09Oct 2023 by Ronny Allan 7 Comments
Neuroendocrine Cancer: Troublesome Thyroids

Neuroendocrine Cancer: Troublesome Thyroids

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Survivorship, Treatment
In 2013, just when I thought everything seemed to be under control, I was told I had a 'lesion' on the left upper lobe of my thyroid and that they had been monitoring it for a while.  Of course at the time, you immediately assume NET.  It was a bit of a shock as I had already been subjected to some radical surgery and wondered if this was just part of the relentless march of metastatic NET disease.  However, that would be a simple explanation. The thyroid gland does get mentioned frequently in NET patient discussions but many of the conversations I monitored didn't seem to fit my scenario - cue relentless study!  Despite the length of this blog post, it's intentionally brief, it's a huge and complex subject! I'll…
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15Jun 2016 by Ronny Allan 4 Comments

Neuroendocrine Cancer – it can be ‘smoke and mirrors’

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer
In a previous life, I used the term 'smoke and mirrors' quite a bit.  I was used to dealing with many different types of people, some who wanted something, some who wanted to buy or sell something. Most of the time it was overt but the devil was usually in the detail.  Sometimes there was an element of 'covertness' or a 'hidden agenda'.  It was always tricky working out the details of the hidden agenda and sometimes it was only known when it was too late.  Some of you will already be seeing where I'm going with this line of thinking - if so, you worked out my hidden agenda! 'Smoke and Mirrors' is basically a term connected to the art of deception, a con trick, a way in through confusion and…
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09Mar 2016 by Ronny Allan 4 Comments
A spotlight on Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN)

A spotlight on Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN)

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer
This is an overview, if you require detail, try my more comprehensive post by clicking here or on the picture[caption id="attachment_38157" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Click on the picture to read more[/caption]OverviewWe all know that Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) and their syndromes are complex but there is even more complexity to be found in a group of related disorders known as Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN).  I recommend all NET patients should try to understand the basics of MEN and vice versa, particularly as both conditions seem to come with a plethora of endocrine-related effects.MEN patients will normally have a tumour in at least two endocrine glands - thus the terms 'Multiple' and 'Endocrine' (tumours can also develop in other organs and tissues).  Neoplasia is just another name for tumour and these can be non-cancerous (benign) or…
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