Brad's Story
“4-6 months prior to diagnosis I was really losing a lot of weight.”
- Brad Webb
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Neuroendocrine cancer frequently camouflages itself.
Its vague symptoms can be misdiagnosed with conditions like IBS, Abdominal Pain, Asthma, or Menopause.
Brad was diagnosed in 2012 with a pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer that had metastasised in his liver, the initial shock was accompanied by the usual fear and uncertainty that comes with a cancer diagnosis.
“It was devastating. And particularly because it wasn’t just that it was cancer. It was that it was secondaries. And we’d always heard before that if people got secondary cancer, that was there wasn’t much hope”
Brad vividly recounts his symptoms leading to his diagnosis whilst on holiday in Hawaii. Symptoms included an inability to stomach any food or drink, diarrhoea, a hard stomach and back pain. emphasising the isolating nature of the illness.
“I just couldn’t stomach any food and couldn’t drinking alcohol. Everything went straight through me.”
Despite the challenges that NETs brings, Brad and his wife, Selina maintain a positive outlook, embracing the changes in their life.
“The real change to our life was that the diagnosis happened when we were starting to think about having a family. So that’s really the only big thing that, you know, that has that changed the course that we were on.”
With a commitment to staying active and engaged, Brad advocates for the importance of a supportive community and the significance of living life to the fullest.
“I guess something like this makes you realize that life’s short and you have to enjoy it and just get on and do what you want to do and don’t hold back.”
Neuroendocrine Cancer Symptoms
Do you, or does someone you know have these symptoms?
Flushing
The skin on your face and upper chest feels hot and changes colour
Wheezing
Asthma-like signs and symptoms, such as wheezing and shortness of breath
Palpitations
A racing heartbeat (palpitations), sometimes combined with dizziness
Diarrhoea
Your bowel motions are regularly urgent, watery, and frequent with no known cause
Fatigue
Overwhelming exhaustion that cannot be overcome with a good night's rest
Rashes
A red rash with swelling and blisters that often travels from place to place on the skin
Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) can develop in many parts of the body. Depending on where the tumour is located will determine the symptoms a patient experiences. Not all neuroendocrine cancer patients experience symptoms prior to diagnosis and not all people experiencing the symptoms listed above will have neuroendocrine cancer. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms we strongly recommend you speak to your healthcare professional.
All charity donations to NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia may be tax-deductible in Australia.