than the headline procedure.
Methodology and editorial standards
This pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour overview is written by the editorial team from published Oncology sources and lists 1 treatment options offered by hospitals on our network. The page shows its last-updated date. Clinical descriptions are editorial — your treating clinician confirms what's right for your specific case.
- Hospital data. Hospital details are compiled from public sources and hospital websites. Accreditation (JCI, NABH and others) is shown where we hold a record of it. Always ask the hospital for its current certificate.
- Doctor credentials. Qualifications, specialty and bio come from the doctor's hospital profile. Licence is checked against the national medical-council register only where the profile shows a "Licence verified" badge with a date.
- Prices. Price ranges are indicative, compiled from hospital price lists and packages and shown with the date last updated. The hospital's written quote is what you pay against.
- Clinical text. Written by the Medcasts editorial team from published clinical sources. Unless a named reviewer is shown on the page, it has not been reviewed by a doctor.
- Independence. Hospitals cannot pay to change their position on our pages.
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour
Continue evaluating pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour care
Condition overview is one entry. These hubs route the same care decision via specialty, surgeon, treatment, and destination — including the doctors actively treating pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour.
- Surgeons Doctors treating Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour Volume-ranked specialists across all relevant specialties.
- Specialty Oncology hub Programs, surgeons, hospitals across oncology.
- Specialty GI Surgery Alternative specialty involved in care for this condition.
- Procedure Distal Pancreatectomy First-line treatment with success rates, recovery, hospital pricing.
- Browse All 79 conditions Map condition → specialty → first-line treatment.
- Browse 9 destination countries Cost-of-care profiles, hospital programs, visa playbooks.
- Compare Hospital comparison Side-by-side accreditations, ratings, beds, and pricing.
- Compare Doctor comparison Surgeons compared on volume, fees, languages, video-consult availability.
- Tool Match-me triage Three questions, get a specialty + destination + 3-hospital shortlist.
- Tool Cost calculator Hospital-reported pricing across procedures × destinations.
- Action Free second opinion Independent panel review of your case in 48 hours — no charge.
Next step · Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour
Free second opinion on your Pancreatic case.
Share imaging and the current plan. Multidisciplinary board returns a written opinion within 5–10 working days — no obligation to travel.