About the Authors

Rebecca Dobson

rebecca.dobson@liverpool.ac.uk

Affiliations Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom, Department of Obesity and Endocrinology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Merseyside, United Kingdom

Malcolm I. Burgess

Affiliations Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom, Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

Melissa Banks

Affiliation Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

D. Mark Pritchard

Affiliations Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom, Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

Jiten Vora

Affiliation Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

Juan W. Valle

Affiliation Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Withington, Manchester, United Kingdom

Christopher Wong

Affiliations Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom, Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

Carrie Chadwick

Affiliation Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

Keith George

Affiliation Research Institute for Sport & Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

Brian Keevil

Affiliation Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of South Manchester, Wythenshawe, Manchester, United Kingdom

Joanne Adaway

Affiliation Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of South Manchester, Wythenshawe, Manchester, United Kingdom

Joy E. S. Ardill

Affiliation Regional Peptide Laboratory, Kelvin Building, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, United Kingdom

Alan Anthoney

Affiliation Medical Oncology, CRUK Clinical Cancer Centre, St James University Hospital, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Uschi Hofmann

Affiliation Medical Oncology, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, Lindley, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Graeme J. Poston

Affiliation Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

Daniel J. Cuthbertson

Affiliations Neuroendocrine Tumour Group, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom, Department of Obesity and Endocrinology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Merseyside, United Kingdom

Competing Interests

Senior author Dr. DJ Cuthbertson received an investigator-initiated award from a commercial source, Ipsen. This does not alter the authors’ adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: MB CW DMP DJC JWV GJP AA UH JV MIB. Performed the experiments: CW RD MIB. Analyzed the data: BK JA JEA CC KG RD MIB. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: KG BK JA CC JEA MB RD DJC. Wrote the paper: RD DJC MB GJP DMP JV MIB JEA BK JA CC CW JWV AA UH KG.