We are the St George Interdisciplinary Neuroendocrine Group. We are based in St George
Hospital in Kogarah in South Sydney.
STING is comprised of a dedicated team of medical specialists and allied health professionals focusing on providing the best care and treatment during your journey with neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). Being diagnosed with a rare tumour such as NET can add confusion to an already daunting experience given the lack of information and resources.
This website is aimed is giving you information about your diagnosis, treatment options here at St George and providing support for referring practitioners
Neuroendocrine tumours are a complex group of tumours that develop predominantly in the digestive or respiratory tracts but can develop anywhere in the body. These tumours arise from neuroendocrine cells. The main function of neuroendocrine cells in the body is to create, store and secrete a variety of peptides (little proteins) and hormones for normal bodily functions.
Neuroendocrine tumours are generally slow-growing but can be more aggressive (fast growing). It is important to know the grade and stage of your tumour as this impacts the treatments available to you. The most common sites for neuroendocrine tumours to form are the digestive system and the lungs.
The gastro-intestinal tract accounts for 54.1% cases. Gastro-intestinal tract neuroendocrine tumours are usually found in the large bowel and appendix (23.3%), small intestine (20.6%), pancreas (6.5%) and stomach (3.7%). Neuroendocrine tumours can also develop in the lungs (25.9%) where they are called bronchial carcinoid tumours.
“We are extremely proud of the work we do with our patients. 60% of NETs are advanced by the time patients are correctly diagnosed and come to us. Our treatment is highly effective and giving back hope and long lasting life to our patients.”
DR JENNIFER LIM
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR PATRICK BUTLER
As a multidisciplinary team, each new patient is discussed in our fortnightly meetings to ensure they are receiving the best care. Your treatment will be individual and based on the stage and grade of your neuroendocrine tumour. We will closely review your histopathology with an expert anatomical pathologist, your imaging with our specialist radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians and confirm your diagnosis.
Here at St George Hospital, we have offered peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with 177LuDOTA-Octreotate (also known as “Lutate Therapy”) since 2010. We are proud to offer this important treatment option to our patients.
You may also be treated with a combination of hormonal injections (also known as somatostatin analogues), chemotherapy (either in tablets or through a drip), targeted therapy (tablets), radiation or procedures (ranging from open surgery to minimally invasive image-guided procedures).
We are a teaching hospital and a research centre. During your treatment, you may be invited
to be involved in a clinical trial or other research projects. Research involvement allows our
team at STING to continue to offer our patients the highest level of care and helps improve
our own knowledge about neuroendocrine tumours and treatment. Please remember that
participation in any research is completely voluntary and even if you have agreed to a
project, you can withdraw your consent at any time.
Different NETs affect people in different ways in terms of how the tumour grows, the symptoms produced, whether or not they spread and how they spread. However, all NETs share some similar characteristics.
The histology (what the tumours look like under a microscope) is very important in order to classify the cancer into a type, and therefore allow the medical team to be able to plan appropriate treatment. Although NETs share similar characteristics, the diagnosis and the way the cancer may behave could be different.
The most important aspect of NET patient care is that it is tailored to suit the individual, and that this care is provided by our team of specialists in the field of NETs. Quality of life is paramount for the patient, and so teamwork is essential to provide a solid plan of treatment and follow-up.
