Neuroendocrine Tumors Clinical Trials and Treatments

Neuroendocrine cells act partly like nerve cells and partly like hormone-making cells, and they are scattered through the gut, pancreas and lungs. A tumor that grows from them is a neuroendocrine tumor. Tumors in the digestive tract were long called carcinoid tumors.

The most common symptoms of Neuroendocrine Tumors include Flushing, a sudden redness and warmth of the face and neck (carcinoid syndrome), Diarrhea that keeps coming back, Wheezing or trouble breathing, and a fast heartbeat, Belly pain, bloating or weight loss without a known reason, Blood in the stool or rectal pain, with tumors in the rectum, among others. About 244,000 people in the US were living with a neuroendocrine neoplasm, the wider group that includes NETs, in 2021, with about 8.5 new diagnoses per 100,000 people a year (Dasari et al., JAMA Network Open 2025); an earlier estimate for NETs alone was about 171,000 in 2014 (JAMA Oncology 2017). Symptoms can range from mild to severe and may vary between individuals.

Trial Friend lists all active clinical trials for Neuroendocrine Tumors from ClinicalTrials.gov, with eligibility criteria translated into plain English. Patients can filter by trial phase and recruitment status, search by location, and use the Match Me tool to score trials against their profile. ClinicalTrials.gov lists about 98 recruiting treatment trials with neuroendocrine tumor as a listed condition (October 2026).

Yes, several. Lanreotide (Somatuline Depot) and octreotide (Sandostatin) injections ease hormone symptoms such as flushing and diarrhea, and lanreotide also slows the growth of gut and pancreatic NETs. Lutathera, a radioactive drug that seeks out somatostatin receptors, is approved from age 12, and 2 more versions of lutetium-177 dotatate, Bexlutry and Bravnetsa, were approved in September 2026. Daily pills include everolimus (Afinitor), sunitinib (Sutent) for pancreatic NETs and cabozantinib (Cabometyx), approved in March 2025, and Xermelo (telotristat ethyl) treats carcinoid syndrome diarrhea that a somatostatin injection does not control. Which fits depends on where the tumor started, its grade and whether scans show somatostatin receptors. The Treatments section of this page lists the approved drugs found in FDA labeling data.

Neuroendocrine Tumors arises from acquired (somatic) genetic changes in the affected cells, rather than from an inherited variant. Most NETs are not inherited; about 5% overall, and about 10% of pancreatic NETs, come from an inherited syndrome such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), von Hippel-Lindau disease, neurofibromatosis type 1 or tuberous sclerosis, which a blood or saliva genetic test can check. About 244,000 people in the US were living with a neuroendocrine neoplasm, the wider group that includes NETs, in 2021, with about 8.5 new diagnoses per 100,000 people a year (Dasari et al., JAMA Network Open 2025); an earlier estimate for NETs alone was about 171,000 in 2014 (JAMA Oncology 2017).

For Neuroendocrine Tumors the genetic testing that matters is usually of the tumor or affected blood cells rather than inherited DNA. Most NETs are not inherited; about 5% overall, and about 10% of pancreatic NETs, come from an inherited syndrome such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), von Hippel-Lindau disease, neurofibromatosis type 1 or tuberous sclerosis, which a blood or saliva genetic test can check.

Those results guide treatment choice and are often the entry requirement for targeted-therapy trials, so ask whether the biopsy was sent for molecular testing and request the report. The Genetic Testing section of this page lists laboratories in the NIH Genetic Testing Registry.

Eligibility for Neuroendocrine Tumors clinical trials depends on factors like age, diagnosis, treatment history, and overall health. Each trial sets its own inclusion and exclusion criteria. Trial Friend translates these requirements from medical language into plain English so patients can review them more easily. The Match Me tool can score your profile against active trials to help identify studies that may be a fit.

Participating in a Neuroendocrine Tumors clinical trial typically involves scheduled visits, medical tests, and close monitoring by a research team. Depending on the study phase, you may receive an investigational treatment, a placebo, or the current standard of care. Trials may last from a few weeks to several years. Study participation is voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time.