Irrfan Says He Won’t Let Fear & Panic Overrule as He Fights Cancer

What exactly is a neuroendocrine tumour? The details of his case aren’t known but here are facts about the disease.

What exactly is a neuroendocrine tumour?

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Irrfan)

For the first time after his cancer diagnosis, actor Irrfan Khan has publicly spoken about not allowing his cancer to consume him through “fear and panic”. In an interview with Times of India, he revealed that he was part of a trial study and the unpredictability of the treatment was high.

It’s been quite some time now since I have been diagnosed with a high-grade neuroendocrine cancer. This new name in my vocabulary, I got to know, was rare, and due to fewer study cases, and less information comparatively, the unpredictability of the treatment was more. I was part of a trial-and-error game.

Irrfan had announced in a tweet in March that he has been diagnosed with neuro-endocrine tumour. He further said he’s going abroad for treatment and that “neuro is not always about the brain.”

So What Exactly is a Neuroendocrine Tumour?

An endocrine tumour is one which occurs in cells of the body that produce hormones. Neuroendocrine gland is one of the many endocrine glands that a human body has. When the gland starts producing more than it’s supposed to, it extends into a tumour.

Dr JD Mukherji, Director, Neurology at Max Hospital Saket, says that these can be difficult to treat.

I won’t comment on Irrfan’s case because the details aren’t known. But typically, a neuroendocrine tumour can be difficult to treat. However, the tumour can be benign and doesn’t necessarily have to be cancerous. Its treatment depends on its size and location. It’s a rare disease.

Dr JD Mukherji, Director, Neurology, Max Hospital Saket

The typical treatment for the benign form of this tumour is surgery and for the cancerous form, it’s either surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Symptoms of this tumour depend on its location. And they often don’t have any symptoms in the early stage.

There are quite a few types of this disease, and it can show up in many places in your body. A neuroendocrine tumor can grow in spots like your pancreas, a gland in your belly. It can also affect your stomach, intestines, or lungs. Sometimes, the tumour itself can start producing hormones. And this can lead to serious illness.

Dr KK Aggarwal, Former President of Indian Medical Association (IMA), says:

The tumour may spread to other parts of the body, most commonly to the liver, peritoneal cavity or bone. At the time of diagnosis, more than 50 percent of these tumours have already spread to other parts of the body. 

These tumours, if malignant, comprise less than 2 percent of gastrointestinal malignancies. But they are actually more prevalent than stomach and pancreatic cancers combined.

The details of Irrfan’s case are still not known and it’s best not to speculate.

A few weeks earlier he had said that he has a “rare disease” and will open up about it soon. We wish him the best for the treatment.