Tag: Tumour mutational burden (TMB)

The total number of mutations (changes) found in the DNA of cancer cells. Knowing the tumour mutational burden may help plan the best treatment. For example, tumours that have a high number of mutations appear to be more likely to respond to certain types of immunotherapy. Tumour mutational burden is being used as a type of biomarker.

07Mar 2021 by Ronny Allan No Comments

Treatment for Neuroendocrine Cancer – a summary for patients

Treatment

ScopeThis summary provides an overview of the types of therapy known for treating Neuroendocrine Cancer. They will have been approved at least by one national or regional approval agency, may not be available or approved in your own country; and may appear in clinical guidelines for the treatment of Neuroendocrine Cancer.Clinical trials will not be covered, although it's noted that some of the approved treatments listed may be in follow on trials either to prove new coverage or used in combination with another drug. For a list of clinical trials covered by the author, click here. This summary will not include complementary or alternative treatment but may cover or overlap with experimental treatment. Who recommends the best treatment for my condition? Different types of doctors often work together to create a…

17Jun 2017 by Ronny Allan 8 Comments

Immunotherapy: Studies with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Clinical Trials and Research, Treatment

IntroductionThere's a lot of Immunotherapy stuff out there! However, I also wanted to break it down and perhaps see if I can pick up the what, when, why, where and how in regard to Neuroendocrine Cancer. It's difficult, not least because the picture is not clear and there is no general roadmap printed, let alone one for Neuroendocrine disease. Immunotherapy for NETs was discussed at ENETS 2017 in Barcelona. The presentation that sticks out was one given by Dr Matthew Kulke, a well-known NET Specialist in Boston. My reaction to the presentation was one of 'expectation management' and caution i.e. it's too soon to know if we will get any success and when we will get it. He also hinted that it's more likely that any success will first be…

One of the many observations I make in my private Neuroendocrine Cancer Facebook group is the misunderstandings caused by the use of non-standard terminology combined with a lack of understanding of what is up to date or not. And I don’t always mean a misunderstanding by patients. If I am to believe doctors uttered some […]

Clinical Trial – Lutathera NETTER-2 Important Update

UPDATE – Sep 25th, 2023 – Novartis radioligand therapy Lutathera® demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful progression-free survival in first line advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) Phase III NETTER-2 trial met primary endpoint of improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) and key secondary endpoint of objective response rate (ORR) in patients with Grade 2 and 3 […]

Lanreotide: Ipsen injection devices vs generic injection devices

Whenever I get a chance to talk to a pharma involved in somatostatin analogue injection devices, I tell them one very important thing …… “To the patient, the injection delivery is almost as important as the drug”. I also add that my opinion is based on thousands of comments about the patient experience in my […]

Cancer doesn’t take holidays (but I do)

Glen Etive Scotland in 2018 After diagnosis in July 2010, with the exception of a planned holiday to Turkey prior to my ‘big surgery’, holidays were put on the back burner, there were too many problems and too many risks – not least of which was the lack of overseas insurance cover for my condition. […]

Update from Ronny Allan: No evidence of progressive disease at any site

Update August 2023. Latest CT surveillance scan reports “No evidence of progressive disease at any site”. Very pleased! With incurable but treatable cancers such as metastatic Neuroendocrine Cancer, ‘Stable‘ is normally not the end of the matter, for many there is still a long road ahead and that road may not be straight or flat. […]