New Neuroendocrine Specialist Establishing Multidisciplinary Program to Treat Neuroendocrine Tumors

December 15, 2019

By UH

Amr Mohamed, MD, hosts event to provide answers to patients from across the region

By Kim Sanker, Nurse Manager | UH Seidman Cancer Center

Forty people from across Northeast Ohio gathered November 17 at UH Westlake Health Center to meet and talk to Amr Mohamed, MD, UH Seidman Cancer Center’s new neuroendocrine specialist, to have questions answered about their neuroendocrine tumor. “What is it? Do I have cancer?”

Some of the patients, told by oncologists that there is nothing to worry about or that there is no treatment, expressed their frustration with having no answers to their questions. Dr. Mohamed explained to the group that neuroendocrine cancer has many classifications and the incidence is steadily increasing. For 100 years it was referred to as Carcinoid, described as slow-growing multiple Foci with no metastatic potential. This is no longer the mindset. With the help of dramatically improved scanning technology, primary sites of occurrence have typically been identified in the appendix, pancreas and lung but metastasis can occur to the liver, colon, ovary and rectum. Treatment options can include surgery, liver-directed therapy or several different medicines including chemotherapy.

The meeting with Dr. Mohamed was organized by the Ohio Facebook support group Buckeye NETs. This group was founded about three years ago by a man with neuroendocrine cancer and his wife. Currently the group has more than 275 members. Meetings take place in person every three months at different locations and times of day to accommodate various schedules. People from all over the United States belong to this Facebook group, including neuroendocrine specialists like Dr. Mohamed, as well as leaders of other national organizations such as The Healing NET Foundation offering support for patients of this particular disease.

Many of these patients, who previously traveled as far as Denver and other locations across the country to see their neuroendocrine specialists, are now thrilled to have a specialist in their own neighborhood.

Dr. Mohamed has only been working for University Hospitals for a few months, but during this time, he has organized a team of physicians, nurses and other health care professionals focused on the disease, developed structured plans of care for NET patients depending on their type, engaged with clinical trials, introduced a new treatment called Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) and has become involved in the Northeast Ohio community. And he is just getting started.

Dr. Mohamed’s goal is to have a nationally recognized, Comprehensive Center of Excellence neuroendocrine program at UH Seidman Cancer Center, including a tumor board specific to the disease. This will be the only multidisciplinary neuroendocrine program in Ohio. According to the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation, there are only 26 multidisciplinary neuroendocrine programs currently in the United States. Dr. Mohamed has also connected with our London partner to investigate new treatments and promote international clinical trials.

To learn more, visit Neuroendocrine Tumors or call 216-553-1240.

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New Neuroendocrine Specialist Establishing Multidisciplinary Program to Treat Neuroendocrine Tumors

Amr Mohamed, MD, hosts event to provide answers to patients from across the region

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