Neuroendocrine tumour

Irrfan Khan had recently tweeted that he is suffering from a rare disease, which had raised speculations about what the disease is. In a blog, he said that he was suffering from neuroendocrine tumour and that he is finding it extremely difficult to deal with the affliction.

Let’s see what it actually is according medical science. The body’s endocrine system is made up of cells that produce hormones. Hormones are chemical substances that are carried through the bloodstream that have a specific effect on the activity of other organs or cells in the human body.

A tumour begins when healthy cells change and grow out of control, forming a mass. A tumour can be cancerous or benign (not harmful). A cancerous tumour can grow and spread to other parts of the body if it is not at an early stage and treated. A benign tumour usually can be removed by surgery or even medication.

An endocrine tumour is a mass that begins in the parts of the body that produce and release hormones. As this tumour develops from cells that produce hormones, the tumour can also produce hormones. This can cause serious illness.

A neuroendocrine tumour begins in the hormone-producing cells of the body’s neuroendocrine system, which is made up of cells that are a combination of hormone-producing endocrine cells and nerve cells. 

Neuroendocrine cells are found in organs such as the lungs and gastrointestinal tract, including the stomach and intestines. These cells perform specific functions, such as regulating air and blood flow through the lungs and controlling how quickly food moves through the gastrointestinal tract. There are many types of neuroendocrine tumours like - pheochromocytoma, Merkel cell cancer and neuroendocrine carcinoma.

In caring for a person with a tumour, doctors from different specialities of work together to create a patient’s overall treatment plan that combines different types of treatments. This is called a multidisciplinary team. Cancer care teams also include a variety of health care professionals, such as physician assistants, oncology nurses, social workers, pharmacists, counsellors and dietitians.