Neuro endocrine tumours

[Re-entry]

Paul Hunter, the famous snooker player died from this ailment.

Does it go metastatic and what is the final cause of death?

[gingernut]

Don't know the exact answer- I gather it was some how related to his stomach. Sounds like a rare cancer that doesn't turn up often. I've seen something simillar only twice in my career.

Dying of cancer at 27 years old is extremely rare, in technical terms, he was at the wrong end of the Bell Curve.

May he Rest in Peace.

[homonculus]

This is not a term we usually use.

It sounds like carcinoid syndrome - cancer occuring in the guts, often with lots of separate tumours, which produce chemicals which effect the nervous system. Very very rare - I only see a couple a year working in an endocrine centre - and not nice. Treatment is chemotherapy but poor outlook.

The other two lots of 'problems' that fit this term are

1 adrenal tumours - these arise in the adrenal glands on top of the kidneys and produce adrenaline. Patients may present with fast heart, sweating and high blood pressure. We simply remove the adrenal gland

2 pituitary tumours. The pituitary sits at the base of the brain and has been described as the conductor of the endocrine system. It releases control enzymes that regulate the thyroid and kidney as well as growth hormone, steroids, and causes lactation. Symptoms vary according to what the tumour produces. It may produce nothing. Eyesight deterioration (loss of fields) is a frequent presentation as the pituitary sits behind the optic nerves. Treatment is surgery or radiotherapy.

Oh, and tumours of the central nervous system never metastasize.

Hope this helps

Homonculus