A scan that shows a thin cross-sectional slice through the body, achieved by taking a series of low-dose X-rays. CT scans are one of the main imaging techniques used for diagnosing and monitoring NETs.

A condition that causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal (digestive system). It is one of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn’s can affect any area of the digestive system from the mouth to the anus.

A procedure that involves freezing cancer cells to kill them. A thin surgical instrument called a cryoprobe is inserted through the skin, directly into tumors to freeze them. After treatment, the body’s immune system gets rid of the dead tissue over a few weeks. Also known as cryotherapy or cryosurgery.

A long, thin pointed surgical instrument used, to apply extreme cold to tissues.

Also known as cryoablation, a procedure that involves freezing cancer cells to kill them. A thin surgical instrument called a cryoprobe is inserted through the skin, directly into tumors to freeze them. After treatment, the body’s immune system gets rid of the dead tissue over a few weeks. Also known as cryotherapy or cryosurgery.

A bluish or purplish discoloration of the skin due to a deficiency in blood oxygen levels.

Any treatment or process that kills cells. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are two forms of cytotoxic therapy used to kill cancer cells.

A type of surgery that is used to remove as much of the cancer as possible to make chemotherapy or radiation possible or more effective. Debulking may be performed when it is not possible to remove all of a tumor.

A persistent feeling of sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, tiredness and poor concentration. Mild depression can often be treated without medicines but people with moderate or severe depression may need long-term treatment with medications, professional psychological counselling, or both.

A healthcare professional who is an expert in diet and nutrition and can advise patients on how to eat healthily.

In normal cells, differentiation is the process that changes a general, less specialized cell to a more specialized cell that has a specific job in the body. In tumor cells, differentiation refers to how developed the cells are. Differentiated tumor cells look like normal cells. Undifferentiated, or poorly differentiated, tumor cells don’t have the structure of normal cells, and don’t work the way normal cells do. Poorly differentiated tumor cells usually have a better chance of being malignant.

Agents that help the body get rid of excess fluid.

The molecules inside cells that carry genetic information and pass it from one generation to the next. Also called deoxyribonucleic acid.

A hormone and neurotransmitter released by the brain. High levels of dopamine in the urine or blood may indicate the presence of NETs.

The first part of the small intestine, connected to the stomach. The duodenum gets enzymes from the pancreas and chemicals from the liver and the gallbladder to help with digestion.

Difficult or labored breathing.

An imaging test that uses ultrasound to produce moving images of the heart and blood flow through the heart’s valves and structures. Also called a cardiac echo or simply an echo.

An abnormal accumulation of fluid in connective tissues or body cavities.

Substances such as sodium or potassium that can conduct electricity and are necessary to regulate most of the processes in the body.

The system of the body that generates hormones, the chemical messengers that allow the body to function in many ways. Hormones control many bodily functions such as metabolism, mood, growth, and reproduction.