24Apr 2023 by Ronny Allan 5 Comments
The NET Detectives

The NET Detectives

Awareness, Patient Advocacy
The NET Detectives is an awareness post.Detecting NETsIn general, it's probably true to say that Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) are difficult to diagnose. Some are more complex than others and their heterogeneity is legendary.  Imaging is key in finding them in many cases. As most primary care facilities (e.g. General Practitioner offices) don't have a range of imaging devices on site, referrals are often necessary to investigate more.  I don't believe it's right to say this referral is a misdiagnosis, it's just another stage in the investigation, another hunt for clues.For example, the number of cases where incidental diagnoses occur is fairly large. I have no numbers but appendiceal NETs are a good analogy. Symptoms are experienced, primary care probably suspects appendicitis but as I said above, they do not have…
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30Oct 2018 by Ronny Allan 9 Comments
Neuroendocrine Cancer Hormonal Syndromes – Clinical Esoterica

Neuroendocrine Cancer Hormonal Syndromes – Clinical Esoterica

Awareness
One of the key awareness messages for Neuroendocrine Cancer is the hormonal syndromes that can often accompany the diagnosis for many people.  As it's a difficult disease to diagnose, many people struggle with these syndromes for some time before formal diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Cancer.  Some continue to struggle after. Neuroendocrine Cancer can often be uncannily quiet, but the tumours can be 'functional' and over-secrete certain hormones to add or introduce symptoms that mimic many other diseases or conditions, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Menopause, Heart disease and Asthma.   In addition to common symptoms of flushing and diarrhea, others include generally feeling weak, fatigued, pain, agitated, anxious, dizzy, nauseous, acid reflux, skin irritation, anaemic, weight loss, weight gain, low blood sugar, high blood sugar, heart palpitations, headaches, sweating, high blood…
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30Nov 2016 by Ronny Allan 7 Comments

NET Syndromes – chicken or egg?

Awareness, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy
We’ve all heard the age-old question about the chicken and the egg?  Scientists claimed to have 'cracked' the riddle of whether the chicken or the egg came first. The answer, they say, is the chicken. Researchers found that the formation of egg shells relies on a protein found only in a chicken's ovaries. Therefore, an egg can exist only if it has been inside a chicken. There you have it! On a similar subject, I'm often confused when someone says they have been diagnosed with 'Carcinoid Syndrome' and not one of associated 'Neuroendocrine Tumours'.  So which comes first?  I guess it's the way you look at it. In terms of presentation, the syndrome might look like it comes first, particularly in cases of metastatic/advanced disease or other complex scenarios.  Alternatively, a tumour…
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16Oct 2014 by Ronny Allan 14 Comments
Neuroendocrine Cancer – Horrible Hormones

Neuroendocrine Cancer – Horrible Hormones

Patient Advocacy
Hormonal imbalances are quite common in many conditions including day to day stuff. With Neuroendocrine Cancer, it can be a real challenge both at diagnostic and maintenance phases.  In addition to the cancer angle, there's some strange stuff going on, inexplicable, frightening for the patient, an unwanted ingredient causing chaos!Until I was diagnosed with metastatic Neuroendocrine Cancer, I didn't have a clue about hormones - it's one of those things you just take for granted. However, hormones are vital to human health (male and female) and it's only when things go wrong you suddenly appreciate how important they are.  Hormones are involved in many conditions, not just an issue with Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) but the presence of over-secreting hormones (often called peptides throughout) is useful to aid a diagnosis, albeit…
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