Print OverviewPancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are a rare type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the pancreas. The pancreas is a long, flat gland that sits behind the stomach. It makes enzymes and hormones that help digest food. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors start from the hormone-producing cells in the pancreas. These cells are called islet cells. Another term for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor is islet cell cancer. Some pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor cells keep making hormones. These are known as functional tumors. Functional tumors create too much of the given hormone. Examples of functional tumors include insulinoma, gastrinoma and glucagonoma. Most pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors do not produce an excess amount of hormones. Tumors that don't produce extra hormones are called nonfunctional tumors.Products & ServicesA Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health BookNewsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital EditionShow more products from Mayo Clinic SymptomsPancreatic neuroendocrine tumors sometimes don't cause symptoms. When they do, symptoms can include: Heartburn. Weakness. Fatigue. Muscle cramps. Indigestion. Diarrhea. Weight loss. Skin rash. Constipation. Pain in the abdomen or back. Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Dizziness. Blurred vision. Headaches. Increased thirst and hunger. When to see a doctorMake an appointment with a health care professional if you have any symptoms that worry you. Request an appointment There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Get Mayo Clinic cancer expertise delivered to your inbox. Subscribe for free and receive an in-depth guide to coping with cancer, plus helpful information on how to get a second opinion. You can unsubscribe at any time. Click here for an email preview. Email address I would like to learn more about Up-to-date cancer news & research Mayo Clinic cancer care & management options ErrorSelect a topic ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Address 1 Subscribe Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth coping with cancer guide will be in your inbox shortly. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest about cancer news, research, and care. If you don’t receive our email within 5 minutes, check your SPAM folder, then contact us at newsletters@mayoclinic.com. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry CausesPancreatic neuroendocrine tumors happen when cells in the pancreas develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. The changes, which doctors call mutations, tell the cells to multiply quickly. The changes let the cells continue living when healthy cells would die as part of their natural life cycle. This causes many extra cells. The cells might form a mass called a tumor. Sometimes the cells can break away and spread to other organs, such as the liver. When cancer spreads, it's called metastatic cancer. In pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, the DNA changes happen in hormone-producing cells called islet cells. It's not clear what causes the changes that lead to cancer. Risk factorsFactors that are associated with an increased risk of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors include: A family history of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. If a family member was diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, your risk is increased. Syndromes present at birth that increase the risk of tumors. Some syndromes that are passed from parents to children can increase the risk of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Examples of these include multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 1 (MEN 1), von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease, neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) and tuberous sclerosis. These inherited syndromes are caused by changes in the DNA. These changes allow cells to grow and divide more than needed. There's no way to prevent pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. If you develop this type of cancer, you didn't do anything to cause it. By Mayo Clinic Staff Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors care at Mayo Clinic Request an appointment Diagnosis & treatment April 30, 2024 Print Living with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors? Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, a patient community. Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) Discussions Anyone have Pancreatic Acinar Cell Carcinoma? 19 Replies Fri, Dec 20, 2024 chevron-right Has anyone out there tried Histotripsy for tumors in the liver? 40 Replies Wed, Dec 18, 2024 chevron-right Questions about Blood Tests Results after PRRT treatment 12 Replies Sat, Dec 07, 2024 chevron-right See more discussions Show references Niederhuber JE, et al., eds. Cancer of the endocrine system. In: Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Feb. 27, 2023. Neuroendocrine and adrenal tumors. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/default.aspx. Accessed Feb. 27, 2023. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (islet cell tumors) treatment (PDQ) — Patient version. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/types/pancreatic/patient/pnet-treatment-pdq. Accessed Feb. 27, 2023. Elsevier Point of Care. Clinical Overview: Functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Feb. 27, 2023. Fact sheet: What is peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT)? Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. http://www.snmmi.org/AboutSNMMI/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=29883. Accessed Feb. 27, 2023. Neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas. Cancer.Net. https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/islet-cell-tumor/view-all. Accessed Feb. 27, 2023. NPF Centers of Excellence. National Pancreas Foundation. https://pancreasfoundation.org/patient-resources/npf-centers-of-excellence/. Accessed March 7, 2023. Ami TR. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. May 15, 2023. About. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. https://www.nccn.org/home/about. Accessed March 7, 2023. Panda A, et al. Molecular radionuclide imaging of pancreatic neoplasms. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2019; doi:10.1016/S2468-1253(19)30081-0. Kendi AT, et al. Therapy with 177Lu-DOTATE: Clinical implication and impact on care of patients with neuroendocrine tumors. American Journal of Roentgenology. 2019; doi:10.2214/AJR.19.21123. Strosberg J, et al. Phase 3 trial of 177Lu-Dotate for midgut neuroendocrine tumors. New England Journal of Medicine. 2017; doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1607427. Related Infographic: Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Associated Procedures Ablation therapy Products & Services A Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition Show more products and services from Mayo Clinic Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumorsSymptoms&causesDiagnosis&treatmentDoctors&departmentsCare atMayoClinic Advertisement Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Advertising & Sponsorship Policy Opportunities Ad Choices Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press. 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