Disease Progression
What Is Disease Progression?
Disease progression means that the cancer has worsened either by the tumor growing or spreading within your body. A GEP-NET may not show symptoms, making tumor tracking challenging, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about how to best monitor your tumor.
Cancers May Spread in Different Ways
Tissue: The cancer spreads from where it began by growing into nearby areas. | |
Lymph system: The cancer spreads by getting into the lymph system. The cancer travels through the lymph vessels to other parts of the body. | |
Blood: The cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the blood. The cancer travels through the blood vessels to other parts of the body. |
Doctors typically treat GEP-NET with the following goals in mind:
To remove the tumor with surgery
To stop or slow the growth and spread of the tumor
To relieve symptoms associated with too much hormone production