Watch and wait: when 'doing nothing' is the right plan
For many slow-growing NETs, active monitoring is the recommended approach. Here's why it can feel hard, and how to manage the uncertainty.
Written by NECNZ team
Watch and wait is a frequent approach for NET cancers. It can be especially hard for patients as it feels like nothing is being done. However, your specialist will be aiming to maximise the impact of any treatment, which often means waiting until there is enough tumour activity so that the treatment has enough disease to target. This can also minimise the chance of unwanted side effects.
Why "watch and wait" is often the right call
NETs can range from being very slow growing cancers in some people, through to faster growing cancers in others. Most NETs grow slowly, and some people can have one or more tumours for years – often without symptoms – before they are diagnosed.
Treating a slow-growing tumour too early can mean side effects and complications that don't bring matching benefit. Watch and wait gives your specialist a chance to see how your particular cancer behaves, so the right treatment can be matched to it at the right time.
What "watch and wait" actually involves
You'll typically have regular check-ups with your specialist team. These usually include:
- Scans (CT, MRI or specialised NET scans) at intervals your team will agree with you
- Blood tests, often including tumour markers like Chromogranin A (CgA)
- Reviews of any new or changing symptoms
If anything changes, your team will adjust the plan. The "wait" doesn't mean you've been forgotten – it means your team is keeping a close eye and is ready to act when active treatment will help most.
Managing the emotional weight
For patients under a watch-and-wait approach, anxiety levels can be high. Knowing there's a tumour and not actively treating it goes against most people's instincts. That's normal.
Make sure you talk to your specialist about support for this. Counselling, peer support, and connecting with other people who are also "watching and waiting" can all help. Our peer-support catch-ups are a good place to start, and we can help you find a counsellor experienced in cancer support if that would help.
