Neuroendocrine Cancer:  Beware But Be Aware

Neuroendocrine Cancer: Beware But Be Aware

Awareness
An awareness post from Ronny Allan BEWAREThere are a lot of scary diseases in this world.  Take the lesser-known type of cancer that infiltrated my body for example - Neuroendocrine Cancer.  Not only is it scary but it's also cunning, devious, misleading, and double-crossing. It likes nothing better than to play tricks on you.It will grow in your body without you knowing.  It finds places to hide, mainly the small intestine, appendix, lungs, stomach, pancreas, rectum, and a host of other places. It can be fiendishly small to avoid being seen.  Once it's established in the primary location (....or locations), it will try to break out via your blood and lymphatic systems.  It wants to establish other bases in your mesentery, your liver, your lymph nodes, your bones, and any…
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Neuroendocrine Cancer:  Glossary of Terms

Neuroendocrine Cancer: Glossary of Terms

Awareness, Clinical Trials, Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship, Treatment
Welcome to my Neuroendocrine Cancer Glossary of Terms list providing a source of meanings for acronyms and medical terms, all sourced from top Neuroendocrine Cancer and general cancer sites. How to use this list: 1. If your term begins with an A, click on A to find all terms beginning with A.  Select your term from the list. 2. For numerical terms, please click on the hashtag (#) symbol in the A-to-Z strip. 3. The term definition including acronym or abbreviation will be given in full along with any of my published articles containing that term as long as I have tagged it on my website to display in the list. Please note I'm constantly working on the repository to clean up all definitions, adding and removing links where necessary,…
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Every picture tells a story (point, click, read)

Every picture tells a story (point, click, read)

Awareness, Clinical Trials, Diet and Nutrition, Inspiration, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Newsletters, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship, Treatment
I always try to use graphics for a number of pictures, I admit mainly to catch people's attention but also because sometimes a picture on its own tells a story or at least provides a great introduction to one. If the picture catches your eye, clicking on will take you to the text.  This post will auto update as new blogs are published. thanks for reading and sharing! Scroll, point, click, read, share! Click here and answer all questions to join my private Facebook group Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter Share on pinterest Pinterest Share on whatsapp WhatsApp Share on email Email Thanks for reading. Ronny I’m also active on Facebook. Like my page for even more news. Help me build up my new site here –…
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Neuroendocrine Cancer: The Perfect Storm

Neuroendocrine Cancer: The Perfect Storm

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship
As featured by Neuroendocrine Cancer UK (formerly NET Patient Foundation) It's well known that Neuroendocrine Cancer can often be a very difficult to diagnose condition. However, what is less well known is the impact it has on those who are diagnosed.  I'm one of the lucky ones, even though I still ended up with distant metastases.  It does feel odd to say that having distant metastasis is lucky! I consider my diagnosis to have been incidental as they were not investigating cancer - I suspect that's the route for many cancer patients. I also think I was lucky because I had instant access to Neuroendocrine Cancer specialists and got quick treatment, and my follow up and support from a specialist centre were in place. I cope, but I wouldn’t say…
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Neuroendocrine Cancer: Double, Double Toil and Trouble

Neuroendocrine Cancer: Double, Double Toil and Trouble

Awareness
DoubleNeuroendocrine Cancer is a complex and difficult disease to diagnose, many people struggle with symptoms for some time before they are formally diagnosed.  Some continue to struggle after diagnosis. There are many facets that can confound a physician - at diagnosis and beyond.Double ToilIf it's not enough just to have tumours growing inside your body, this cancer can also be uncannily quiet delaying diagnosis.  At the same time, the tumours can still be 'functional' and over-secrete certain hormones to add or introduce symptoms which mimic many other diseases or conditions, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Menopause, Heart disease and Asthma - also delaying diagnosis.   In addition to common symptoms of flushing and diarrhea, others include generally feeling weak, fatigued, pain, agitated, anxious, dizzy, nauseous, acid reflux, skin irritation, anaemic,…
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Neuroendocrine Cancer: No one gets it until they get it!

Neuroendocrine Cancer: No one gets it until they get it!

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy
Over the years of my advocating, I've tried to explain Neuroendocrine Cancer to many people outside the community.  Some 'get it' but many don't.  Most understand 'Cancer', but they have real difficulty understanding 'Neuroendocrine'.  Despite how hard I try, I can see that some of them just don't get it!  I told someone I had a primary in the small intestine once, they said "oh you have bowel cancer then?" - NO! One of the challenges of explaining Neuroendocrine Cancer is the sheer complexity and spectrum of types. It's a heterogeneous grouping of cancers ranging from some quite indolent versions to very aggressive versions similar to many dangerous adenocarcinomas.  Unlike many of the more understood cancers, Neuroendocrine Cancer can literally appear anywhere in the body, adding to an already complex description. …
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Proton Pump Inhibitors (…..and H2 Blockers) the NET Effect

