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| << Chapter 1 What is neuroendocrine cancer? |
Chapter 3 >> Types of Neuroendocrine Tumours |
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Chapter 2 Diagnosing Neuroendocrine Tumours |
Neuroendocrine tumours can be difficult to diagnose. It is common for patients to make many visits to the doctor over several years before an actual diagnosis is made. Symptoms are often very vague and similar to more common health problems. They can come and go. Common symptoms may include:
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
- Flushing of the skin
- Wheezing or shortness of breath
- Pounding of the heart
- Skin rash
- Low or high blood sugar
- Stomach ulcers that return when ulcer medication is stopped
- Low or high blood pressure
- Headache
Your symptoms will depend on your type of tumour. A sample of tissue or biopsy from the primary tumour or the liver tumour is the best way to make the diagnosis. Tumours are often found by accident when surgery is done for some other reason.
What kind of tests should I expect?
You often need a variety of tests to find out the exact type of neuroendocrine cancer. Some of these may be done close to your home. The tests that you may have include:
| • CT scan | • Blood tests |
| • Echocardiogram | • 24‐hour urine collection |
| • Bone scan | • MRI scan |
Your doctors may also order different x‐rays or scopes of the digestive tract. This is to see if the intestine is blocked or narrowed. This test will certainly be done if you have problems with severe abdominal pain, vomiting and bloating. You may also get an ultrasound to check for gallstones or blockage of the bile ducts. Many of these tests are repeated at various times during your treatment to evaluate changes in the tumours.
What are nuclear medicine scans?
Two special nuclear medicine scans may be ordered. Nuclear medicine scans use radioisotopes to determine if your tumour cells have special receptors. If these special receptors are present and there are enough of them, you may be offered a type of treatment that targets these receptors. The tests are called:
- Indium‐111 Octreotide scan or Octreoscan
- I‐131 MIBG scan
Hawkeye Spect CT Scanner
| << Patient Booklet Main Page >> | |
| << Chapter 1 What is neuroendocrine cancer? |
Chapter 3 >> Types of Neuroendocrine Tumours |