Irrfan Khan Health Update: Doctor Speaks About Neuroendocrine Tumour And How It Can Be Treated

In what could bring respite to Irrfan Khan's fans, who are in a state of shock after the actor revealed that he is diagnosed with NeuroEndocrine Tumour, a doctor said that former's 'rare disease' is curable. Dr. Saumitra Rawat, HOD, Surgical Gastroenterology & Liver Transplant, Sri Ganga Ram Hospital, talked to ANI on the matter and gave some insights about its nature and medication.

Dr Rawat said, "NeuroEndocrine Tumour is an abnormal growth of Neuroendo cells which are present in bodies. When there is an abnormal growth, then it forms a tumor - Normally seen in intestine, pancreas, lung, thyroid and other parts of the body".

On commenting on Khan's case, he said, "It depends on the location of the tumour, its size, and what is its mytotic index". He further noted that such kind of tumours can be taken out surgically. "Depending on where the tumour is localized, you can take it out surgically and the chances of cure are very high", Dr Rawat explained. He added that once the procedure is done, the patient is required to have regular check-ups for any recurring tumours.

The 'Madari' actor had tweeted about his diagnosis and broke the news to the world through micro-blogging site, earlier in the day. He had tweeted, "Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect" - Margaret Mitchell. The unexpected makes us grow, which is what the past few days have been about. Learning that I have been diagnosed with NeuroEndocrine Tumour as of now has admittedly been difficult, but the love and strength of those around me and that I found within me has brought me to a place of hope. The journey of this is taking me out of the country, and I request everyone to continue sending their wishes. As for the rumours, that were floated NEURO is not always about the brain and googling is the easiest way to do research ;-) To those who waited for my words, I hope to be back with more stories to tell".

The 51-year-old-actor had taken to his Twitter to break the news to the world of him contracting a 'rare disease'.

Khan had tweeted on Monday, "Sometimes you wake up with a jolt with life-shaking you up. The last fifteen days, my life has been a suspense story. Little had I known that my search for rare stories would make me find a rare disease. I have never given up and have always fought for my choices and always will. My family and friends are with me and we are working it out the best way possible. In trying times, please don't speculate as I will myself share with you my story within a week - ten days when the further investigations come with a conclusive diagnosis. Till then, wish the best for me".

A bevy of fans has since been wishing the actor a speedy recovery.

In case if you are wondering what Neuroendocrine Tumour is all about, here are a few questions we have answered for you:

Is it the same as brain tumour?

In a subtle jibe to all the rumour mongers who said he was suffering from brain tumour, Irrfan mentioned in his tweet that the word ‘neuro’ does not always mean brain. In fact, the disease refers to tumours that originate in the nervous system (neuro) and the endocrine glands (endocrine), which explains the name. These tumours can either migrate to the rest of the body or can stay in its site of origin. Dr Kaustubh Mahaja, Consultant Neurologist, S. L Raheja Hospital- A Fortis Associate says, "It is, in fact, a contradiction to presume it to be directly associated with the brain. Cases in which these tumours are malignant, they evolve rapidly as they spread to other parts, including the brain. Symptoms may be neurogenic like dizziness or loss of consciousness, which are purely due to the excess hormones secreted which have functions with the brain.”

Is it malignant/cancerous?

Not all neuroendocrine tumours are malignant. Some of them can be non-cancerous or benign says Dr Akshay Shah, Consultant Medical & Hemato-Oncologist and Stem Cell Physician, S.L Raheja Hospital- A Fortis Associate. "Neuroendocrine tumour is a very broad term which is used for tumours arising from neural and endocrine tissues. It can range from benign tumours to frank malignancy," he adds. And at this point, we don't know whether Irrfan’s tumours malignant or benign.

What are the symptoms of neuroendocrine tumours?

"Since they can occur in any part of the body-- commonest being gastrointestinal tract, pancreas and the lungs-- symptoms depend on the organ involved," says Dr Shah. Common symptoms include flushing, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, bronchospasm, hypertension, hypoglycemia (deficiency of blood glucose) or hyperglycemia (high blood glucose), headache and dizziness.

How rare are neuroendocrine tumours?

Irrfan has already said that he is suffering from a rare disease. Although these tumours comprise less than two percent of cancers than that originate in the stomach, they are more frequent than the stomach and pancreatic cancers combined. The National Cancer Institute has revealed a five-fold increase in the incidence of these tumours. In the last 15 years, the incidence of NET has increased considerably.