Proton Pump Inhibitors (…..and H2 Blockers) the NET Effect

Treatment
What are Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)?Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly used medications in the world. They reduce the production of acid by blocking the enzyme in the wall of the stomach that produces acid. Acid is necessary for the formation of most ulcers in the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum, and the reduction of acid with PPIs prevents ulcers and allows any ulcers that exist in the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum to heal. PPIs are prescribed to treat acid-related conditions such as:Esophageal, duodenal and stomach ulcersNSAID-associated ulcerUlcersGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome - ZES (note this is a syndrome associated with a functioning duodenal or pancreatic NET known as a Gastrinoma)They also are used in combination with antibiotics for eradicating Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that together with acid…
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter Covering November 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter Covering November 2018

Newsletters
Summary for November 2018 NET News 1. I supported the annual NET Cancer Day event in my own style, contributing SIGNIFICANTLY to both Facebook and Twitter social media platforms.  My twitter accounts were the biggest contributors to the #LETsTalkAboutNETs and #NeuroendocrineCancer hashtags for several days straddling the 10th Nov and between this and my Facebook account, I accounted for a significant proportion of the data recently published by INCA.   I almost got to my 1 million 'reach' on twitter in ONE WEEK straddling NET Cancer Day (see below) - just a wee Scottish guy with a less common disease and a computer. Curiously not mentioned by INCA in their recent newsletter.  So I thought I'd mention it instead. Mind you, every day is NET Cancer Day on my social media…
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter Covering October 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter Covering October 2018

Newsletters
Summary for October 2018 NET News Several headlines covering the past month: 1. The annual NANETS symposium took place last month and I constructed an article of several important outputs.  One day I might make it there, been to ENETS twice.  Would love to attend UKINETS but they don't seem very 'patient' friendly. 2. I spoke alongside IPSEN Pharma SAS (Global HQ) at the annual Eye for Pharma Patient Summit. It was an honour and a privilege to stand in front of 200 people to tell my personal story plus my involvement in LivingWithNETs.com.  The audience was a mix of the Pharmaceutical industry, Healthcare industry and Patient Advocates from many different illnesses.  A fantastic and real awareness opportunity which is part of my promise to take NET awareness to new…
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Neuroendocrine Cancer Hormonal Syndromes – a witch’s brew

Neuroendocrine Cancer Hormonal Syndromes – a witch’s brew

Awareness
One of the key awareness messages for Neuroendocrine Cancer is the hormonal syndromes that can often accompany the diagnosis for many people.  As it's a difficult disease to diagnose, many people struggle with these syndromes for some time before formal diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Cancer.  Some continue to struggle after. Neuroendocrine Cancer can often be uncannily quiet, but the tumours can be 'functional' and over-secrete certain hormones to add or introduce symptoms that mimic many other diseases or conditions, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Menopause, Heart disease and Asthma.   In addition to common symptoms of flushing and diarrhea, others include generally feeling weak, fatigued, pain, agitated, anxious, dizzy, nauseous, acid reflux, skin irritation, anaemic, weight loss, weight gain, low blood sugar, high blood sugar, heart palpitations, headaches, sweating, high blood…
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter Covering September 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter Covering September 2018

Newsletters
Summary for September 2018 NET News Several headlines covering the past month: 1. The annual NANETS symposium kicks off in a few days. I'm hoping to bring you news from the event (remotely, I won't be there) and perhaps a summary in next month's newsletter. 2. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has a proposal on their desk to harmonise the grading structure for all types of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NEN). I've actually been ahead of the game for over a year since I found out this was coming and it's reflected in my 18 month old post on Staging and Grading. Be careful where you look as many are still behind the curve on this issue. Their proposals are interesting as they are recommending the final removal of the last vestiges…
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Don’t worry, it’s benign!

Don’t worry, it’s benign!

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy
OPINIONOne of the most controversial aspects of Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) is the ‘benign vs malignant’ question. It’s been widely debated, and it frequently patrols the various patient forums and other social media platforms. It raises emotions and it triggers many responses ….. at least from those willing to engage in the conversation. At best, this issue can cause confusion, at worst, it might contradict what new patients have been told by their physicians (….or not been told). This post will not cover Neuroendocrine Carcinoma which by standard cancer nomenclature definition is malignant.Any standard cancer nomenclature definition of the word 'tumour' will confirm the definition of the word tumour means it can either be benign or malignant. However, and while I'm sure there are benign NETs, the key statement to explain…
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Neuroendocrine Cancer: Diagnosing the Undiagnosed

Neuroendocrine Cancer: Diagnosing the Undiagnosed

Patient Advocacy
Neuroendocrine Cancer is one of a number of "difficult to diagnose" conditions. Many types of Neuroendocrine Cancer come with an associated syndrome and these syndromes can mimic everyday illnesses. In many cases, people don't even feel ill while the tumours grow. Most types of this cancer are slow-growing but there are also aggressive versions. Although things appear to be improving in diagnostic terms, it can sometimes take years for someone to be finally diagnosed correctly and get treatment, albeit in some cases, too late for any hope of a curative scenario. It's a very sneaky type of cancer and if left too long it can be life threatening - Click here to find out why. The road to a diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Cancer is often not straight or easy to navigate.…
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Neuroendocrine Cancer is not a ‘type’ of another Cancer ….. PERIOD!

