24 April 2025 – The first World Hormone Day takes place today to raise awareness of the vital role of hormones in rare and chronic disease. Under the banner of #BecauseHormonesMatter, the campaign brings together the global endocrine community to share the small steps everyone can take to improve hormone health.
NEUROENDOCRINE CANCER UK joins the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), the European Hormone and Metabolism Foundation (ESE Foundation), and partners worldwide to put hormones in the spotlight.
Neuroendocrine Cancer and Hormones
Neuroendocrine cells sit alongside other cells in the body, their job is to sense when to release hormones to help our bodies function normally.
When neuroendocrine cells become cancerous – their hormone release levels can become imbalanced, usually increasing abnormally. This can lead to various symptoms or syndromes that impact both physical and mental health.
Hormones are biological messengers that travel throughout the body, telling cells and organs what to do. They play a crucial role in facilitating many normal bodily functions.
Hormones are essential for:
- Our growth and development
- Regulating our appetite and digestion
- Influencing our activity levels and sleep patterns
- Our immune response and mental well-being
- Social bonding
*Click on the image to enlarge*
Endocrine-related conditions, including cancers, are on the rise
- Over the last 30 years we have seen a 371% increase in the incidence of neuroendocrine cancers: to over 6,000 new cases/yr in England alone.
- The prevalence has also risen, and neuroendocrine cancers are now the 13th most prevalent cancers in men, and the 14th in women, with over 30,000 people in England currently living with, not beyond, neuroendocrine cancer.
Source: National Disease Registration Service
- For those living with a neuroendocrine cancer, delays in diagnosis, limited specialist knowledge, and inconsistent care pathways are all too familiar.
By raising awareness and calling for action – we strive to improve the lives of those affected
Jérôme Bertherat, ESE President: “This is a fantastic opportunity to put hormones in the spotlight. Together, we can raise awareness of individual actions and call for stronger policies to support the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of endocrine disease.”
#BecauseHormonesMatter #WorldHormoneDay #LetstalkaboutNETs #LetstalkaboutNECs
More information about World Hormone Day can be found at: www.worldhormoneday.org
More information about neuroendocrine cancer can be found on our website: www.neuroendocrinecancer.org.uk
