Patient Stories

Having a family history of cancer, both mother and father, my own diagnosis of NETs probably shouldn’t have taken me by surprise but it did.

I have the same cancer that singer, and queen of soul, Aretha Franklin and Apple CEO, Steve Jobs had, neuroendocrine cancer (NETs).

After almost 5 years of misdiagnoses, Kristen was diagnosed with NETs at only 43 years of age. Kristen’s initial diagnosis was grim, thankfully a second opinion and access to PRRT treatment successfully reduced her tumour and gave Kristen a second chance at life.

On the 8th of October 2019 I found out I was expecting my second child. Less than two weeks later I was rushed in for emergency surgery for appendicitis. Two weeks after the surgery I was diagnosed with a NET inside my removed appendix

I had an ultrasound for an unrelated medical condition. The radiographer identified a differential diagnosis… a neuroendocrine tumour (NETs).

I was diagnosed in 2011 at the age of 24, I can honestly say cancer had never entered my mind and it never seemed like something that could happen to me.

My diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Cancer came as a complete shock.  I had been experiencing what the doctors called non-specific symptoms

I was diagnosed a long time ago with MEN1 which meant I was being monitored for a long time.