"The unexpected makes us grow, which is what the past few days have been about. Learning that I have been diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour as of now has admittedly been difficult, but the love and strength of those around me and that I found within me has brought me to a place of hope," he said in a statement.

"The journey of this is taking me out of the country, and I request everyone to continue sending their wishes. As for the rumours that were floated, neuro is not always about the brain and Googling is the easiest way to do research ;-) To those who waited for my words, I hope to be back with more stories to tell," 51-year-old Irrfan added.

Neuroendocrine tumours are described as rare and can occur anywhere in the body. Most neuroendocrine tumours occur in the lungs, appendix, small intestine, rectum and pancreas. They can be non-cancerous or malignant.

However, in Irrfan's case, he has not yet revealed which stage of the condition he is suffering or whether it is malignant or not.

His revelation comes days after the internationally known acclaimed actor left fans, friends and colleagues worried by informing them via social media that his life had been shaken up by a "rare disease".

Irrfan began his statement with an emotional quote by Margaret Mitchell -- "Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect."