Neuroendocrine Tumour Specialists in Telangana

What is Neuroendocrine Tumour?

Neuroendocrine tumours are a diverse group of growths that arise from specialized cells found throughout the body, most commonly in the digestive tract, pancreas, and lungs, which normally produce hormones in response to nervous system signals. These tumours can be either non-functioning, meaning they do not produce excess hormones and are often discovered incidentally, or functioning, in which case they secrete excessive amounts of specific hormones that cause a distinct pattern of symptoms depending on which hormone is involved. Neuroendocrine tumours range widely in behavior, from slow-growing tumours that remain stable for years to aggressive, rapidly spreading cancers, making accurate classification of their grade essential for treatment planning. Specialized imaging using radiolabeled tracers that bind to receptors on these tumour cells is particularly useful for both diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of Neuroendocrine Tumour

Neuroendocrine tumours arise from genetic mutations within specialized hormone-producing cells that cause them to grow and divide uncontrollably, similar to other cancers, though the specific triggering mutations often differ from more common cancer types. Some cases are linked to inherited genetic syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, which significantly increases the risk of developing multiple neuroendocrine tumours over a lifetime. In most cases, however, the tumour arises sporadically without an identifiable inherited cause.

Symptoms of Neuroendocrine Tumour

flushing of the face and neck, chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, wheezing or difficulty breathing, unexplained weight loss or gain, low blood sugar episodes if insulin-secreting, skin rash, palpitations, fatigue

Treatment & Types of Neuroendocrine Tumour in Telangana

Treatment depends on the tumour's location, grade, and whether it is functioning, ranging from surgical removal for localized disease to a combination of somatostatin analog medications that control hormone-related symptoms and slow tumour growth, targeted therapies, and chemotherapy for more aggressive or advanced disease. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, which delivers targeted radiation directly to tumour cells using radiolabeled compounds, is an important treatment option for tumours that express specific hormone receptors. Long-term surveillance with imaging and hormone level monitoring is necessary given the often slow-growing nature of these tumours.

Neuroendocrine tumours are classified as functioning, when they secrete excess hormones causing specific symptom patterns such as flushing and diarrhea from a carcinoid tumour or low blood sugar from an insulin-secreting tumour, or non-functioning, when they don't produce excess hormones and are often found incidentally. They are also graded from low to high based on how quickly the cells are dividing, which strongly influences prognosis and treatment approach.

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