5/31/2023 0 Comments Netspot neuroendocrineMolecular imaging is a type of medical imaging that provides detailed pictures of what is happening inside the body at the molecular or cellular level (e.g. ![]() At follow-up, patient showed partial response (PRRT plus somatostatin analogs). PET/CT scans of 62 year-old woman with multiple hepatic secondary NET lesions (gastrinoma). Over the last several decades the incidence (number of new diagnoses) has also been rising, which might be due to increased awareness, improved diagnostic tools, or a change in definition. While relatively rare, NETs are the second most common of all GI cancers (colon cancer is the most common), because many people continue to live with the disease. Advances in treatment have improved the length of survival for patients with NETs. Treatment depends on the type of tumor and its location, whether it produces excess hormones, how aggressive it is, and whether it has spread. There are several types of NETs, including Gastro Intestinal (GI NETS), Pancreatic (PNETS), Lung NETS, medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTCs), pheochromocytomas, and neuroendocrine carcinomas of the skin (Merkel Cell Cancer). Special blood tests and imaging tools and sometimes specialized pathologists are necessary to help accurately diagnose these tumors. Because these symptoms resemble those of other diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Crohn’s disease, they are often misdiagnosed. NETs may secrete higher-than-normal amounts of hormones, which can cause conditions and symptoms including diabetes, flushing, and diarrhea. Some tumors grow slowly while others can be very aggressive and spread to other parts of the body (metastasize), most often to the liver or bone. Many NETs start in the digestive tract, as it has more neuroendocrine cells than any other part of the body. NETs are relatively rare and develop most commonly in the lungs, appendix, small intestine, rectum, and pancreas. ![]() Neuroendocrine cells are located in organs throughout the body and perform specific functions, such as regulating air and blood flow and controlling the speed at which food is moved through the gastrointestinal tract. Neuroendocrine cells have traits similar to nerve cells and to the hormone-producing cells of the endocrine glands. A neuroendocrine tumor (NET) occurs when cells of the body’s neuroendocrine system grow in an uncontrolled, abnormal manner.
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