On November 10, the neuroendocrine cancer day (world NET cancer day) is celebrated. This is a worldwide event to help create awareness of rare neuorendocrine neoplasms, and support patients who are fighting these cancers.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms is a term that includes a group of uncommon, often slow growing cancers, which develop from cells in the gastro-entero-pancreatic system and in the lung, among the other sites. However, their incidence is rapidly growing, such that it is necessary to raise awareness and improve knowledge. 

The world NET cancer day motto is “Think Zebra. If you don’t suspect it, you can’t detect it“. Zebra is the medical slang for arriving at a “strange”, “exotic” diagnosis when a more commonplace explanation is more likely. It is shorthand for the aphorism coined in the late 1940s by Professor Theodore Woodward (University of Maryland School of Medicine), who instructed his students and medical interns: “When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses not zebras”. Since in the US horses are common while zebras are extremely rare, logically one could confidently guess that an animal making hoofbeats is probably a horse. But it may be a zebra, sometimes.  

Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the gastro-entero-pancreatic system do not cause specific symptoms at an early stage, and are often misdiagnosed. The diagnosis is typically established at later clinical stages because of symptoms attributable to mass effect, such as compression or infiltration of nearby organs. To learn more about neuroendocrine neoplasms click here. 

At a national level, the NET cancer day is organized by charitable organizations and patient groups. In Italy, the campaign is promoted by NETItaly, a community of patients affected by neuroendocrine neoplasms. This year NETItaly sent to the tertiary care centers specialized in the treatment of these tumors the ribbon pins and the zebra scarves, symbols of the NET cancer day. The Pancreatic Surgery team at the Verona Pancreas Institute, pictured here with the zebra scarves, is happy to support this campaign to raise awareness, improve diagnosis, and offer better care options to patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.

Think zebra!