Endocrine Abstracts

Adult Neuroendocrine Cancer nursing is a highly specialised field where expertise in both knowledge and appropriate skills can make a significant contribution - ‘especially in the promotion and maintenance of high standards of practice, education for the patient’ and the application of safe evidence-based knowledge and skills ‘the patient requires when diagnosed with a rare disease’ (1). Whilst considered rare, Neuroendocrine Cancer has seen an exponential ...

Holistic care for NEN patients:: Holistic care is a ‘gold-standard’ model, defined as that which treats the whole person. A key factor to ensure that all the cogs in the NEN pathway work collaboratively, towards this goal, is to ensure that we are all listening to the perspective of the person living with NEN and that we focus conversations on Quality of Life: what it means to each individual and how we can, together, best help them manage and live well with their il...

Background: March 2020 saw the UK enter lockdown in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The impact on healthcare availability and resources was immediate.To better understand the impact these events had on the Neuroendocrine Cancer community – NCUK undertook a snapshot consultation.Methods: During May–June 2020, 366 Neuroendocrine Cancer patients across the UK completed an online survey, disseminated via social media and the NCUK patient ...

Background: NHS England’s Five Year Forward View refers to peer support as one of the ‘slow burn, high impact’ interventions that should be seen as ‘essential’ to the future of healthcare services, with evidence pointing to benefits in both physical and psychosocial well-being of attendees and potential cost savings to healthcare through improved health condition self-management. However the COVID pandemic has meant that groups cannot currently meet fa...

Neuroendocrine cancers represent the tenth most prevalent type of cancer in England. However, people with neuroendocrine cancer currently face significant inequities throughout the entire care pathway – from suspected cancer to follow-up care. Despite expert clinical guidelines, there is no currently available national Neuroendocrine Cancer Patient Referral and Care Pathway. Guiding principles of optimal patient pathways include the promotion of earlier, accurate diagnosi...

Background: Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and carcinomas (NECs) are a heterogenous group of malignancies, with no common clinical pathway, but previous study has highlighted a common need for effective, well-timed support. There is geographic variation in the availability and provision of specialist NET cancer services across the UK and this is reflected in the diverse patient experiences reported.Service improvement: To improve the patients journey, the...

Background: Liver transplantation for cancer is evolving offering new opportunities for selected Neuroendocrine Cancer patients in terms of improvements in survival and quality of life. According to the British Medical Association, good quality patient information is fundamental to effective, patient-centred, quality care. It rightly considers patients as partners in their care, empowering them to have a better understanding of their health or illness, to make...

Background: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs), include a diverse group of rare neuroendocrine cancers that have increased in incidence in England, by 371%, over the last 3 decades. Prevalence has also risen, with NENs now the 10th most prevalent malignancy in England. Despite this increase, awareness remains low, even amongst healthcare professionals, and patients face significant inequities throughout the entire care pathway, from presentation to follow on care...