Neuroendocrine tumors are difficult to diagnose, but can grow nearly anywhere in the body, the Hope Foundation for Cancer Care said yesterday, as it advised people to look out for 10 common symptoms, including gastric ulcers, chronic diarrhea and dermatitis.
A campaign by the foundation and Tri-Service General Hospital to help raise public awareness of neuroendocrine tumors began yesterday, with more than 100 toy zebras on display at the lobby of the hospital.
Neuroendocrine tumors are like the zebras of the cancer world, because they are difficult to diagnose and are often mistaken for other diseases, the foundation said, adding that physicians are usually taught to focus on the most likely possibilities when making a diagnosis, not on less likely scenarios.
Photo: CNA
“When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras,” the foundation said, describing why zebras were chosen for the promotion.
Chen Jia-hong (陳佳宏), an attending physician at the hospital’s hematology and oncology department, said experts have yet to find the cause of neuroendocrine tumors, which can occur in people of different ages.
The tumors are often mistaken for other diseases because their symptoms can vary depending on the types of cells that are affected and the hormones that are released.
Based on clinical observations, about 50 to 60 percent of neuroendocrine tumors develop in the gastrointestinal tract, about 20 percent in the lungs and about 20 percent in other parts of the body, Chen said.
Chen said that 10 common symptoms of the disease are coughing, asthma, recurrent gastric ulcers, chronic diarrhea, a feeling of excessive hunger caused by low blood sugar, sweating at night, hot flashes, fever, palpitation and dermatitis.
Because some types of neuroendocrine tumors are less aggressive and symptoms involving the gastrointestinal tract or respiratory system can easily be confused with other diseases, it can take five to seven years for a person to be diagnosed with the disease, the foundation said.
Chen said people who have experienced these symptoms for more than a month and show no signs of improvement after taking medication should make an appointment for a thorough checkup for neuroendocrine tumors.
Data published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology show that the incidence rate of NET in the US increased from 1.09 per 100,000 people in 1973 to five per 100,000 people in 2004, the foundation said, adding that an estimated 1,400 people will develop NET each year in Taiwan.
The foundation’s display of toy zebras and information to raise awareness of NET is to make a tour of five hospitals across the nation through Nov. 3.
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