Serotonin – the NET effect
Background I'd never heard of Serotonin until I was diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Cancer in 2010. It is frequently discussed, often with contrasting views from the respondents. One common assumption/question is that it is responsible for many things that can go wrong with Neuroendocrine Tumour (NET) patients who have serotonin-producing tumours. To a certain extent, that's true but statement such as "it's the hormones" is an easy assumption to make; or an easy answer to give in response to a complex set of circumstances. It's difficult to get a definitive answer and the science behind the behaviour of our hormones isn't…
Neuroendocrine Cancer: Fibrosis – an unsolved mystery?
What happened to me? Since I was diagnosed in 2010, I've always known about a fibrosis issue in my retroperitoneal area. It was identified on the very first CT scan which triggered my diagnosis. Here's how the radiologist described it - "There is a rind of abnormal tissue surrounding the aorta extending distally from below the renal vessels. This measures up to 15mm in thickness". Followed by a statement saying that it was "almost certainly malignant". The second and third scans would go on to describe as "retroperitoneal fibrosis" and "a plaque-like substance". Interestingly the fibrosis itself does not appear…
Histamine – NET or NOT?
Histamine is mentioned a lot in both patient groups and in literature as somehow connected with NETs, particularly with so called carcinoid syndrome (CS). In fact, various putative mediators, including serotonin, catecholamines, brady- and tachykinins, kallikrein, histamine, motilin, and prostaglandins, have been suggested as potential causative factors for the symptoms and complications associated with CS. It is generally believed that most of these tumour-derived secretory products are inactivated by hepatocytes and, therefore, only cause symptoms when they either bypass or are secreted outside of the portal vein drainage system. I wanted to focus on Histamine in this article. But what is the…
A spotlight on 5-HIAA
Background. It's important to note that not every type of Neuroendocrine Neoplasm will get the same tests due to the heterogenous nature of this cancer type. Some are more specific than others. A wide range of tests may be necessary at diagnosis if the type of NET is not clear. This post will cover one of the main tests to check for a common type of Neuroendocrine Tumour (NET) that is known to secrete excess amounts of the hormone Serotonin leading to symptoms indicative of Carcinoid Syndrome. These tumours are often labelled using the antiquated and misnomer term ‘Carcinoid Tumour’ but more…