Neuroendocrine Cancer is not a ‘type’ of another Cancer ….. PERIOD!

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy
Now the dust has settled on the death and funeral of Neuroendocrine Cancer patient Aretha Franklin, the community needs to review the strategy for how we explain the nomenclature of Neuroendocrine Cancer to outsiders including the media, and including doctors.About 95% of the articles I read about Aretha Franklin stated she had Pancreatic Cancer. Only a few quoted her physician who clumsily said "Pancreatic Cancer of the Neuroendocrine Type". Her death certificate quoted "Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Cancer". Despite this, the media outlet that published her death certificate still led the article with the headline "Pancreatic Cancer". Exactly the same thing happened with Steve Jobs and a few others. And that's only the ones we know about - how many other pe0ple are being labelled and documented with the wrong cancer type?I…
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter Covering August 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter Covering August 2018

Newsletters
[caption id="attachment_13604" align="aligncenter" width="959"] RIP Aretha Franklin - Neuroendocrine Cancer[/caption] Summary for August 2018 NET News Several headlines covering the past month: 1. The death of Aretha Franklin was a shock to her many fans around the world, including myself. I had no idea she was a Neuroendocrine Cancer patient. However, it would appear her death is being assigned as 'Pancreatic Cancer' mainly due to a rather clumsy statement from her physician. Despite the fact that her death certificate specifically confirms Neuroendocrine Cancer, we will be fighting a hard battle for years to come. The same thing happened with Steve Jobs, although I suspect we have now won that battle despite frequently news articles saying Pancreatic Cancer. Read about Aretha Franklin here and check out the link to her death…
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter JULY 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter JULY 2018

Newsletters
Summary for July Personal News  Another unusual month, after a bizarre June.  The chest infection has gone but still awaiting results of an x-ray to confirm.  July was supposed to be partly holiday but that was cancelled due to illness.  The chest infection caused a 4kg weight loss and only half of this has returned to date.  I also got the results of my first ever Ga68 PET Scan and this resulted in an article below. No longer a boring stable patient but nothing that needs doing imminently. Many thanks to all the messages which continue to arrive both public and privately, I'm most grateful.  I received my 100th Lanreotide earlier in the month and I'm still here following my 8 year 'cancerversary' on 26 July 2018.  Many of you…
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter JUNE 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter JUNE 2018

Newsletters
Summary for June For the first time in 3 years, I didn't write any new articles in a single month (other than the monthly newsletter).  This was due to a prolonged chest infection from which I'm still recovering.  I'm so much better now (thankfully) but I suspect recovery has been slightly hampered by the recent UK heatwave. I managed a relaxing short break on the south coast of England to make up for my cancelled 3 week road trip to Scotland  My weight remains below 10 stone, the lightest I have been for over 30 years. For me, weight loss is a red flag, although this occurrence wasn't sufficient for me to start waving one.  I will get the results of my Ga68 PET scan on 11 July (please note…
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter May 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter May 2018

Newsletters
  Summary for May Different type of intro to my newsletter as it's late due to unexpected illness.  In some ways, what happened in May is possibly connected.  I had quite a bit of work to do for a 'Patients Included' event in May in Berlin.  I managed to meet the deadlines and admit I was slightly out of my comfort zone. That said, it was a success and I managed an amazing amount of new contacts and awareness for Neuroendocrine Cancer.  I arrived back exhausted and turned my attention to another two things - a patient presentation to the inaugural UK Dietitian Group study day followed by a holiday to Wales. The study day was done on the way to my holiday, was very successful and I enjoyed it. …
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter April 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter April 2018

Newsletters
Headlines 1.  Patients Included.  I'm a big believer that patients should be included in all aspects of healthcare and I can very much relate to any initiative that promotes this. I'm therefore pleased to have been listed as a Patients Included accredited site providing further  EXTERNAL awareness opportunities - read about this here.  2. I've accepted an appointment to the Strategic Advisory Board on MultiMed Inc, the owner of Cancer Knowledge Network based in Canada who have featured my articles in the past (https://cancerkn.com/) - It also publishes a magazine called Current Oncology which is Medline listed. This is not a NET site but my inclusion will no doubt raise the profile for us. Read more here. 3. My blog site is 4 years old.  When I set my blog…
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Sapanisertib – a drug on trial for Neuroendocrine Tumors (NET) with a pancreatic primary

Sapanisertib – a drug on trial for Neuroendocrine Tumors (NET) with a pancreatic primary

