Irrfan Khan died of a neuroendocrine tumour — here's what makes the 'forgotten cancer' so dangerous

• Irrfan Khan died of a neuroendocrine tumour (NET) — the 'forgotten cancer' — earlier today, April 29.
• The cancer is rare and often misdiagnosed as other common ailments like IBS, asthma or anxiety.
• According to the Neuroendocrine Tumour Research Foundation, NET is becoming more common but more than half the patients suffer from late diagnosis.

Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan fought a two-year battle against a neuroendocrine tumour before he passed away earlier today, April 29, at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.

India's favourite 'silent superstar' was diagnosed in March 2018. After he disclosed his condition, Khan flew to the United Kingdom for treatment, which kept him away from the Indian film industry for nearly a year.




What is a neuroendocrine tumour?
A neuroendocrine tumour (NET), simply put, is an umbrella term for a class of rare cancers. Not only is it difficult to diagnose, but it's also slow-growing and complex.

Neuroendocrine cells are found all over the body — especially in the small bowel, pancreas, stomach, the adrenal gland, lungs and thyroid. As and when these cells receive signals from the nervous system, they release the corresponding hormones.


A neuroendocrine tumour is a tumour that forms within those cells. What makes them complex is that their behaviour is difficult to predict.

More and more people are being diagnosed with NET — just not soon enough
NET isn't understood very well and it can often be anywhere between five to seven years before a conclusive diagnosis is revealed.

More than half the people suffer from late detection of the condition, according to the Neuroendocrine Tumour Research Foundation (NETRF). By that time, NET has normally spread to other organs in the body.


NETRF data also shows that every 7 in 100,000 people are afflicted and that number is on the rise. To raise awareness, the International Neuroendocrine Cancer Alliance (INCA) created the World NET Cancer Day, which occurs on November 10 every year.

Even so, it's not something that the common person will be familiar with until they're actually diagnosed. The tumours can occur almost anywhere in the body and don't differentiate between gender and age.

NET symptoms disguise themselves
Symptoms of NET often mimic other common ailments — like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), asthma, flushing or redding of the skin, and unexplained anxiety.

Because of this patients are often misdiagnosed and NET has been labelled the 'forgotten cancer'.


In August 2018, Irrfan Khan revealed to the press that he had concluded four rounds of chemotherapy with six more cycles to go. He made a return to Bollywood to wrap up the final scenes of Angrezi Medium nearly a year later in April 2019.

Ahead of the release, Khan told fans that he won't be able to promote the film in a way that he would have liked to, due to his medical condition.


"My body's been gatecrashed by some unwelcome guests and I'm continuing to negotiate with them. Let's see where that conversation takes us," he said.

Right before his own death, Khan's mother — Saeeda Begum — passed away on April 25 in Jaipur at the age of 95. Due to the ongoing lockdown and his own deteriorating health, he was unable to visit her.

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