Welcome to the NETs Group! Come say hi.

Posted by Teresa, Volunteer Mentor @hopeful33250, Jan 20, 2017

Hello and welcome
Let's pull up our chairs in a circle and check in with each other and talk about how we are doing with our NET diagnosis. Any new tests, meds or treatments going on for you? What about your symptom control? Any concerns you have?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) Support Group.

@hopeful33250

Hi again @kjstein

I appreciate you sharing your personal experience with PRRT as well as the good results. You might also find the Connect discussion group on PRRT interesting. Here is the link that will take you to that discussion, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/prrt-treatment/

As it would be good for prospective patients to have some first-hand knowledge, can I invite you to discussions with others who might be considering PRRT?

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Yes that would be fine. I'm happy to share and thanks for connecting me to the PRRT discussion. These resources are wonderful.

Enjoyed meeting everyone yesterday at the virtual meeting and plan to be a future meetings...loved the sharing and positive attitudes of everyone on the group!

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@kjstein

Yes, I was able to tolerate PRRT well. The treatments went exactly as they were explained and my major side effect was fatigue--really fatigued after the first treatment and less so with each of the remaining 3. For me the fatigue was most noticeable the first few days after treatment and lingered for about 2 weeks when I started to get some energy back! No nausea either during or after treatments--but I did notice that there were certain foods that I really craved and others that I just did not want to eat. I also did experience thinning hair (which I think may be unusual) but I did not lose all my hair! By the end of the 4th and final treatment, I did have mild anemia--but blood levels stayed within low end of normal limits throughout treatment. It is taking some time to build my strength back up, but I'm back to normal levels of exercise and feeling well now (about 4 months after last treatment). The protocols for after receiving the treatment are pretty strict (distance from other people and your pets for several days, laundry and bathroom protocols, etc.) but overall this treatment was not as scary as it sounds! Happy to share more if anyone else is thinking about this as a treatment. Just at the start of the journey, so will see how it goes from here!

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Hi again @kjstein

I appreciate you sharing your personal experience with PRRT as well as the good results. You might also find the Connect discussion group on PRRT interesting. Here is the link that will take you to that discussion, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/prrt-treatment/

As it would be good for prospective patients to have some first-hand knowledge, can I invite you to discussions with others who might be considering PRRT?

REPLY

Yes, I was able to tolerate PRRT well. The treatments went exactly as they were explained and my major side effect was fatigue--really fatigued after the first treatment and less so with each of the remaining 3. For me the fatigue was most noticeable the first few days after treatment and lingered for about 2 weeks when I started to get some energy back! No nausea either during or after treatments--but I did notice that there were certain foods that I really craved and others that I just did not want to eat. I also did experience thinning hair (which I think may be unusual) but I did not lose all my hair! By the end of the 4th and final treatment, I did have mild anemia--but blood levels stayed within low end of normal limits throughout treatment. It is taking some time to build my strength back up, but I'm back to normal levels of exercise and feeling well now (about 4 months after last treatment). The protocols for after receiving the treatment are pretty strict (distance from other people and your pets for several days, laundry and bathroom protocols, etc.) but overall this treatment was not as scary as it sounds! Happy to share more if anyone else is thinking about this as a treatment. Just at the start of the journey, so will see how it goes from here!

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@kjstein

Just checking in and saying hello before the support group meeting tomorrow. I am new to the group and have been learning my way around Connect. I was diagnosed with NETs to the liver without discovery of the primary tumor in February 2021. I have been receiving lanreotide injections since then and also completed 4 PRRT infusions beginning in July 2021 and ending in January 2022. My first follow-up scans in April showed significant decrease to lesions in the liver and I'm feeling well. I do have some side effects from both treatments, but nothing that is not manageable. I receive treatment at Mayo Arizona and also in my hometown of El Paso Texas. I'm looking forward to learning more about NETs and management strategies and treatments from other members of the group. Thanks for providing this option.
Karen

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Hello Karen (@kjstein)

Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! I am glad to hear that you have been finding your way on Connect.

It will be nice to meet you (virtually) tonight at the support group meeting (it is necessary to register in advance for the meeting in order to get the Zoom link).

