Survival

Survival for non functioning neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) of the pancreas depends on many different factors. So you should only use these statistics as a guide.

Doctors usually work out the outlook for a certain disease by looking at large groups of people. Because non functioning NETs of the pancreas are so rare, the survival for this disease is harder to estimate than for other, more common cancers.

These are general statistics based on small groups of people. Remember, they can’t tell you what will happen in your individual case.

Your specialist doctor can give you more information about your own outlook (prognosis).

You can also talk about this with the Cancer Research UK nurses on freephone 0808 800 4040, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

About these statistics

The terms 1 year, 5 year and 10 year survival don't mean that you will only live for 1, 5 or 10 years.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and researchers collect information. They watch what happens to people with cancer in the years after their diagnosis. 5 or 10 years is a common time point to measure survival. But some people live much longer than this.

5 or 10 year survival is the number of people who have not died from their cancer within 5 or 10 years after diagnosis.

Survival for non functioning NETs of the pancreas

There are no UK survival statistics for non functioning NETs of the pancreas. The statistics below are from an American study. Please be aware that due to differences in health care systems, data collection and the population, these figures may not be a true picture of survival in the UK. 

  • Almost 35 out of every 100 people (almost 35%) survive  for 5 years or more
  • More than 15 out of every 100 people (more than 15%) survive for 10 years or more

Survival for NETs of the pancreas

1 year survival

The information below is for 1 year overall survival for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) in the UK.

Around 80 in 100 people (around 80%) survive for 1 year or more.

5 year survival

There are no UK-wide 5 year survival statistics available for pancreatic NENs. The statistics below are from a European study. Please be aware that these figures may not be a true picture of survival in the UK. This is due to differences in health care systems, data collection and the population,

Around 40 out of 100 people (around 40%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis.

What affects survival

Survival depends on many factors. It depends on the stage and grade of the tumour when it was diagnosed. The stage describes the size of the tumour and whether it has spread. The grade means how abnormal the cells look under a microscope.

Another factor is how well you are overall. 

  • Non-functional neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas: incidence, tumor biology, and outcomes in 2,158 patients
    J Franco and others
    J Gastrointest Surg 2010  Volume 14, Issue 3, Pages 541-8.

  • Impact of neuroendocrine morphology on cancer outcomes and stage at diagnosis: a UK nationwide cohort study 2013–2015
    T Genus and others
    British Journal of Cancer (2019) Volume 121, pages 966–972

  • Rare neuroendocrine tumours: Results of the surveillance of rare cancers in Europe project
    J Maartaen Van de Zwan and others
    European Journal of Cancer Volume 49, Issue 11 July 2013, Pages 2565-2578

Last reviewed: 
23 Jun 2022
Next review due: 
23 Jun 2025

Related links