Neuroendocrine Cancer Surgery 3: my distant lymph nodes
Updated 18th February 2025"An unusual disposition of tumours" is a quote by my surgeon. I've written several blogs about this general subject and I can see from my patient group, that I'm not alone"It's early 2025 and I'm still here. But I still have issues and I still can't become complacent - but I am enjoying the ride so to speak, meant as a positive metaphor.It wasn't until a got a somatostatin receptor (SSTR) nuclear scan called "Octreotide Scan" or formally a "Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy". These unusual findings have since been backed up by more modern SSTR PET scans. I still …
Neuroendocrine Cancer: Somatostatin Receptor (e.g. Ga68, Cu64) PET Scans – a game changer?
I was diagnosed in 2010 with metastatic NETs clearly showing on CT scan, the staging was confirmed via an Octreotide Scan which in addition pointed out two further deposits above the diaphragm (one of which has since been dealt with). In addition to routine surveillance via CT scan, I had two further Octreotide Scans in 2011 and 2013 following 3 surgeries, these confirmed the surveillance CT findings of the remnant disease. The third scan in 2013 highlighted an additional lesion in my thyroid (still under a watch and wait regime, biopsy inconclusive - but read on....). In 2018, my 6…
“An odd disposition of tumours” – less common metastases in Small Intestine and Pancreatic NETs
Every day is a learning day in NET! When I was diagnosed in 2010, my Oncologist sent me for a specialist scan that would help confirm my staging definition and to document anything that might not have shown up on CT. This was described as an Octreotide Scan (somatostatin receptor scintigraphy) (now mostly replaced by Somatostatin Receptor PET (SSTR PET) e.g. Ga68/Cu64). Lo and behold, the 3 day Octreotide scan lit up some odd places which seemed to be unconnected to my small intestine primary. I was already stage IV due to the presence of liver metastases and this was…
It’s been 10 years since I saw a scalpel (….but my surgeon is still on speed dial)
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…