Clinical Trials, Treatment
Researchers are testing the drug Sapanisertib to see if it can halt the progression of pancreatic NETs (pNETs) which cannot be surgically removed, have not responded to other treatment, and have spread to other parts of the body. What is Sapanisertib? Sapanisertib is one of a group of targeted therapy drugs that interferes with tumor progression by inhibiting an enzyme known as mTOR which a tumor cell needs for growth.  In fact this is the same technique used in Afinitor (Everolimus), already approved for NETs. It is also being tested in a number of different advanced cancers, including bladder, kidney, breast, liver, and certain types of lung cancers, among others. The Clinical Trial The primary goal of the phase II study is to evaluate how well pNET tumors respond to Sapanisertib.…
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter March 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter March 2018

Newsletters
Headline for the period of March 2018 is reaching a milestone of half a million blog views.  Yay ...... Read more here. Amazing that I clicked over the 500,000 mark in a taxi going from Barcelona airport to my hotel for ENETS 2018 where I'd been sponsored by INCA.  Fortunately I had prepared the post earlier and was able to spread the news in a few clicks.  I picked up some great information at this conference which I'm feeding into my articles so you get the best and latest thinking.  Here's a couple of pictures of me with famous NET specialists.  [caption id="attachment_12597" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Dr James Yao[/caption] [caption id="attachment_12598" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Dr Jonathan Strosberg[/caption] I caught this news in my social media NET A website I helped design with a…
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter February 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter February 2018

Newsletters
Another great start to the year in both NETs in the news and my social media activity. It's been really cold where I am though! I'm so busy with personal contacts, I decided to set up a chat room so that other people can help me answer some really difficult questions!  This 'chat rom' is not designed to run like a traditional Facebook forum, it's a place to make people feel safe and to discuss without the usual distractions and dramas that people often encounter. And .... it's about learning.  I welcome all types of NET, people from any country and I also welcome carers/caregivers and medical people (I already have a few of the latter). It's also a place where I will bring in expertise to chat about various…
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Don’t be underactive with your Thyroid surveillance

Don’t be underactive with your Thyroid surveillance

Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship, Treatment
From other posts, you'll be aware of the thyroid lesion (approx. 17 x 19mm) which I've been tracking since 2013. The surveillance included routine thyroid blood tests, mainly TSH, T3 and 4. I was out of range in TSH (elevated) but the T4 was at the lower end of the normal range.  On 20 March 2018, following an Endocrine appointment, I was put on a trial dose of 50mcg of Levothyroxine to counter the downwards trend in results indicating hypothyroidism, possibly due to the lesion. Levothyroxine is a thyroid hormone (thyroxine) replacement.  One month after taking these drugs, my thyroid blood levels are now normal for the first time in 4 years (since there are records of test results - it might be longer).[caption id="attachment_16877" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Click on the…
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RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter January 2018

RonnyAllan.NET – Community Newsletter January 2018

Newsletters
A great start to the year in both NETs in the news and my social media activity.  Of course the headline is the US FDA approval of Lutathera (Lu-177) - i.e. PRRT I caught this news in my social media NET FDA finally approves PRRT in USA. Long awaited and has caused much excitement on all forms of social media. I'm very pleased for my USA friends but we mustn't forget it's also required in so many other places.  Help me populate locations in my live article on  PRRT click here. NET Epidemiology continues to be discussed and (yet) another well known NET expert confirms my 2 year old article saying that the  disease can no longer be considered rare. I suspect more dominoes will follow. Click here for the evidence. MIDATECH Pharma…
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I now take food with my medicine!

I now take food with my medicine!

Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Survivorship
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter Share on pinterest Pinterest Share on whatsapp WhatsApp Share on email Email If you want to strike up a friendly conversion with a Brit, ask him or her about the weather - we're really famous for our weather conversations and they normally focus on rain or clouds!  However, despite the famous British 'reserve' and 'stiff upper lip', they also frequently talk about being 'under the weather', a phrase meaning slightly unwell or in low spirits.I find myself smiling at some of the conversations I hear in medical establishment waiting rooms, particularly the potentially long wait for blood tests.  Here, conversations bypass the weather and focus on being under the weather! I thought I was a regular when I started to recognise people…
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Neuroendocrine Cancer and Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) – the Digested Version (Nutrition Series Article 5)

Neuroendocrine Cancer and Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) – the Digested Version (Nutrition Series Article 5)

Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship, Treatment
After 7 years of avoiding pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) since diagnosis, I finally asked for some on a trial basis at the end of 2017.  To be honest, for some time, I thought they were really only needed in the NET world for those with pancreatic issues (pNETs).  I've always known I've had some digestive issues related to malabsorption. However, I'm not losing weight - this has been stable for some years (but see below).  Plus, my key vitamin levels (B12 and D) were in range.  However, I had been struggling with a lot of bloating issues, thus the trial.  You know me, I like to research and analyse such things! I've actually written about a lot of these issues in my Nutrition series ..... so this is now 'Article…
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Targeted Alpha-emitter Therapy (TAT) – the wave of the future in nuclear oncology/PRRT?

