I had the pleasure of joining some close friends at Unicorn Foundation's 2017 Sydney Cocktail Party held at Ivy on Saturday night. Great food, great entertainment and great company.

The event was held to help fundraise for research into Neuroendocrine Tumors.

What are Neuroendocrine Tumors?

Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) is the umbrella term for a group of unusual, often slow-growing cancers. These tumours develop from secretory cells found throughout the body and which are particularly concentrated in the gastrointestinal system, lung, pancreas, ovary and testes.

These cells are referred to as the diffuse endocrine system to separate them from the discrete endocrine organs such as pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands.

The term neuroendocrine implies that these cells have received some nervous connections (neuro-) and the cells have the ability to secrete hormones (endocrine).

Neuroendocrine tumours have, until recently, been overlooked by the medical community. Neuroendocrine tumours by nature are rare; manifest myriad clinical symptoms, many of which are non-specific, and are usually diagnosed late in their clinical course. Such behaviour has created a culture of misunderstanding and non-treatment by physicians. As a result, many patients have felt neglected and abandoned by a medical system that is only beginning to understand and grasp the complexities of the patient with neuroendocrine tumours.

Find out more about NETs and the Unicorn Foundation by clicking here. Help them reach their research target for 2017...