You must be very pleased with the results of your NET treatments. It sounds good that the lesions in the liver have decreased. Were you able to tolerate the PRRT, well? If you don't mind sharing more, what side effects, if any, did you experience?

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Just checking in and saying hello before the support group meeting tomorrow. I am new to the group and have been learning my way around Connect. I was diagnosed with NETs to the liver without discovery of the primary tumor in February 2021. I have been receiving lanreotide injections since then and also completed 4 PRRT infusions beginning in July 2021 and ending in January 2022. My first follow-up scans in April showed significant decrease to lesions in the liver and I'm feeling well. I do have some side effects from both treatments, but nothing that is not manageable. I receive treatment at Mayo Arizona and also in my hometown of El Paso Texas. I'm looking forward to learning more about NETs and management strategies and treatments from other members of the group. Thanks for providing this option.
Karen

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@glenkinman68

This site was given to me at Mayo's in Mn.. I am sooo glad to be able to talk with someone who understands. I am my husband's caregiver. I hope this is right place to ask a question. My husband has had Nets since July of 2017. He has been on Lanreotide shots ever since. He has had 2 oblations for the liver. Which is the place he has tumors. Now he had his first PRRT. My question is? His first PRRT was very easy on him. Do they get harder each time? Also he has a very bad heart valve.The bad valve dosen't seem to cause him any trouble at this time. Will he be able to have it fixed if the PRRT works? Thank you for listening.
A very concerned wife.

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I have Pnet with 23 tumors on my liver, and else where. They are looking at doing the embolize the tumor or a few of them. How did you do through this procedure and when did did you go through this ? Thank you, Anthony

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@djsutton205

Just thought I would contact this group to say Hi. I was diagnosed with NETS about a year ago. Before that, I was diagnosed with MEN1, a condition whereby there are tumors on many of my hormone-producing glands—parathyroid, adrenal, pituitary and pancreas. I have had a number of surgeries to remove tumors on the parathyroid and adrenal, but the tumors on my pancreas have spread to my liver. Hence the PNET diagnosis. I have been injected with Lanreotide on a monthly basis since my PNET diagnosis and my quality of life has not changed, although I have one minor side effect which is manageable. Most recently my oncologist has suggested that I take Afinitor along with my injections. Side effects can become increasingly bothersome. I have so many questions and concerns, mostly regarding my quality of life. Has anyone out there had an experience with the Lanreotide-Afinitor combination and did you have serious side effects? And in general, how do you deal with this seemingly overwhelming diagnosis?

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I have been on Octreotide shots for several years and also took Afinitor for a couple of years. The worst side effect I had was mouth sores especially if I ate acidic foods BUT my pharmacist in the Cancer Clinic suggested I use liquid Dexamethasone on them when I got one of them. It so worked for me and was a true blessing he suggested it. This was pre Covid so I’m not sure now if you can still ask for it (prescription) since they have also used it for Covid treatment. Again, this was oral and it only took a dab on the spot so a bottle lasted forever. Sometimes my appetite wasn’t so great but never really a problem for me.

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Hi, I also have NETS and love being a part of discussion boards to learn and keep up to date in new treatments. I have had this diagnosis for 12 years now! I’ve been on most of the meds at some point. Currently I am just on Temodar. Thanks for adding me to the group.

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@marcconley

I also use both miralax as a stool softener + 300 mg of mag citrate to stimulate activity. Per my GI both are safe for chronic constipation. Drink coffee as well in the am with the mag citrate. Get pretty strong reaction with numerous movements with the coffee on an empty stomach. Need to experiment with the amount of coffee to avoid excess movements. Please comment on this protocol and let me know if I I can do anything more. Thanks

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Thanks

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@colleenyoung

Drinking plenty of water, prunes, oatmeal and magnesium citrate (Calm) helps me with stubborn constipation.

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I also use both miralax as a stool softener + 300 mg of mag citrate to stimulate activity. Per my GI both are safe for chronic constipation. Drink coffee as well in the am with the mag citrate. Get pretty strong reaction with numerous movements with the coffee on an empty stomach. Need to experiment with the amount of coffee to avoid excess movements. Please comment on this protocol and let me know if I I can do anything more. Thanks

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