OVER HALF of the patients suffering from Neuroendocrine tumour cancer (NET) are misdiagnosed and are initially treated for other illnesses, while it could take up to seven years to correctly diagnose and treat the cancer, according to Menelaos Manoloukos, medical advisor of Novartis Oncology; the company in charge of the NET awareness campaign in Cyprus.
Manoloukos was speaking at a press conference to mark of NET Cancer Awareness Day yesterday.
The awareness campaign included several events worldwide. In Cyprus, Novartis organised seminars for doctors, publicised information ads in magazines and distributed flyers to pharmacies, hospitals and offices.
“Due to the rare nature of this cancer type and because the symptoms are so common with other illnesses, doctors would not even consider to test and diagnose for NET” said Loukia Samata of Novartis Oncology.
NET is a type of malignant and slow-developing tumour that is believed to originate from neuroendocrine cells found throughout the body which are responsible for the production of hormones.
The over production of protein and hormones can create several symptoms throughout the body that are common in other illnesses, a characteristic that renders neuroendocrine tumour diagnosis a difficult feat.
Some neuroendocrine tumours can be non-functional, which do not create symptoms and can subsequently go unnoticed until the size of the tumour creates problems or becomes evident.
Symptoms of the most common NETs are diarrhea, flushing, intermittent abdominal pain, wheezing, shortness of breath, vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, heart palpitations and skin rash.
The most common types of NETs occur in the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, stomach, rectum, appendix and the lungs, while many patients with gastrointestinal NETs are misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Crohn’s disease.
“NET cases are very rare in Cyprus and several tests need to be taken for its diagnosis, some of which are not even performed in Cyprus” said endocrinologist, Michalis Piccolos.
Manoloukos said that patients could have to visit up to five different specialists before the cancer could be diagnosed.
By the time most patients are correctly diagnosed with NET, the tumours have already metastasised elsewhere in the body, which could drop the patient’s life expectancy to as low as five months. Approximately 40 per cent of NET patients are only diagnosed once metastasis has occurred.
There is no routine for diagnosing NETs, however, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endoscopic ultrasound are common tools used.
Current therapeutic options include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and medical therapies.
A total of ten people were diagnosed with NET in Cyprus the past year, although doctors say that according to global trends, the number should be more around the 40 mark.
