Actor Irrfan Khan suffers through Neuroendocrine Tumor: Here's all you need to know about the disease

New Delhi: After much speculation about actor Irrfan Khan’s illness, he finally broke his silence on the issue and revealed that he is suffering through Neuroendocrine Tumor and he needs to visit London to get a medical treatment for the same. What is Neuroendocrine Tumor? A tumor begins when healthy cells change and grow out of control, forming a mass. A tumor can be cancerous or benign. A cancerous tumor is malignant, meaning it can grow and spread to other parts of the body if it is not found early and treated. A benign tumor means the tumor can grow but will not spread. A benign tumor usually can be removed without it causing much harm. An endocrine tumor is a mass that begins in the parts of the body that produce and release hormones. Because an endocrine tumor develops from cells that produce hormones, the tumor can also produce hormones. This can cause serious illness. A neuroendocrine tumor begins in the hormone-producing cells of the body’s neuroendocrine system, which is made up of cells that are a combination of hormone-producing endocrine cells and nerve cells. Neuroendocrine cells are found throughout the body in organs such as the lungs and gastrointestinal tract, including the stomach and intestines. Neuroendocrine cells perform specific functions, such as regulating air and blood flow through the lungs and controlling how quickly food moves through the gastrointestinal tract. Types of Neuroendocrine tumors: There are three types of Neuroendocrine tumors namely Pheochromocytoma, Merkel cell cancer, and Neuroendocrine carcinoma.