Targeted Alpha-emitter Therapy (TAT) – the wave of the future in nuclear oncology/PRRT?

Clinical Trials
What is Targeted Alpha-emitter Therapy?Regular PRRT which is authorised for use now, i.e. Lutathera/Lu177 is a beta therapy.  Targeted Alpha Therapy is based on the coupling of alpha particle emitting radioisotopes to tumour selective carrier molecules, such as monoclonal antibodies or peptides. These molecules have the ability to selectively target tumour cells even if they are spread throughout the body. They recognize the targeted cancer cells through antigens that are expressed on the cell surface and can bind selectively to these cells, similar a key fitting into a lock. In targeted alpha therapy these carrier molecules serve as vehicles to transport the radioisotopes to the cancer cells. This is called the "magic bullet" approach. Radioisotopes that emit alpha particles seem particularly promising to selectively destroy cancer cells. Alpha particles have…
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NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter DECEMBER 2017

NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter DECEMBER 2017

Newsletters
6 HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome to Ronny Allan's Community newsletter for December 2017. A quieter month due to the holiday season in the latter half.  I was generally quieter in the first half too, maybe that's a good thing? Nonetheless, I still managed to accumulate nearly 20,000 hits this month. At the end of 2017, I've been reflecting on the amazing support from you guys.  I'm a bit 'discombobulated' but also proud to see that I've had an amazing quarter of a million hits on my blog site in 2017 alone, double the 2016 figure.  It seems almost impossible to carry that momentum on in 2018 but I'll give it a go!  Check out my top 6 posts of 2017 by clicking here. AND ..... I'm now officially ronnyallan.NET…
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Neuroendocrine Cancer – surveillance and follow up

Neuroendocrine Cancer – surveillance and follow up

Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship
Since 2010 I've had a lot of surveillance and testing. More than people can imagine. I can see from various comments on my public pages and posts within my private group, that some people get a lot more than me and I get more than others. It's not true to say we all get the same, there are many factors including stage, grade, type of Neuroendocrine Neoplasm, healthcare system/guidelines, miscellaneous problems, therapy, and even age.In the first year or two after diagnosis, I seemed to be in a continuous testing phase but that was mainly due to seeing so many different doctors for so many different issues. In reality, I was seeing and being assessed by my Oncologist around 3-month intervals, eventually moving to four. After that, I moved to…
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Update:  Management of Neuroendocrine Tumors

Update: Management of Neuroendocrine Tumors

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Treatment
This is an excellent and positive video based overview of where we are with the Management of NETs.  This is a presentation from a NET Specialist (who some of you may know) presenting to a "GI Malignancies" conference.  This is therefore not only awareness of NETs, it's also some good education for non NET GI experts who may only know the very basics. Useful for patients too!  I met Dr Strosberg in Barcelona (ENETS 2017) and thanked him for his presentational and scientific paper output which I often use in my articles. The classification picture is good as it explains the different facets of NETs and how NETs are classified and categorised in a general way - not seen it done this way before.   Slightly out of date as…
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NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter NOVEMBER 2017

NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter NOVEMBER 2017

Newsletters
Welcome to Ronny Allan's Community newsletter for November 2017. A very strong beginning of the month due to massive support for my Halloween themed but very serious and hard-hitting post "Neuroendocrine Tumors - no treats, just tricks". If you've not seen it or commented on it, check it out here on the Facebook site (currently 724 shares). I suspect the number of shares will never be beaten (there were 652 within 36 hours) and as far as I know perhaps this is now the most shared NET awareness post ever on social media. The support for this single post was so phenomenal; it actually eclipsed my entire NET Cancer Day effort on 10 Nov! I am so grateful to those who made that happen ♥ That said, I was actually pretty…
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NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter OCTOBER 2017

NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter OCTOBER 2017

Newsletters
Hi NETworkers! Welcome to Ronny Allan's Community newsletter for October 2017.  A very strong end of the month due to massive support for my Halloween themed but very serious and hard-hitting post "Neuroendocrine Tumors - no treats, just tricks". If you've not seen it or commented on it, check it out here on the Facebook site.  I suspect the number of shares will never be beaten (652 in 36 hours).  31 Oct 2017 is now the biggest number of views on any one day, breaking the previous record set in Jan 2017.  It also made October 2017 the highest monthly views ever.  I am so grateful to those who made that happen ♥ What's in the NET News The following news items may be of interest:   The huge (but expected) news…
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Opinion: Neuroendocrine Cancer – Can it be cured?

Opinion: Neuroendocrine Cancer – Can it be cured?

