The world came to a standstill when
Irrfan Khan, the acclaimed Indian actor, passed away on 29 April 2020 at the age of 53, after a hard-fought battle with a rare form of cancer. Known for his impeccable prowess in his art and finesse in the craft of acting, Irrfan was a force of nature to reckon with — one who made his presence known in India, as well as films abroad. “The soul of cinema” — as the admirers fondly call him — although he shared his diagnosis publicly in 2018, he never fully disclosed the specifics. In a little over 2 years since the announcement of the diagnosis, Irrfan passed away in 2020 — and his void hasn’t been filled ever since.
What happened to Irrfan?
Irrfan Khan publicly revealed in March 2018 that he had been diagnosed with a “rare tumor.” Later, it was confirmed he had a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) — a cancer that originates in neuroendocrine cells, which are hormone-producing cells scattered through the body. His condition was quite serious — despite treatment abroad, including chemotherapy, the disease progressed, and he ultimately succumbed to complications related to the tumor and its treatment.
Irrfan died at age 53 in Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, where he had been admitted for a serious colon infection while already being treated for his underlying tumor.
What is a neuroendocrine tumor (NET)?
A neuroendocrine tumor develops in the specialized neuroendocrine cells — cells that receive nervous stimuli and release hormones into the blood. These cells are dispersed in organs such as the lungs, gastrointestinal tract (stomach, small intestine, rectum), pancreas, and others. NETs can be benign or malignant — they are rare, can behave very slowly or aggressively depending on grade and location, and often are diagnosed late because symptoms are vague or absent.
Early signs and risk factors you should never ignore
As NETs are quite rare in occurrence, it’s important that we pay attention to early signs for a timely diagnosis. Symptoms of this disease vary widely depending on the location and hormone-producing nature of the tumor:
Unexplained weight loss, fatigue.A growing lump or mass under the skin or in an organ.Hormone-related symptoms if the tumor is “functioning”: for example, flushing, diarrhea, wheezing, and heart-rate changes.Symptoms specific to location: e.g., in lungs – cough, breath-issues; in GI tract – bowel changes, bleeding.Because the signs are general and the disease is rare, diagnosis is often delayed.
Risk factors for NET include genetic syndromes such as Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN 1), Von Hippel‑Lindau syndrome, and Neurofibromatosis type 1, and weakened immune system status. However, the exact causes remain largely unknown, as many cases of NETs occur without a specifically identifiable cause.
How common is this cancer?
In India, incidence is very low: NETs account for about 0.5% of all malignancies, and the estimated incidence of around 2 per 100,000 in India. Globally incidence is estimated at about 5-6 per 100,000 population. However, the survival depends heavily on tumor site, grade, stage, and treatment.
According to a large US database (SEER), for all NETs, the median survival was 41 months; 1-year survival was about 72.8%, 5-year about 39.4% in older datasets. Whereas, as per Mayo Clinic’s data, 5-year survival for localized disease around 90%, regional spread around 85%, and distant metastases about 57% for certain NETs. Meanwhile, Australian data show that for diagnoses between 2014-18, five-year relative survival was about 51%.
Prevention, management, and treatment
Because NETs are relatively rare and varied, there is no single guaranteed prevention strategy. However, some practical steps include:
Awareness of unusual symptoms and an early-seek-help mindset, as persistent unexplained symptoms deserve thorough evaluation.
If you have a genetic syndrome or a strong family history of endocrine tumors, regular screening and specialist consultation are crucial.
Good general health habits: keeping the immune system robust, avoiding exposures that increase cancer risk (though specific modifiable risks for NET are not well defined).
Management and treatment depend on tumor type, location, grade, and stage.
While surgery is the mainstay for early, localized NETs, for advanced disease, treatments include somatostatin analogues, targeted therapies, and radiopharmaceuticals.
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