DENVER, Colo. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – NET cancer is short for neuroendocrine tumors. It’s a type of cancer that is slow growing and can happen anywhere in your body. As with most cancers, treatment can start with surgery, chemo, and radiation. But now, doctors are using a very targeted, missile-like therapy to destroy the tiniest of these cancer cells. Injectable Radiation
Steve Jobs and Aretha Franklin both lost their battle to what most people thought was pancreatic cancer, but the real culprit of their cancer – neuroendocrine tumors.
Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers neuroendocrine cancer specialist, Eric Liu, MD says, “It can come from any part of your body, from your lungs, from your pancreas, from your intestines.”
Symptoms can be varied and go misdiagnosed for years. In fact, 90 percent of neuroendocrine cancers are misdiagnosed.
“Just imagine if you had abdominal pain every six to 12 months,” Dr. Liu says.
But some very common symptoms could be neuroendocrine cancer – that’s what happened to Robert Hammer.
“I started coming up with this very itchy rash under my skin and I have a lot of seasonal allergies in Colorado, so that’s what I maybe thought was happening,” Hammer remembers.
But a scan revealed that Hammer had a tumor the size of an orange on his pancreas. Surgery to remove his pancreas was too risky. After several other therapies, including hormone therapy, Dr. Liu treated Hammer with a new injectable radiation called PRRT.
Dr. Liu explains, “The little hormone guided missile takes it right to the tumor. The tumor absorbs the radiation. And the neat thing about it is the treatment goes to every single tumor in the body.”
The radiation is given through an IV over several months. Before the radiation, Hammer was given eight to 12 years to live – now that number is 18 to 20 years.
“I count every day as joy,” Hammer exclaims.
Studies show that on average, it takes five years from the onset of symptoms, for patients to get the right diagnosis and begin proper treatment. Using injectable radiation to treat it is just the beginning. Dr. Liu believes the PRRT will be used to treat prostate cancer, as well as other kinds of cancer in the near future.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer & Editor.
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Sources:
https://www.netcancerawareness.org/what-is-net-cancer/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-15193922
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/16/entertainment/aretha-franklin-dead/index.html
https://www.netcancerawareness.org/cancer-facts/
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: INJECTABLE RADIATION: USING TINY GUIDED NUCLEAR BOMBS TO KILL CANCER
REPORT: MB #5201
BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a rare type of cancer that develop from the cells of the neuroendocrine system, which produces hormones and regulates various bodily functions. These tumors can occur in various parts of the body, including the pancreas, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and other organs. More than 12,000 people are diagnosed every year. There are several different types of NETs, depending on the location of the tumor and the specific type of cell that it originates from. Some types of NETs are slow-growing and non-cancerous, while others are more aggressive and can spread to other parts of the body.
(Source:
https://www.netcancerawareness.org/what-is-net-cancer/)
DIAGNOSING: Symptoms of NETs can vary depending on the location of the tumor, but may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, flushing, wheezing, and other symptoms related to the production of hormones by the tumor. Because these symptoms are often vague and non-specific, NETs can be difficult to diagnose, and many patients may not be diagnosed until the tumor has already spread to other parts of the body. Your doctor may try a urine test when trying to diagnose a neuroendocrine tumor to look for signs of excess hormones. Other diagnosis methods include physical exams, biopsies, and imaging tests.
(Sources:
https://www.netcancerawareness.org/what-is-net-cancer/)
NEW TECHNOLOGY: Injectable radiation therapy, also known as peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), is a treatment option for patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) that have spread to other parts of the body. PRRT involves injecting a radioactive substance, or radiopharmaceutical, into the body, which is then taken up by the tumor cells and delivers a dose of radiation to the cancer cells. PRRT has been shown to be effective in treating certain types of NETs. PRRT is typically administered as an outpatient procedure, with the radiopharmaceutical given as an intravenous infusion. Patients may need to undergo multiple cycles of PRRT, depending on the size and location of the tumor and the patient’s response to treatment.
(Source:
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Tana Sykes
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