Key Statistics About Lung Neuroendocrine Tumors
Learn about key statistics for lung neuroendocrine tumors, including how common they are, who is most affected, and the outlook for those with a diagnosis.
How common are lung neuroendocrine tumors?
About 1% to 2% of all lung cancers are neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). This means there are about 2,000 to 4,500 newly diagnosed lung NETs in the United States each year.
NETs develop more often in the digestive tract than in the lungs. Only about 1 out of 5 NETs start in the lungs.
Who is most affected by lung neuroendocrine tumors?
The average age of people when they are diagnosed with lung NETs is around 45 years for low grade NETs and 55 years for intermediate grade NETs. This is slightly younger than the typical age of people with other types of lung cancer.
What is the outlook for those with lung neuroendocrine tumors?
Information on survival rates for lung NETs can be found in Survival Rates for Lung Neuroendocrine Tumors.
Visit the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center for more key statistics.
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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).
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2025. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2025.
Dasari A, Shen C, Halperin D, Zhao B, Zhou S, Xu Y, Shih T, Yao JC. Trends in the Incidence, Prevalence, and Survival Outcomes in Patients With Neuroendocrine Tumors in the United States. JAMA Oncol. 2017 Oct 1;3(10):1335-1342.
Last Revised: December 17, 2025
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