5HiAA
5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid is found in your urine. You may have higher levels of 5-HIAA in your urine if you have a carcinoid tumour
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Plain-language definitions of common neuroendocrine tumour (NET) terms — for patients, whānau, and care partners. Updated as new treatments and tests come into NZ practice.
52 terms
Showing 52 of 52 terms
5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid is found in your urine. You may have higher levels of 5-HIAA in your urine if you have a carcinoid tumour
A planned approach where you and your team monitor a slow-growing NET with regular scans and blood tests rather than starting treatment straight away. Common for low-grade (G1) tumours that aren't causing symptoms. It is not "doing nothing" – it's making sure treatment starts at the right time.
A sudden onset of symptoms or disease.
A benign tumor (noncancerous) made up of glandular tissue
A noncancerous growth that does not invade nearby tissue or spread from one part of the body to another
A substance sometimes found in the blood, other body fluids, or tissues
a procedure to remove a piece of your tumour to be investigated
A set of symptoms caused by hormones released from a functional NET, most often a midgut tumour that has spread to the liver. Common features include sudden flushing, persistent diarrhoea, wheezing, and a fast heartbeat. About 1 in 5 people with NETs experience carcinoid syndrome at some point.
A malignant tumour that arises from epithelium, found in skin and the lining of body organs; for example, breast, prostate, lung, stomach or bowel.
Chromogranin A is a protein found inside neuroendocrine cells, which release chromogranin A and certain hormones into the blood. CgA is a type of tumour marker
Carcinoid Heart Disease
colorectal – refers to the large bowel and rectum
Computerised Tomography scan
describes how much or how little cancer cells looks like the normal cells they were
relating to or occurring in a family – the words ‘genetic’ or ‘inherited’ may also be used
Sudden warmth or redness across the face, neck, or chest – often lasting seconds to minutes. A cardinal sign of carcinoid syndrome. On darker skin it may be felt as heat from inside rather than seen as a colour change. Triggers can include meals, alcohol, stress, or exercise.
Gallium positron emission tomography. A gallium scan is a diagnostic test that uses radioactive metal (gallium), which is mixed into a solution.
A functional pancreatic NET that produces too much gastrin. The high gastrin level causes severe stomach ulcers and diarrhoea – together known as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
a Neuroendocrine Tumour of the GastroEnteroPancreatic system – in other words a NET that may occur in the stomach, duodenum, small bowel or pancreas
a Neuroendocrine Tumour that may occur in the oesophagus, stomach, duodenum or small bowel
A rare functional pancreatic NET that produces too much glucagon. Can cause a distinctive skin rash (necrolytic migratory erythema), high blood sugar, and weight loss.
gastric (stomach) Neuroendocrine Tumour
What the tumours look like under a microscope
Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary – refers to the liver, pancreas and bile duct system
A functional pancreatic NET that produces too much insulin. Causes episodes of low blood sugar – feeling shaky, sweaty, lightheaded, or confused – especially when fasting.
is a protein in cells that increases as they prepare to divide. If there is a high percentage of cells in an area with Ki-67, it means that the cells are dividing rapidly. The Ki-67 index is an indicator of how quickly the tumor cells are multiplying
A somatostatin analogue (SSA) given as a deep injection, usually every four weeks. Used to slow tumour growth in well-differentiated NETs and to control carcinoid-syndrome symptoms. Similar to octreotide.
A tumour made up of cancer cells of the type that can spread to other parts of the body
Multidisciplinary Meeting
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 syndrome. A rare, inherited disorder that affects the endocrine glands and can cause tumours in the parathyroid and pituitary glands and the pancreas. These tumours (usually benign) cause the glands to secrete high levels of hormones, which can lead to other medical problems, such as kidney stones, fertility problems, and severe ulcers
(MCC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine tumour of the skin
A double layer of peritoneum that attaches to the back wall of the abdominal cavity and supports the small intestines The peritoneal membrane that attaches the intestines to the abdominal wall near the back
To spread from the first cancer site, for example, carcinoid cancer of the small intestine that spreads to the liver
how quickly cells divide to make new tumour cells. To determine the mitotic count, the doctor counts the number of dividing cells seen in a specific amount of space under a microscope (2 mm2)
A sophisticated test that provides in-depth images of organs and structures in the body
where neuroendocrine cancer cells usually retain their ability to release normal amounts of hormone or chemicals
A somatostatin analogue (SSA). The short-acting form is given as a daily injection; the long-acting depot form (Sandostatin LAR) is given every four weeks. Slows tumour growth and helps control symptoms like flushing and diarrhoea.
(also known as an extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma) is a rare neuroendocrine tumour (NET) that forms near the carotid artery (the major blood vessels in the neck), along nerve pathways in the head and neck and in other parts of the body
Poorly-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Carcinoma
is an imaging procedure showing the function of an organ or tissue, rather than its structure. A CT scan provides images of the anatomy and detects changes in the structure of organs or tissues. The functional PET images are then fused with the anatomical CT images, after which the scan is called a PET-CT scan.
The New Zealand Government agency that decides which medicines are publicly funded. Pharmac decisions are central to which NET treatments are accessible without paying privately. NECNZ regularly advocates here on behalf of the NET community.
is a hormone-secreting tumour that usually develop in the small glands on top of the kidneys (adrenal glands)
pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour
is a term used to describe where, in the body, a cancer starts – for example Pancreas
is a type of radiation treatment. A radioactive medicine (typically Lutetium) is attached to a special protein called ‘Octreotate’, to form a compound called ‘Lutetium-Octreotate’ (also known as LuTate). When injected into the bloodstream, LuTate travels and binds to the somatostatin receptors on NET cells, delivering a high dose of radiation causing direct damage to these cancer cells.
A molecule inside or on the surface of a cell that binds to a specific substance and causes a specific physiologic effect in the cell
is a term used to describe cancer has that has spread beyond the primary site. May also be describe as metastasis (for one secondary cancer) or metastases (to described more than one secondary cancer)
somatostatin analogue. Somatostatin analogues are drugs that stop your body from making too many hormones
a a collection of abnormal cells – a growth, lesion, nodule or polyp
A rare functional pancreatic NET that releases vasoactive intestinal peptide. Causes severe watery diarrhoea, low potassium, and dehydration – sometimes called Verner-Morrison or WDHA syndrome.
Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumour
is a Neuroendocrine Cancer that has a particular appearance under the microscope – these abnormal changes are called poorly differentiated