14Dec 2016 by Ronny Allan 4 Comments
Neuroendocrine Tumours: a spotlight on Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma

Neuroendocrine Tumours: a spotlight on Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma

A spotlight on NENs - Types, Awareness, Patient Advocacy, Spotlight on NENs - Types Series
Updated 19th November 2023I spend a lot of time talking about the most common forms of Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs), but what about the less well-known types?  As part of my commitment to all types of NETs, I'd like to shine a light on two less common tumour types known as Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas - with an incidence rate of approximately 8 per million per year. They are normally grouped together, and the definitions below will confirm why.  If you think it's difficult to diagnose a mainstream NET, this particular sub-type is a real challenge.So, let's get definitions out of the way:Pheochromocytomas (Pheo for short)Pheochromocytomas are tumours of the adrenal gland that produce excess adrenaline. They arise from the central portion of the adrenal gland, which is called the adrenal medulla…
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10Aug 2015 by Ronny Allan 16 Comments
The Syndromes of Neuroendocrine Cancer – Early Signs of a Late Diagnosis

The Syndromes of Neuroendocrine Cancer – Early Signs of a Late Diagnosis

Awareness
The Syndromes of Neuroendocrine Cancer - Early Signs of a Late DiagnosisOne of the curious things about Neuroendocrine Cancer (NETs elsewhere in the text) is that it can very often exhibit one or more vague symptoms collectively known as a 'syndrome'.  Syndrome is an apt word to describe these complications as the most general meaning in medical terms is a group of symptoms that together are characteristic of a specific disorder or disease".  Having a syndrome can often be the difference between having a 'functional' condition or a non-functional' condition - see more below.This frequently makes Neuroendocrine Cancer very difficult to diagnose quickly.  It's a very devious disease.Functional / Non-FunctionalThese tumours and associated syndromes are treatable for most but the difficult part can be arriving at a diagnosis. Moreover, without a syndrome, some of these…
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