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship, Treatment
OPINION:"Cured" - In cancer, this word can evoke a number of emotions. Interestingly, not all these emotions will be as positive as you might think. If you want to spark a heated debate on a Neuroendocrine Cancer patient forum, just mention that you've been cured. I'm not taking any sides by using this statement, just stating what actually happens and the deeply held views that persist in community groups. One important factor in some of this thinking is that many people still remember the days where most diagnoses were late and many followed years of misdiagnoses for other conditions. But the latest statistics (and even these can be said to be quite old) indicate things are changing. The massive increase in incidence rates indicates earlier diagnoses and it's true for…
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Genetics and Neuroendocrine Tumors

Genetics and Neuroendocrine Tumors

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Survivorship
In my article 'Ever wonder what caused your NET', I concluded that currently, the only known scientifically explained causes for NETs were hereditary/genetic in nature.  This is mostly associated with those who have MEN syndromes (yes, they are a syndrome not a type of tumour)[caption id="attachment_13063" align="aligncenter" width="530"] Click to read my MEN article[/caption]There also strong connections with and a few other less common types of NET including Pheochomocytoma/Paraganglioma (Pheo/Para) and Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC) (the familial version of MTC is often referred to as FMTC). However, please note this does not mean that all those diagnosed with pancreatic, parathyroid, pituarity, Pheo/Para and MTC tumours, will have any hereditary or genetic conditions, many will simply be sporadic tumors.[caption id="attachment_16075" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Click to read my article on Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma[/caption]In recent…
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Cancer Isn’t All About Me

Cancer Isn’t All About Me

Awareness, Inspiration, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship, Treatment
[caption id="attachment_11078" align="alignleft" width="150"] As featured by Cure Magazine[/caption][caption id="attachment_4318" align="aligncenter" width="500"] It's about others too[/caption]Since my diagnosis of incurable and metastatic neuroendocrine cancer in 2010, it's really all been about me. I didn’t see the trauma coming, and my family has supported me throughout every single step. I really don’t want to be the focus of attention as that mantle was normally evenly distributed. However, there’s nothing like a cancer diagnosis to put you into the spotlight.Facing an uncertain future with regular scans, injections, treatment, pills, examinations and blood tests has made me the center of attention, whether I like it or not. The focus is on me because these things are necessary to keep me alive for as long as possible and also because I live with the…
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NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter SEPTEMBER 2017

NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter SEPTEMBER 2017

Newsletters
Hi NETworkers! Welcome to my monthly 'Community' newsletter. This is September 2017's monthly summary of Ronny Allan's Community news, views and ICYMI (in case you missed it!). NET News The following news items may be of interest:   The European Commission (EC) approved Lu-177 Lutathera (PRRT) on 28 Sep.  This is the first time the drug has ever been approved, despite being in use for  over 10 years.  In USA, the FDA gave a date of 28 Jan 2018 for its decision to approve or not.  Read more here.   The European Commission approved the use of XERMELO (telotristat ethyl) for use in Carcinoid Syndrome diarrhea not adequately controlled by somatostatin analogues. Read more here.   The US FDA approved an add-on indication for Lanreotide (Somatuline) for treatment of carcinoid syndrome, adding…
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Categories, tissues and primary sites – the lost awareness of Neuroendocrine Cancer

Categories, tissues and primary sites – the lost awareness of Neuroendocrine Cancer

Awareness
BackgroundWhen you look at how cancer is classified and broken down, you can see why Neuroendocrine Neoplasm (the overarching term for Neuroendocrine Tumour and Neuroendocrine Carcinoma) often appears unlisted in certain websites and in certain clinical publications and press releases.  Moreover, it robs awareness and funding for Neuroendocrine Cancer organisations, particularly when celebrities are involved in incorrect labelling. Below, I wanted to cover why that sometimes happens but also why that is undeservedly detrimental to Neuroendocrine Cancer awareness.Cancer CategoriesFrom a histological standpoint, there are hundreds of different cancers, which are grouped into six major categories:CarcinomaSarcomaMyelomaLeukemiaLymphomaMixed TypesYou may be like me and wondering where Neuroendocrine Tumours fit into these 6 types?  Clearly, they must be somewhere inside Carcinoma ...... and that must refer back to the Oberndorfer "Carcinoma-like" term, something which is…
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NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter AUGUST 2017

NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter AUGUST 2017

Newsletters
[caption id="attachment_10710" align="aligncenter" width="500"] background scene from my Instagram account - to see more check out the newsletter. Photo credit to Nick Lucas[/caption] Hi NETworkers! Welcome to my monthly 'Community' newsletter. This is August 2017's monthly summary of Ronny Allan's Community news, views and ICYMI (in case you missed it!). NET News The following news items may be of interest: PRRT takes a step forward to being formally approved in USA. FDA acknowledges receipt of revised application for approval.  Click here. However, in UK, there is a threat that PRRT won't be approved despite a positive recommendation by the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).  Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA), the manufacturers of Lu-177 Lutathera for use on PRRT, has had to respond to the UK's drug approver NICE's negative recommendation. …
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NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter JULY 2017

NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter JULY 2017

Newsletters
  Hi NETworkers! Welcome to my monthly 'Community' newsletter. This is July 2017's monthly summary of Ronny Allan's Community news, views and ICYMI (in case you missed it!).  July 26th was the 'Cancerversary' of my diagnosis - I'm still here after 7 years and I'm apparently a veritable newbie!  There's some great comments on my 'I'm Still Here' post - check them out ... 'click here' NET News The following news items may be of interest: Telotristat Ethyl (Xermelo) takes a step forward to being approved in Europe. Click here. PRRT takes a step forward to being approved in USA.  Click here. Ipsen launches the German version of 'Living with NETs' website.  Click here. What's happening on my Blog Site?   As per above, a quiet month.  Due to the vagaries of…
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At home with Lanreotide (….and Octreotide)

At home with Lanreotide (….and Octreotide)

Treatment
I think after 163 injections (as of May 2023), I think it's safe to say I'm now 'at home' with Lanreotide (Somatuline Autogel - Somatuline Depot elsewhere).  I want to talk about Lanreotide here because that is where my experience is. However, below I have included a bit about how patients can get their long-acting Octreotide (Sandostatin LAR) at home too.I was fortunate enough to have the injection 'at home' via an insurance policy for the first 4 years of my treatment.  That was handy because it was informal, chatty, and I had excellent 'continuity of service' with the same nurse administering 80-85% of those 54 injections.  I only had 3 other nurses over that period covering my local nurse's holiday etc.When I retired from work, I then had to…
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NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter JUNE 2017

NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter JUNE 2017

Newsletters
  Hi NETworkers! Welcome to my monthly 'Community' newsletter. This is June 2017's monthly summary of Ronny Allan's Community news, views and ICYMI (in case you missed it!). NET News The following news items may be of interest: NETs in the UK National News.  Great publicity.  Featuring NET Patient Foundation.  Click here. Personalised PRRT is highlighted.  Click here. Everolimus and Sunitinib. In England, NICE approves Everolimus (Afinitor) and Sunitinib (Sutent). Read more by clicking here. Videos from LACNETS.  I've not watched them all yet due to holiday but they are always great!  Click here. PRRT.  News of a PRRT trial being set up for Inoperable Pheochromocytoma/ Paraganglioma. Not yet recruiting but read more here. Immunotherapy.  Merkel Cell Carcinoma is already benefiting from an FDA approved drug with another pending.  Check out…
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Ronny Allan’s ‘PoNETry’ © – An Ode to Invisible Illness

Ronny Allan’s ‘PoNETry’ © – An Ode to Invisible Illness

Inspiration, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship
Ronny Allan's 'PoNETry' © series can be shared with poetry credit to:RonnyAllan.NETThanks for readingRonnyI also have one about Lanreotide (or "butt darts" in general) - click here Click here and answer all questions to join my private Facebook group Subscribe to my newsletter Email address First name (Optional) Last name (Optional) By subscribing, you agree with Revue’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Thanks for reading.RonnyI’m also active on Facebook. Like my page for even more news. Help me build up my new site here – click here and ‘Like’Sign up for my newsletters - Click HereDisclaimerMy Diagnosis and Treatment HistoryFollow me on twitterCheck out my online presentationsCheck out my WEGO Health AwardsLike my new awareness page - click here or on the photo.  (Like rather than follow please!)Check out my…
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NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter MAY 2017

NETwork with Ronny © – Community Newsletter MAY 2017

Newsletters
Hi NETworkers! Welcome to my monthly 'Community' newsletter. This is April 2017's monthly summary of Ronny Allan's Community news, views and ICYMI (in case you missed it!). This year, it's occurred to me that I've gone beyond just being known as a 'blog' and have transformed into something with a much wider focus within the NET Community and beyond. I've added a new section called NET News. This is a catch up of stuff I've accumulated over the past month but perhaps not yet posted or simply want to emphasise what I think is significant news about NETs or might impact or influence NETs  This section replaces 'Highlights' which will be renamed to 'NET Cancer Blog Activity' and cover my efforts to generate awareness and to help others. NET News The…
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ASCO 2017 – Let’s talk about NETs #ASCO17

ASCO 2017 – Let’s talk about NETs #ASCO17

Clinical Trials
ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) is one of the biggest cancer conferences in the world normally bringing together more than 30,000 oncology professionals from around the world to discuss state-of-the-art treatment modalities, new therapies, and ongoing controversies in the field.  As Neuroendorine Tumors is on a roll in terms of new treatments and continued research, we appear to be well represented with over 20 'extracts' submitted for review and display.  This is fairly complex stuff but much of it will be familiar to many.  I've filtered and extracted all the Neuroendocrine stuff into one list providing you with an easy to peruse table of contents, complete with relevant linkages if you need to read more.  For many the extract title and conclusion will be sufficiently educational or at least…
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NETwork with Ronny © – Newsletter April 2017

