Cortisol Archives

01 Dec 2024

23 Comments

Neuroendocrine Cancer – tumour markers and hormone levels

A Spotlight on NENs - Testing Series, Patient Advocacy131I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine (mIBG), 5-HIAA, 5-HT, 5-HTP, 5-Hydrotryptophan (5-HTP), 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid (5-HIAA), 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH), Biopsy, C-peptide, Calcitonin, Carcinoid crisis, Carcinoid heart disease, Carcinoid syndrome, Catecholamines, Chromaffin cells, Chromogranin, Chromogranin A (CgA), Chromogranin B (CgB), Chromogranin C (CgC), Cortisol, Electrolytes, Endocrine, Fasting Gut Endocrine Profile, Flushing, Gastric NET, Gastrin, Gastrin pH, Gastrinoma, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Genetic testing, Glucagon, Glucagonoma, Hedinger syndrome, Histamine, Hormones, Hypertension, Insulin, Insulinoma, MEN1 syndrome, Metanephrines, Molecular markers, NETest, Neuroendocrine, Neuroendocrine cancer, Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), Neuroendocrine tumour (NET), Neurokinin A (NKA), NKA, NT-proBNP, Pancreastatin, Pancreatic cancer, Pancreatic NET (PanNET), Pancreatic polypeptide (PP), Pheochromocytoma, Plasma 5HIAA, PPoma, Proinsulin, Proton pump inhibitors (PPI), Red blood count (RBC), Renal insufficiency, Serotonin, Serum serotonin, Somatostatin, Somatostatinoma, Substance K, Substance P, Tachycardia, Tachykinin, VIPoma, Wheezing, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

Originally published 2016, updated October 2025 Background Some people hear the terms "tumour markers" and "hormone levels" when they are diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NENs). That might be confusing or even alarming at the time. Most people diagnosed with cancer will have had a form of medical testing at some point in their life, i.e. the sampling and testing of blood, urine, saliva, stool or body tissue. With NENs, the medical staff are just measuring the content of a 'substance' and then taking a view whether this is normal or not based on pre-determined ranges. These tests are normally done…

22 Oct 2024

By Ronny Allan

6 Comments

Neuroendocrine Tumour (NET) – don’t let it be a Crisis

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, TreatmentAdrenal medulla, Adrenaline, Carcinoid crisis, Carcinoid syndrome, Carcinoid tumour, Cardiopulmonary hemodynamic instability, Catecholamines, Chromaffin cells, Cortisol, Epi pens, Epinephrine, Hormonal crisis, Hormones, Hypertension, Hypotension, Intraoperative hypertensive crisis, NET syndromes, Neuroendocrine tumour (NET), Norepinephrine, Pheochromocytoma, Pressor amines, Serotonin, Somatostatin analogues, The 5 E's, Thorson-Bioerck syndrome, Vasoactive amines, Vasoactive peptides

Update February 2026. Before you read this, please note: Why Practice Is Changing Faster Than the Guidelines Modern peri‑operative management for neuroendocrine tumours is evolving rapidly, and several factors explain why clinical practice in some expert centres has moved ahead of formal guidelines: 1. New evidence challenges long‑held assumptions Recent surgical series — most prominently from OHSU Portland USA — show that prophylactic octreotide does not reliably prevent carcinoid crisis and that crises behave more like distributive shock, responding better to vasopressors than to somatostatin analogues. This directly contradicts decades of dogma. 2. Guidelines update slowly by design Bodies such…

24 Jul 2024

By Ronny Allan

3 Comments

Diabetes – The NET Effect

Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Survivorship, The NET Effect SeriesAdrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH), Afinitor, Blood glucose, Cortisol, Cushing's syndrome, Diabetes, Distal pancreatectomy, Everolimus, Exocrine function (pancreas), Glucagon, Glucagonoma, Glycated Hemoglobin (A1C), HbA1c, Hyperglycemia, Hypoglycemia, Insulin, Insulinoma, Lanreotide, NET syndromes, Octreotide, Pancreas, Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), Pancreatogenic diabetes, Pancreoprivic diabetes, Prediabetes, Somatostatin analogues, Somatostatinoma, Sunitinib (Sutent), Total pancreatectomy, Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, Type 3c diabetes, Type 3c diabetes mellitus (T3cDM), Whipple procedure

Updated January 2026Originally published September 2018. My chest infection is now settled, as too is the excitement and apprehension behind my first ever Ga68 PET - the outcome of that is still a work in progress. Earlier this year, my thyroid 'lesion' on watch and wait was given a 'damping down' with the prescription of a thyroid hormone supplement but I await a re-ignition of that small bush fire downstream. Bubbling behind the scenes and clamouring for attention is the spiking of my blood glucose test results and I was very recently declared 'at risk' for diabetes with a score…

04 Apr 2016

By Ronny Allan

3 Comments

Somatostatin Analogues and delivery methods in the pipeline

Awareness, Clinical Trials and Research, Living with Neuroendocrine CancerAcromegaly, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH), Bynfezia Pen, COR-003, COR-005, Cortisol, CRN01941, Cushing's disease, Cushing's syndrome, DP1038, Everolimus, Flushing, Generic drugs, Growth hormone (GH), Hypercortisolism, Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), Lanreotide, Levoketoconazole (Recorlev), MTD201, MYCAPSSA , Neuroendocrine cancer, Neuroendocrine tumour (NET), Octreotide, Octreotide-RP, Pasireotide, Q-Octreotide, RECORLEV (levoketoconazole), SIGNIFOR® (Pasireotide), SOM230, Somatoprim, Somatostatin receptors (SSTR)

NOTE - THIS IS IN NEED OF AN UPDATE AND IS ON MY LIST OF THINGS TO DOThis is my live blog post covering new developments in the area of new Somatostatin Analogues and new delivery systems. AbstractAs most of you will be aware, there are currently two main types of Somatostatin Analogues (SSA) in use for the treatment of mainstream Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) - Octreotide and Lanreotide. You can click on the links for information on both of these well-known NET treatments. This post will focus on the not so well known and anything in the pipeline including different delivery…

Tag: Cortisol