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Neuroendocrine Cancer (often called NET cancer) develops in neuroendocrine cells, which are found throughout the body and help regulate hormones.
These cancers can arise in different organs, most commonly the digestive system (such as the bowel or pancreas) or the lungs, and can behave very differently from one person to another. This variability makes them difficult to recognise and diagnose.
Neuroendocrine Cancer can cause vague or non-specific symptoms that overlap with many common conditions. People are frequently treated for other issues for long periods before the underlying cancer is identified.
Low awareness, among both the public and healthcare professionals, means Neuroendocrine Cancer is often not considered early. Delays in diagnosis can affect treatment options and outcomes.
Symptoms vary depending on where the cancer is and whether it is producing hormones. They can include:
Because these symptoms are common to many conditions, Neuroendocrine Cancer is frequently overlooked.
There is no single treatment approach for Neuroendocrine Cancer. Treatment is highly individual and depends on many factors, including where the cancer is, how it's behaving, whether it has spread, and the person's overall health. Different tumours can behave very differently, even when they share the same name.
Care is usually managed by specialist teams and may involve a combination of monitoring, medication, surgery, or other targeted treatments. Because Neuroendocrine Cancer can be complex, treatment decisions are often reviewed and adjusted as more information becomes available.
Yes. Some people live with Neuroendocrine Cancer for many years, though living with it can be physically and emotionally demanding. It often involves ongoing treatment, repeated scans, and long periods of uncertainty.
Experiences vary widely, but quality of life is deeply affected by how early the cancer is diagnosed, how well symptoms are recognised, and how quickly appropriate care begins. This is why earlier diagnosis matters.
There's no single test. Diagnosis usually involves a combination of blood and urine tests to check general health and hormone markers, imaging such as CT, MRI, or ultrasound scans, and often an endoscopy to look directly at the stomach or bowel.
NET cells frequently show up distinctively on specialist nuclear medicine scans, which is often the test that finally confirms the diagnosis. A biopsy, examining a tissue sample under a microscope, confirms both the diagnosis and the grade.
Both are types of neuroendocrine cancer, but they behave very differently. NET (neuroendocrine tumour) makes up around 70% of cases and tends to grow more slowly, with five-year survival above 65%. NEC (neuroendocrine carcinoma) is less common, around 30% of cases, faster growing and more aggressive, with five-year survival below 10%.
Getting this distinction right isn't just paperwork, it decides which treatment path someone is offered.
Not as rare as people think. One person is diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Cancer every 90 minutes in the UK, around 6,000 people a year, and more than 36,000 people are living with it today. It's now more prevalent than stomach or pancreatic cancer.
It's often called a rare cancer because it's so poorly understood, not because it doesn't happen often.
The daily swim began as the only thing I could think of to do. When Neuroendocrine Cancer entered our lives, it changed everything, and I needed something practical I could commit to, even on the hardest days. One swim. Every day. A way of showing up when so much felt out of my control.
Over time, that simple act became a signal: a visible reminder that this cancer exists, that it's often missed, and that people are still waiting for answers. It's not about endurance for its own sake. It's about visibility and persistence: keeping Neuroendocrine Cancer in the conversation, making it harder to ignore, and pushing the message that earlier diagnosis matters.
What started as one person walking into the sea every day has grown into a movement, with people sharing the message, taking part in dips, fundraising, and helping to make the invisible visible.
And that is the point: showing up, again and again, until awareness becomes action, and action helps people get answers sooner.
You don't have to swim to make a difference. You can:
Every conversation helps. Every share matters.
A day held every 10 October, marking the anniversary of Day One of the original 1,000-day challenge. People across the country get into cold water on the same day, in the sea, a lido, a river, or a garden paddling pool, to raise awareness and funds together.
No. The sea is where it started, but the point is showing up, not the specific water. Rivers, lidos, and even garden paddling pools all count.
Because diagnosis is where everything starts. Earlier diagnosis can mean earlier treatment, better symptom control, more treatment options, and improved quality of life.
Daily Dip 4 Dave exists to keep Neuroendocrine Cancer visible, so fewer people are diagnosed too late.
Yes. Daily Dip 4 Dave is a registered charity, number 1218481.
Donations go toward raising awareness of Neuroendocrine Cancer, supporting earlier-diagnosis initiatives, and contributing to Neuroendocrine Cancer research.
You can donate through our fundraising page. Funds raised support awareness efforts and research focused on improving the diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Cancer.
Donate nowDaily Dip 4 Dave was founded by Ruth Hitchcock, whose partner Dave is living with Stage 4 Metastatic Neuroendocrine Cancer. What began as a personal 1,000-day promise to him became a registered charity.
The easiest way is via Instagram, @dailydip4dave, or through the donate page for anything charity-related.