The following are some risk factors and cause that may lead to development of a Neuroendocrine Tumor:

Age: It is said that the risk of this cancer is more for the people over age 40 than others. For example Pheochromocytoma  is mostly apparent in  ages of 40 and 60 while Merkel cell cancer is most common in over 70 people.

Gender: This cancer is also some what depends on gender as men have more chances of this cancer growth than women and the ratio of Phechromocytoma is by a three to two . Moreover, the Merkel cell cancer affects more men in comparison of women.

Race/Ethnicity: This factor is also considerable for Neuroendocrine cancer. According to one research, it is reveled that white people have higher risk of becoming a target of  Merkel cell cancer than the peope of other race.But ther come also  some reports in which it is pointed that some Black people and Polynesians may be affected by this tumor.

Family History: It is shown in the study that almost ten percent of pheochromocytoma cases are just because of hereditary

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1):It  is a hereditary condition  due to which the risk  of  this tumor growth boosts up in three glands; : pituitary, parathyroid, and pancreas

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2): It is another hereditary condition that is a cause of various cancers such as  medullary thyroid cancer , pheochromocytoma etc.

Immune System: The risk for Neuroendocrine  tumor increase in the  People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).Moreover,  it may happen in some  people that immune system is weakened  because of organ transplantation ; in these people the risk of such tumor is more high than that of a person with strong immunity power..

Arsenic exposure: One must avoid the excessive exposure to the poison arsenic because it may lead to Merkel cell cancer.

Sun exposure: The Doctors also suggest that one must avoid the direct exposure to sun light because Merkel cell cancer is resulted on the sun-exposed areas of the head and neck.

Such glands are pineal, pituitary, thyroid, e.t.c. These glands do not have ducts and secret their hormones into the blood stream for use by other body organs to perform their functions. A neuroendocrine tumour can be either a benign (innocent) tumour (which do not infect the surrounding tissues or organs) or malignant tumour (which infect the surrounding tissues or organs). A benign neuroendocrine tumour can be removed and they in most cases do not recur or grow.

A malignant neuroendocrine tumour infects the tissues or organs around it and cause metastasis (the spread of tumour cells from one part of the body to another, a process known as cancer. It therefore occurs that neuroendocrine tumour is a cancer of the endocrine glands. In neuroendocrine tumour Neouroendocrine cells are to be found all over the body in organs as skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract.

There are two classes of tumours, the carcinoid tumous and endocrine pancreatic tumours. Carcinoid tumours are those tumours that particularly infect the gastrointestinal tract. They do not grow rapidly, unlike endocrine pancreatic tumours which grow and spread very rapidly.There are many types of neuroendocrine tumours. These include but not limited to: Neuroendocrine carcinoma. These neuroendocrine tumours are to be found in the lungs, brain and in the gastrointestinal tract. Merkell cell; these infect the cells below the skin and hair follicles. They also occur on the head and neck regions. Pheochomocytoma; These are to found in the cells of the body. Such cells main duty is to produce adrenaline. This type of cancer unnecessarily increases the production of adrenaline, which results in the increase of blood pressure and heart rate.