Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome (ECS) Archives

Tag: Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome (ECS)

Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome is a condition caused by an ACTH-secreting tumor outside the pituitary or adrenal glands. It occurs due to the excess amounts of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which usually controls the production of another hormone called cortisol. Coritsol helps to regulate the metabolism, fight infections, regulate blood sugar levels and respond to stress.

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22 Mar 2025

By Ronny Allan

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Neuroendocrine Cancer: Functional vs Non-functional

A spotlight on NENs - Syndromes, Patient Advocacy, Spotlight on NENs - Types SeriesCarcinoid syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome (ECS), Functional tumour, Gastrinoma, Glucagonoma, Insulinoma, NET syndromes, Non-functional tumour, Somatostatinoma, VIPoma

The terms functional and non-functional come up a lot in documents describing Neuroendocrine Cancer. They also feature highly in patient groups. But what do these terms actually mean? Functional / Non-FunctionalNeuroendocrine Tumours are treatable for most but the difficult part can be arriving at a diagnosis. Moreover, some Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) can be silently growing and as they grow slowly, the 'silence' can go on for some years. Even with a syndrome, the root cause can remain disguised as the symptoms are similar to many day-to-day illnesses. There can be the odd exception but in general terms, NETs are either functional (with…

26 Feb 2025

By Ronny Allan

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Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

A spotlight on NENs, Awareness, Patient AdvocacyAdvanced neuroendocrine cancer, Blue Book, Carcinoid syndrome, Carcinoid tumour, Cushing's syndrome, Diagnosis, Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome (ECS), Gastrinoma, Gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (GEP-NET), Glucagonoma, Hormones, Incurable cancer, Insulinoma, Metastatic Neuroendocrine Cancer, Mixed Neuroendocrine Non-Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (MiNEN), NET syndromes, Neuroendocrine, Neuroendocrine cancer, Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), Neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN), Neuroendocrine tumour (NET), Somatostatinoma, VIPoma

The riddle.For many years, I've been reading and blogging about Neuroendocrine Neoplasms, NENs for short. NEN is a relatively new term which came after my diagnosis. Nomenclature is still evolving and there is always something to learn. It's also true to say the term 'Neuroendocrine Neoplasms' is the same as saying 'Neuroendocrine Cancer'. These neoplasms are cancers that begin in specialised cells called 'neuroendocrine cells'. Neuroendocrine cells have traits similar to those of nerve cells and hormone-producing cells, particularly the latter. In face one NET specialist said "While the name “neuroendocrine” implies that these tumors involve both nerve cells and…

12 Dec 2022

By Ronny Allan

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Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in the treatment of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Clinical Trials and Research, TreatmentClinical trial, Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome (ECS), Glucagonoma, Insulinoma, Lung NETs, Pancreatic NET (PanNET), Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)

What is Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)? External beam radiotherapy has been around for decades, but the technology has evolved dramatically. Today’s treatments involve new techniques, new machines, and new imaging methods, and these terms are often mixed together in ways that confuse patients. When people talk about “SBRT,” “CyberKnife,” or “Proton Beam,” they are often referring to completely different layers of radiotherapy — a technique, a platform, or a type of radiation. Some names are even brand‑specific. Understanding which layer each term belongs to makes the whole field much easier to navigate. SBRT is an external beam radiotherapy technique,…

28 Jul 2020

By Ronny Allan

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Paraneoplastic Syndromes – the NET Effect

Patient Advocacy, Survivorship, The NET Effect SeriesAcromegaly, Cushing's syndrome, Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome (ECS), Hypercalcemia, Hyperglycemia, Hypoglycemia, Neurologic paraneoplastic syndromes, Paraneoplastic syndromes, Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH)

Although several hypotheses have been proposed regarding the pathogenesis of Paraneoplastic Syndromes (PNS), the precise mechanism that leads to the development of PNS remains largely unknown. In simple terms, pathogenesis means "the manner of development of a disease". Disclaimer. I read widely and noted various papers where there was clearly confusion about the classification of paraneoplastic in relation to Neuroendocrine Neoplasms. Some papers grouped known Neuroendocrine Tumour hormonal syndromes in, but others were more specific by filtering these into ectopic scenarios. I eventually filtered out papers based on the expertise of the authors and the common threads running in each…