22Feb 2023 by Ronny Allan 2 Comments
A spotlight on Gastric Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

A spotlight on Gastric Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

A spotlight on NENs - Types, Awareness, Patient Advocacy, Spotlight on NENs - Types Series, Treatment
What are Gastric NENsUnlike other anatomical types, the word Gastric is used to indicate a tumour (NET) or carcinoma (NEC) in the stomach.  The stomach lies at the bottom of your oesophagus and connects to the first part of the small intestine (the duodenum).  Clearly a key part of the gastrointestinal system, it processes food on its journey downwards.The stomach produces strong acid. This kills many microorganisms that might have been swallowed along with the food. It also contains special chemicals called enzymes. These are important for breaking down the food so it can be absorbed by the body. After it leaves the stomach, the partially digested food passed into the intestines where it begins to be absorbed.The main parts of the stomach are shown below (often this can give…
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28Sep 2017 by Ronny Allan 19 Comments
Ever wonder what caused your Neuroendocrine Cancer?

Ever wonder what caused your Neuroendocrine Cancer?

Patient Advocacy
OPINION.  When you're diagnosed, you go through a whole host of emotions. It's not just the initial shock, the disbelief, the anxiety and morbid worry produced by the words "you have cancer", it's other stuff such as anger and denial.  With the latter, the denial normally wears off as you finally accept the predicament.In hindsight, the anger is interesting because there can be a mixture of thoughts including "why me", "what could I have done to head this off"; and would you believe I was even angry that my diagnosis was going to affect my performance at work and even my personal credibility.  We all react differently but in general terms our experiences can be categorised into 3 main areas: initial reaction, distress and then adjustment.Initially, I was frustrated I didn't…
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14Jul 2015 by Ronny Allan 20 Comments
Neuroendocrine Cancer Nutrition Series Article 2 – Gastrointestinal Malabsorption

Neuroendocrine Cancer Nutrition Series Article 2 – Gastrointestinal Malabsorption

Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Survivorship, Treatment
Neuroendocrine Cancer Nutrition Series Article 2 – Gastrointestinal Malabsorption is the second article in the Neuroendocrine Cancer Nutrition series. In the first article, I focused on Vitamin and Mineral deficiency risks for patients and there is a big overlap with the subject of Gastrointestinal Malabsorption. Those who remember the content will have spotted the risks pertaining to the inability to absorb particular vitamins and minerals. This comes under the general heading of Malabsorption and in Neuroendocrine Cancer patients, this can be caused or exacerbated by one or more of a number of factors relating to their condition. It's also worth pointing out that malabsorption issues can be caused by other reasons unrelated to NETs. Additionally, malabsorption and nutrient deficiency issues can form part of the presenting symptoms which eventually lead to a diagnosis…
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