How it Began
In 2005 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, NET experts from across America began discussing the possibility of starting an organization focused on educating medical professionals on neuroendocrine tumor disease and raising awareness of the disease across North America. About a year later, great minds came together in Portland, Oregon to plan for a new professional medical society focused on neuroendocrine tumor disease that would pursue a mission of improving neuroendocrine tumor disease management through increased research and educational opportunities. The founding members of NANETS reflected the organization's commitment to a multidisciplinary approach and consisted of doctors and scientists involved in different specialties of NETs.
It's Official
On February 21, 2007, NANETS was granted nonprofit 501(c)(3) status. Larry Kvols, MD, became the first chair of NANETS. At the time, Dr. Kvols was the director of Neuroendocrine Cancer Research at Moffitt Cancer Center.
A history of Chairs: (L to R) - Top Row: Larry Kvols, MD; William Maples, MD; James Yao, MD; Matthew Kulke, MD; David Metz, MD
Bottom Row: James R. Howe, MD; Emily K. Bergsland, MD; Jonathan Strosberg, MD
Learn more about NANETS' past chairs.
The Mission of Education Launched
Consensus Guideline Series – Major Contribution to NET Resources
To begin educating medical professionals on NET disease, founding members of NANETS understood the importance of consensus guidelines. The NANETS Guidelines Working Group was created and from 2008-2010, hours of effort were poured into launching this much-lauded initiative.
The first consensus guidelines focused on critical elements of NET disease management by organ – including the development of position papers and collaborative feedback, with the first consensus conference held on October 2, 2008. This meeting generated intense discussions and eight manuscripts were released in August of 2010. These eight manuscripts comprised the first NANETS consensus guidelines: The NANETS Consensus Guidelines for the Diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Tumors.
Since that initial meeting and publication, NANETS' has published additional consensus guidelines including joint consensus guidelines with the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). Read NANETS' consensus guidelines.
Conferences Designed by Medical Professionals for Medical Professionals
In 2008, with the launch of its first conference, NANETS became the first organization in North America to provide a comprehensive continuing medical education program on neuroendocrine tumor disease. The first symposium was held in Southampton, Bermuda, and had an emphasis on developing an interdisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment of NET diseases with a focus on detection, diagnosis and treatment. Each year NANETS hosts a multidisciplinary symposium on the latest in NET disease diagnosis, treatment and management. Learn more about NANETS' Annual Symposium
2008 | 1st Annual Symposium | “New Horizons in NET Management” | Southampton, Bermuda
2009 | "Diagnosis & Management Strategies: A Multidisciplinary Approach" | Charlotte, North Carolina
2010 | "Discovering New Approaches in NET Disease Management" | Santa Fe, New Mexico
2011 | "NET Diagnosis and Treatment: A New Era — A New Direction" | Minneapolis, Minnesota
2012 | "NET Management Strategies: What’s New and Relevant" | San Diego, California
2013 | "Emerging Targets and Therapeutic Advances in NET Management" | Charleston, South Carolina
2014 | "Scientific Advances and Multidisciplinary Management of NETs: The Cutting Edge" | Nashville, Tennessee
Included first joint one-day program with the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging to provide an in-depth review of the clinical utility of the nuclear medicine technologies for NETs
2015 | "NET Diagnosis & Management Strategies: A TEAM Perspective" | Austin, Texas
2016 | "Exploring Novel Mechanisms & Therapies for Neuroendocrine Cancers" | Jackson Hole, Wyoming
2017 | "NET Disease Management: Innovations in a Rapidly Changing Landscape" | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2018 | 11th Annual NET Disease Symposium | Seattle, Washington
2019 | 12th Annual Multidisciplinary NET Medical Symposium | Boston, Massachusetts
2020 | 13th Annual Multidisciplinary NET Medical Symposium | Virtual
2021 | 14th Annual Multidisciplinary NET Medical Symposium | Virtual
2022 | 15th Annual Multidisciplinary NET Medical Symposium | Washington, DC
Regional NET Education
In 2011, NANETS held its first Regional NET Education Conference. These conferences are held each year in conjunction with local cancer centers to provide multidisciplinary training to medical professionals across North America. Local physicians and allied healthcare providers come together with leaders in neuroendocrine medicine to educate and discuss NET disease and patient care. Learn more about NANETS' Regional NET Education Conferences.
2011 | Seattle, Washington
2012 | Linthicum Heights, Maryland
2013 | "Buffalo, New York; Lexington, Kentucky
2014 | Los Angeles, California; Detroit, Michigan; Denver, Colorado
2015 | Dallas, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio
2016 | Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2017 | Indianapolis, Indiana; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
2018 | Norfolk, Virginia; Detriot, Michigan; Salt Lake City, Utah; New Brunswick, New Jersey; Los Angeles, California
2019 | Phoenix, Arizona; Baltimore, Maryland; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Albuquerque, New Mexico; San Francisco, California
2021 | Eastern Virtual Regional, Western Virtual Regional
2022 | Lexington, Kentucky; Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Tampa, Florida
NANETS Gains Journal in 2011
In 2011, Pancreas became the affiliated journal of NANETS. This partnership was initiated through the efforts of Vay Liang W. (Bill) Go, MD, and Eugene Woltering, MD, FACS, and has been a valuable resource for NANETS members.
