Tag: Distal pancreatectomy

Surgery to remove the body and the tail of the pancreas. The spleen may also be removed. A distal pancreatectomy is usually done to remove benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer) pancreatic tumors found in the body or tail of the pancreas, but it may also be done to treat chronic pancreatitis and injuries to the pancreas.

16Sep 2018 by Ronny Allan 3 Comments

Diabetes – The NET Effect

Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Survivorship

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 clamoring for attention is the spiking of my blood glucose test results and I was very recently declared 'at risk' for diabetes One of my followers entitled a post in my group with "The hits keep coming" in reference to encountering yet another problem in the journey with Neuroendocrine Cancer. I now know how she feels, this issue is a bit…

07Jan 2015 by Ronny Allan 7 Comments

The Mother of all Surgeries

Treatment

[caption id="attachment_2338" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Surgery[/caption] My plan for this week's blog was to continue with a surgery theme using the story of a lady who had what was described as the "Mother of all Surgeries" after being late diagnosed with a very rare and advanced type of appendiceal cancer. With NETs, surgery is a topical subject as not everyone will be able to have it and some might not even need it. Check out my blog "to cut or not to cut". I suggested in a previous blog that 'Surgery is a gift that keeps on giving' and that is probably true for many cancer survivors. However, I then added that NETs were one of a small number of tumours for which surgical debulking can provide some survival advantage for those with metastatic and incurable disease. In my own case, I've…

What is Chromogranin A? Chromogranin A (CgA) is an acidic protein released along with catecholamines from chromaffin cells and nerve terminals. This statement alone might explain why it’s a good marker to use with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms. It is said to be a measure of tumour bulk. Depending on the test kit being used, you may […]

Neuroendocrine Cancer: Catch them early, not late!

Diagnosing Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NENs). It’s no secret that Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NENs) can be difficult to diagnose, particularly well differentiated slow growing types (NETs) which can sometimes be difficult to see. Plus, many patients present with relatively routine day to day symptoms suggesting a myriad of day-to-day illnesses seen daily in every GP/PCP practice. But conversely, […]

A spotlight on Rectal Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

What are Rectal NENs Rectal Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NENs) (rNENs) account for approximately 1-2% of all primary cancers in the rectum. The other main cancer types found in the rectum are regular adenocarcinomas (the vast majority) and some other rare types including Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and Lymphoma. The vast majority of rNENs will be well […]

Clinical Trial: Novel Somatostatin Receptor Subtype 2 Antagonist Labelled With Terbium-161 (161Tb-DOTA-LM3) (Beta plus)

A new clinical trial post. What is Terbium-161 (161Tb-DOTA-LM3) (Beta plus). Terbium-161 is a radioactive substance. DOTA-LM3 is a novel somatostatin antagonist targeted using somatostatin receptor number 2 (SSTR2). Combined they form a radioligand for use in Pepetide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT). It’s a beta emitter but labelled ‘plus’ on the basis it offers more […]

Repeat after me: Maria Menounos has Neuroendocrine Cancer

Like many people from outside USA, I don’t really know anything about Maria Menounos. For those in the same boat, let me confirm she is a very well-known personality in USA. A journalist, television presenter and actress. She has hosted Extra and E! News; she was a TV correspondent for Today, Access Hollywood, and co-hosted […]