About ΝΕΤ
Neuroendocrine tumor is an uncommon cancer that begins in specialized cells called neuroendocrine cells. Neuroendocrine cells have traits similar to those of nerve cells and hormone-producing cells. Neuroendocrine cells release hormones into the blood that then regulate specific body functions, such as blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, breathing, and blood sugar.
When neuroendocrine cells change and grow uncontrollably, NETs can develop in any of these organs. Sometimes, a doctor cannot tell a tumor’s primary site, i.e., the place in which it first started to grow. In such a case, the tumor is said to be of “unknown primary”.
The most common sites for NETs to form are the digestive system and the lungs. The gastro-intestinal tract accounts for 54.1% cases. Gastro-intestinal tract NETs are usually found in the large bowel and appendix (23.3%), small intestine (20.6%), pancreas (6.5%) and stomach (3.7%). NETs can also develop in the lungs (25.9%) and adrenal glands.
01.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms for NETs vary depending on a tumor’s primary site, whether it produces excess hormones (functional NETs), how fast they are growing and also if they have spread around the body. Symptoms will also depend on the type of NETs- gastrointestinal NETs, pancreatic NETs, lung NETs, and adrenal gland NETs.
The most common symptoms of NETs are diarrhea, flushing (redness in the face), cramps and stomach pain, sweating, asthma like symptoms shortness of breath.
02.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis can be accomplished by many means. These means are tests like: Urine Testing, Catecholamines, Blood testing, Chromogranin A (CgA), Blood chemistry tests, Fasting serum tests, Imaging tests, Computed tomography (CT), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Octreotide scan, MIBG SCAN, Positron emission tomography (PET) and Biopsy.
03.
Treatment
Different therapies or drugs are used to slow or stop the growth of neuroendocrine cancer cells. Close to half of the patients with NET report using other drug therapies than chemotherapy, including therapies with inhibitory effects on the endocrine and exocrine hormone secretion. Fewer people, about 1 in 5 patients is treated with chemotherapy. Other therapies include surgery, hormone therapy, somatostatin analogs, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, peptide receptor-radionuclide therapy (PRRT), Liver-directed treatment, Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and Hepatic artery embolization. In 2018, the FDA approved a treatment for advanced GI tract NETs and pancreas NETs.
04.
Prevention
Most of the time, doctors don't know what causes NETs. But you're more likely to get them if you have certain diseases that run in your family, such as:
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. This causes tumors to grow in the pancreas and other organs.
Neurofibromatosis type 1. This can cause tumors in your adrenal glands.
Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. It makes tumors and fluid-filled sacs form in many parts of your body.
Carney-stratakis dyad. It is a rare syndrome distinct dyad of familial paraganglioma tumors.
Carney triad. It is a rare syndrome that involves gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), pulmonary chondroma and extra-adrenal paraganglioma.
Having someone in your family with one of these risk factors does not mean you will develop this type of cancer; it merely increases the likelihood.
About Net
Neuroendocrine tumor is an uncommon cancer that begins in specialized cells called neuroendocrine cells. Neuroendocrine cells have traits similar to those of nerve cells and hormone-producing cells. Neuroendocrine cells release hormones into the blood that then regulate specific body functions, such as blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, breathing, and blood sugar.
When neuroendocrine cells change and grow uncontrollably, NETs can develop in any of these organs. Sometimes, a doctor cannot tell a tumor’s primary site, i.e., the place in which it first started to grow. In such a case, the tumor is said to be of “unknown primary”.
The most common sites for NETs to form are the digestive system and the lungs. The gastro-intestinal tract accounts for 54.1% cases. Gastro-intestinal tract NETs are usually found in the large bowel and appendix (23.3%), small intestine (20.6%), pancreas (6.5%) and stomach (3.7%). NETs can also develop in the lungs (25.9%) and adrenal glands.
01.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms for NETs vary depending on a tumor’s primary site, whether it produces excess hormones (functional NETs), how fast they are growing and also if they have spread around the body. Symptoms will also depend on the type of NETs– gastrointestinal NETs, pancreatic NETs, lung NETs, and adrenal gland NETs.
The most common symptoms of NETs are diarrhea, flushing (redness in the face), cramps and stomach pain, sweating, asthma like symptoms shortness of breath.
02.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis can be accomplished by many means. These means are tests like: Urine Testing, Catecholamines, Blood testing, Chromogranin A (CgA), Blood chemistry tests, Fasting serum tests, Imaging tests, Computed tomography (CT), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Octreotide scan, MIBG SCAN, Positron emission tomography (PET) and Biopsy.
03.
Treatment
Different therapies or drugs are used to slow or stop the growth of neuroendocrine cancer cells. Close to half of the patients with NET report using other drug therapies than chemotherapy, including somatostatin analogs. Fewer people, about 1 in 5 patients is treated with chemotherapy. Other therapies include surgery, hormone therapy, somatostatin analogs, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, peptide receptor-radionuclide therapy (PRRT), Liver-directed treatment, Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and Hepatic artery embolization. In 2018, the FDA approved a treatment called 177Lu-dotatate (Lutathera) for advanced GI tract NETs and pancreas NETs.
04.
Prevention
Most of the time, doctors don’t know what causes NETs. But you’re more likely to get them if you have certain diseases that run in your family, such as:
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. This causes tumors to grow in the pancreas and other organs.
Neurofibromatosis type 1. This can cause tumors in your adrenal glands.
Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. It makes tumors and fluid-filled sacs form in many parts of your body.
Carney-stratakis dyad. It is a rare syndrome distinct dyad of familial paraganglioma tumors.
Carney triad. It is a rare syndrome that involves gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), pulmonary chondroma and extra-adrenal paraganglioma.
Having someone in your family with one of these risk factors does not mean you will develop this type of cancer; it merely increases the likelihood.
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