19Jul 2023 by Ronny Allan No Comments
Biopsies – tissue is the issue!

Biopsies – tissue is the issue!

Patient Advocacy
Biopsies for suspected cancer  13 years ago on 19th July 2010, I had a liver biopsy.  Following some low hemoglobin and some weight loss reported to my GP surgery in May, I met with a specialist on 8th July and after sending me straight for a CT scan on the same day, I eventually had to have a liver biopsy done to confirm the cancer. I won't lie and say it was an enjoyable experience.  I vividly remember a lot of discomfort including pain.  At the time no-one knew I had metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumours; no-one knew I had associated carcinoid syndrome.  I suspect that may have played a part in the discomfort of that important procedure.  The doctor carrying out the biopsy had several assistants in the room and sent for…
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19Dec 2018 by Ronny Allan 2 Comments
Neuroendocrine Cancer: a needle in a haystack?

Neuroendocrine Cancer: a needle in a haystack?

Patient Advocacy
Reviewed and edited 16th July 2023It's no secret that Neuroendocrine Cancer can be difficult to diagnose. Although earlier diagnosis is improving (as reported in the SEER database report issued in 2017 and also in many other places), there is still a lot of ground to cover. There are a number of reasons why these Neoplasms are often difficult to correctly and quickly diagnose including but not limited to: - they grow silently, they often produce vague symptoms which can be mistaken for much more common illnesses, and their complexity is not fully understood.Neuroendocrine Cancer is a heterogenous group of cancers so I may use the following terms in this post:Neuroendocrine Neoplasm (NENs) - a combination term for both well differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) and Neuroendocrine Carcinomas (NECs)I wanted to cover…
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27Jan 2017 by Ronny Allan 2 Comments
Endoscopy for NETs – taking the camera to the tumour

Endoscopy for NETs – taking the camera to the tumour

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter Share on pinterest Pinterest Share on whatsapp WhatsApp Share on email Email An Endoscopy is a procedure where the inside of your body is examined using an instrument called an endoscope. This is a long, thin, flexible tube that has a light source and camera at one end. Images of the inside of your body are relayed to a television screen. Endoscopes can be inserted into the body through a natural opening, such as the mouth and down the throat, or through the bottom.  The mouth route is more accurately called a Gastroscopy and the anal route is called a Colonoscopy (or a reduced version called a Sigmoidoscopy).  An endoscope can also be inserted through a small cut (incision) made in the skin when…
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05Nov 2016 by Ronny Allan 8 Comments
Neuroendocrine Cancer – If you can see it, you can detect it!

Neuroendocrine Cancer – If you can see it, you can detect it!

Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Survivorship
Content in my review queue (line). Background Scanning is a key diagnostic support and surveillance tool for any cancer.  Even though you have elevated bloods or urine (....or not), a picture of your insides is really like a thousand words.... and each picture has a story behind it. Scanning can be a game changer in the hunt for tumours and although scans do not normally confirm the cancer type and grade, they certainly help with that piece of detective work and are key in the staging of the cancer. When I read stories of people in a difficult diagnosis, I always find myself saying 'a scan might resolve this' and I always suggest people should try to get one.  Even in the case of a story about late diagnosis or a misdiagnosis, I…
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