During its affiliation with NANETS, Pancreas provided a central forum for communication of original works involving both basic and clinical research on the exocrine and endocrine pancreas and their interrelationships and consequences in disease states. This multidisciplinary, international journal covers the whole spectrum of basic sciences, etiology, prevention, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and surgical and medical management of pancreatic diseases, including cancer.
Pancreas published NANETS' consensus guidelines and annual call for abstracts submissions. Members of NANETS received free online access as a benefit of membership.
In late 2021, NANETS entered into discussions with Bioscientifica to publish NANETS' research work in its scientific journal. NANETS recognizes and appreciates its longstanding and fruitful relationship with Pancreas.
NANETS Partners with Bioscientifica's Scientific Journal in 2022
In early January, 2022, NANETS announced that it entered into an agreement with Bioscientifica for publication of NANETS’ research work in its scientific journal, Endocrine Related Cancer (ERC), a premier global forum for basic, translational and clinical research on hormones and cancers, with over 40,000 unique users and a 5.678 impact factor 
ERC is an official flagship journal of the Society for Endocrinology and is endorsed by the European Society of Endocrinology, the Japanese Hormones and Cancer Society and the Endocrine Society of Australia.
Features Include:
- Original articles covering new basic and clinical research
- Reviews
In addition to online access to the journal, NANETS members also receive a 25% discount on publication charges (color printing and supplementary data) when their article is published in the journal.
Find out more about the journal and register to receive the latest content and news from ERC directly to your inbox via the journal website.
You can contact the ERC editorial team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Nurturing the Next Generation
Since 2009, NANETS has provided research grants to young investigators doing outstanding work in the field of NET research. The grants available through NANETS were established to both support new research initiatives and welcome young and eager scientific minds to the NET community. To date, 28 medical professionals have received funding through NANETS. Many grant recipients have gone on to serve on NANETS committees and Board of Directors, further fostering a lifelong commitment to NET disease research and education. Learn more about past grant recipients.
Recognizing Extraordinary Accomplishments in NETs
The North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual who, over the course of their career, has provided outstanding contributions to neuroendocrine disease management through research, clinical practice or educational initiatives, as well as exceptional leadership in NANETS and dedication to its mission.
The first Lifetime Achievement Award was given out in 2009 to Richard Warner, MD. Since then, nine other individuals have received this prestigious honor: founding NANETS Chair Larry Kvols, MD; Kjell Öberg, MD, PhD; and, for the first time ever, in 2017, NANETS gave a joint Lifetime Achievement Award to Thomas O'Dorisio, MD and M. Sue O'Dorisio, MD, PhD. Following that, NANETS honored four more individuals: Robert Jensen, MD; Aaron I Vinik, MD, PhD, FCP, MACP; Matthew Kulke, MD; and David Metz, MD. Learn more about NANETS Lifetime Achievement Award Winners.
NANETS Moves to East Coast
After ten years, NANETS' moved its headquarters from the state of Washington to New York state. This move, in 2017, represented a change in NANETS' staffing structure from a single executive director to an expanded staff - aligning NANETS' growth with its infrastructure.
COVID-19 Pandemic Charts a New Course
The world changed in 2020 with the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the pandemic that ensued. The care of NET patients, a vulnerable high-risk population, became the immediate focus of the medical society and the greater NET medical community. Hospitals and treatment centers implemented new approaches and policies to support the ongoing care of cancer patients while seeking to minimize risk.
The extraordinary times enhanced the need and importance of continued NET medical education, access to research and opportunities to exchange relevant information and best practice on health care issues impacting NET diagnosis and treatment. While the world worked to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, NANETS turned to virtual education and engagement to connect doctors, advanced practice practitioners, researchers and nurses in the field.
To advance NET medical education and research under the veil of quarantines and travel restrictions, NANETS reconfigured its annual symposium to its first-ever Multidisciplinary NET Medical Virtual Symposium; began to offer a new accredited webinar series; and offered panel discussions and guildelines on COVID-19, one for medical providers and the other for NET patients.
Moving Ahead in 2022
NETmed Virtual Programming has continued to offer monthly educational webinars and programming, attracting hundreds of NET medical and other medical professionals to these important and timely presentations. In 2022, NANETS returns to live, in-person formats for its regional conferences in Lexington, KY, Chicago, IL, Portland, OR, Philadelphia, PA, and Tampa, FL, with an additional regional conference being planned with our NET partners in Mexico and South America.
The 2022 Multidisciplinary NET Medical Symposium will also return to a live format. This year's conference will be held October 27-29, in Washington, DC, jointly hosted by the NIH. Complete Program details will be available on the Symposium webpage soon.