NETwork with Ronny © – Newsletter April 2017

Newsletters
Hi NETworkers! Welcome to my sixth 'Community' newsletter. This is April 2017's monthly summary of Ronny Allan's Community news, views and ICYMI (in case you missed it!). Highlights There are two main highlights for April which stood out for me: The publication of my WEGO Health Award PODCAST.  This was a radio interview prior to the announcement that I had won the WEGO 'Best in Show Community' award.  It was designed around a red carpet scenario where the nominees are entering the award ceremony (everything in the virtual world of course).  If you missed it, you can listen to it by clicking here. The announcement of new USA database figures for incidence and prevalence of NETs. This confirms it is now mathematically impossible for NETs not to be a rare disease in…
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The trouble with the NET (Part 3) – Miracle Cures

The trouble with the NET (Part 3) – Miracle Cures

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship
Since I started blogging, I've had to become quite savvy at forming headlines for my posts as the wording can be a factor in whether someone reads it or not. A post picture can also influence.  There's a third factor and that is credibility - I'd like to think I've worked hard to earn that level of trust in my 'product'. I use the NET to talk about NETs!  I'm a genuine guy with a genuine purpose and I don't want to sell you anything - my 'product' is free.However, the 'NET' can also provide 'misinformation'. Unfortunately 'misinformation' also includes 'alleged' cures for various ailments including cancer.  I think we've all been there, we check twitter, Facebook, Pinterest etc and we find the ubiquitous miracle cures for every illness under the…
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There’s no such thing as a ‘tickbox’ Neuroendocrine Cancer patient

There’s no such thing as a ‘tickbox’ Neuroendocrine Cancer patient

Awareness, Patient Advocacy
Thousands of people are diagnosed with cancer every day.  Many types of cancer have big patient populations due to the prevalence of diagnoses. They are so common that billions have been plowed into research and care services.  Doctors are used to seeing lots of these patients and they have tried and tested treatments and care protocols. Many will come out of their treatments and be under surveillance for a period (normally 5 years) and then be declared in remission. The problem with certain cancer symptoms is that they are not always clear-cut.  For example, take symptoms such as abdominal pain, flushing, diarrhea, weight loss, or fatigue - those can be caused by a whole host of things, many of which aren’t even cancer. It's difficult for any doctor to work out the…
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In the war on Neuroendocrine Cancer, let’s not forget to win the battle for better quality of life

In the war on Neuroendocrine Cancer, let’s not forget to win the battle for better quality of life

Awareness, Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship, Treatment
OPINION.  Date of Article March 2017.  In the last 24 months, there seems to have been announcement after announcement of new and/or upgraded/enhanced diagnostics and treatment types for Neuroendocrine Cancer.  Increased availability of radionuclide scans, increased availability of radionuclide therapies, combination therapies, increased availability of somatostatin analogues, biological therapies, enhanced surgical and minimally invasive techniques, new oral drugs for carcinoid syndrome, more trials including immunotherapy. Admittedly, some of the announcements are just expansions of existing therapies having been approved in new regions. Compared to some other cancers, even those which hit the headlines often, we appear to be doing not too badly. However, the pressure needs to stay on, all patients, regardless of where they live, need access to the best diagnostics and treatments for them, and at the requisite…
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Poker Face or Cancer Card?

Poker Face or Cancer Card?

Inspiration, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship
[caption id="attachment_11078" align="aligncenter" width="500"] As featured by Cure Magazine[/caption]Before I was diagnosed, I had my share of illnesses. Fortunately, many of them were the routine stuff that most people tend to get from time to time, and most did not stop me from getting on with whatever I needed to do. I served in the military from age 16 until 45 – a long time! On only two occasions during that 29-year period, did I involuntary visit a hospital: aged 16 having been knocked out at boxing (you should have seen the other guy!) and aged 39 after falling off a vehicle (in my defense it was really dark). Illness wasn't really something I thought much about and for minor things, I would just "soldier on.” So, from an early…
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It’s been 10 years since I saw a scalpel (….but my surgeon is still on speed dial)

It’s been 10 years since I saw a scalpel (….but my surgeon is still on speed dial)

Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Survivorship, Treatment
In 2012, I had a bunch of lymph nodes removed. Two separate areas were resected, only one was showing growth but both were showing up as hotspots on an Octreoscan.  I had known since shortly after diagnosis in 2010 that 'hotspots' were showing in my left 'axillary' lymph nodes (armpit) and my left 'supraclavicular fossa' (SCF) lymph nodes (clavicle area). Some 10 months previously, I had a major liver resection, and 5 months prior to the liver resection, I had a small intestinal primary removed including work on some associated complications.  There had always been a plan to optimise cytoreduction of my distant metastases, it was just a matter of timing. I still can't get my head around why metastases from a small intestinal NET managed to get to this area but…
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