Neuroendocrine Tumours: What Are They, Why Do They Often Go Unnoticed, And More, As Per Expert

"Imagine a silent danger that often passes unnoticed until it's too late. While most people are familiar with breast, lung, and prostate cancers, there is a lesser known one that affects a significant section of people: neuroendocrine tumors, or NETs. These tumors, which arise from hormone-producing cells, are difficult to detect and often lead to delayed diagnoses and treatment. Why do these tumors remain hidden, and how can we make them more visible?." said Dr Naveen Sanchety, Director - Surgical Oncology, Sarvodaya Hospital, Sector-8, Faridabad

Beyond Common Cancers: Why Neuroendocrine Tumors Often Go Unnoticed

He added, "While more common cancers present with characteristic symptoms, NETs tend to masquerade as less threatening conditions. For example, flushing, diarrhea, and abdominal pain can easily be mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal disorders. This symptom overlap makes it challenging for both patients and healthcare providers to recognise the presence of a more sinister underlying condition."

The Rarity Factor

Dr Sanchatey shared, "Primarily, NETs are not usually diagnosed because of their rarity. Although breast and lung cancers touch millions of people around the globe, NETs are relatively uncommon. This lack of commonality results in fewer public awareness efforts and medical research studies on such tumors. Hence, many practitioners do not look for NETs as a cause of disease in patients, even in the very early stages, when symptoms can be vague and nonspecific."

Diagnostic Problems

He explained, "Even when the NETs are suspected, they can be rather challenging to diagnose. Standard techniques like X-rays and CT scans do not work every time as NETs tend to be too small or inaccessible to be noticed through these radiographic techniques. Accurate detection often requires special blood tests assessing hormone levels or PET scans that include specific tracers. Sometimes, they are not accessible since these diagnostic tools may not be available in all resource-poor areas."

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