Active Surveillance for Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (pNETs)
Active surveillance, also known as watchful waiting or watch-and-wait, may be recommended for certain people. This approach is most often recommended for those who have low-grade pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, which tend to grow slowly and may not cause symptoms or complications for a long time (sometimes months or even years).
Instead of starting treatment right away, the tumor is carefully monitored through regular check-ups. These typically include:
- Physical examinations
- Blood tests
- Imaging tests, such as CT scans (or sometimes MRI)
If active surveillance is considered an option, talk with your doctor about how often you will need to have these tests and scans. Treatment usually begins if there are signs that the tumor is getting bigger and causing symptoms or if it’s spreading.
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- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Gao HL, Wang WQ, Xu HX, Wu CT, Li H, Ni QX, Yu XJ, Liu L. Active surveillance in metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: A 20-year single-institutional experience. World J Clin Cases. 2020 Sep 6;8(17):3751-3762. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i17.3751. PMID: 32953851; PMCID: PMC7479574.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Neuroendocrine and Adrenal Tumors. V.5.2024. Accessed at https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/neuroendocrine.pdf on March 20, 2025.
Last Revised: March 29, 2025
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