Q:
What is pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer?
A:
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, or called pancreatic NETs or islet cell tumors, form in hormone-making cells of the pancreas. The tumors can be benign or malignant, and the malignant pancreatic NET is called pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer.
Pancreatic NETs have two types: functional and non-functional. The former make its own hormones and causes symptoms. The latter cause no symptoms.
Pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer can originate from both functional and non-functional pancreatic NETS. Most non-functional NETs are cancerous. Some functional NETs can be cancerous, but not all of them.
Keywords: neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer.
