Types of carcinoid tumors include:. Slow-growing tumors. These tumors are the most common type. They usually remain small, under about an inch wide. Faster-growing tumors. These tumors may grow more rapidly, grow larger, and spread.
Hormone-secreting tumors. These functioning carcinoid tumors produce hormones including serotonin. The effect of serotonin and other hormones causes the symptoms known as carcinoid syndrome. Symptoms of carcinoid tumor depend on where the tumor is growing and whether the tumor is producing hormones and other chemicals carcinoid syndrome. If you have a tumor that is not causing carcinoid syndrome, you may have no symptoms at all and your tumor may be discovered during a routine exam.
Symptoms caused by carcinoid syndrome may be triggered by exercise, stress, and some foods or drinks, such as alcohol especially red wine , chocolate, and certain cheeses. These are common symptoms:. These tumors are usually found when doing surgery or in an exam for another condition. For example, some carcinoid tumors are found when a healthcare provider removes an appendix for appendicitis. X-rays and scans. This is a special type of scan that is most often used to find carcinoid tumors.
This scan is taken after injection of a radioactive substance that is picked up by carcinoid tumor cells. Exam and biopsy. A surgical procedure to test a sample of tissue from the carcinoid tumor and look at it under a microscope is important for diagnosis.
Sometimes this is done by using a flexible scope to look inside your body. This procedure is called endoscopy. If a tumor is found, your healthcare provider may take a sample of the tissue for biopsy. Urine test. If you have a carcinoid tumor that is making too much hormone, it may show up as a type of acid in your urine called 5-HIAA 5-hydroxy indole acetic acid.
This is a waste product of serotonin. Blood test. A blood test may show an increased level of the hormone serotonin or high levels of chromogranin A CgA. This is another substance made by most carcinoid tumors.
The best treatment for small carcinoid tumors that have not spread is surgery. Some medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI antidepressants , may make symptoms worse by further increasing your levels of serotonin — but never stop taking medication without seeking medical advice. If you have diarrhoea, it's important to keep drinking little and often to avoid dehydration.
If the whole tumour can be removed, this may cure the cancer and symptoms altogether. But even if surgeons cannot remove the entire tumour, it usually grows slowly and can be controlled with medication. Many people remain relatively well and lead active lives, with only occasional symptoms. But as the tumour grows or spreads, it will produce more and more hormones, and it may eventually be difficult to completely control symptoms with medication.
You may need further surgery or other treatments. Unfortunately, life expectancy is not as good for cancer that has spread to other parts of your body, because it won't usually be possible to remove all of it. However, treatment can still control your symptoms and slow down the spread of cancer. You can read more about the statistics and outlook for carcinoid on the Cancer Research UK website. This helps scientists look for better ways to prevent and treat this condition.
You can opt out of the register at any time. Find out more about the register. Home Illnesses and conditions Cancer Cancer types in adults Carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid tumours. Carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid tumours. About carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid tumours A carcinoid tumour is a rare cancer of the neuroendocrine system — the body system that produces hormones.
Signs and symptoms In the early stages of having a carcinoid tumour, you may not have any symptoms. Symptoms caused by the tumour Symptoms will depend on where in the body the tumour develops: A bowel carcinoid tumour may cause tummy pain , a blocked bowel diarrhoea , constipation , feeling or being sick and bleeding from the bottom rectal bleeding.
A lung carcinoid tumour may cause a cough , which may make you cough up blood, and cause wheezing, breathlessness , chest pain and tiredness. A stomach carcinoid tumour may cause pain, weight loss, tiredness and weakness. Symptoms caused by the hormones carcinoid syndrome Typical symptoms of carcinoid syndrome include: diarrhoea, tummy pain and loss of appetite flushing of the skin, particularly the face fast heart rate breathlessness and wheezing These symptoms may come on unexpectedly, as the hormones can be produced by the tumour at any time.
What causes carcinoid tumours? Metcalfe DD. Allergy Asthma Proc. Perioperative management of selected endocrine disorders. Int Anesthesiol Clin. Update in pulmonary carcinoid tumors: a review article. Ann Surg Oncol. Guidelines for the management of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine including carcinoid tumours. Pearse AG.
The APUD concept and hormone production. Clin Endocrinol Metab. Carcinoid syndrome symposium on treatment modalities for gastrointestinal carcinoid tumours: symposium summary. Can J Surg. Disorders of vasodilator hormones; carcinoid syndrome and mastocytosis. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology.
Philadelphia, Pa. Chromogranin A as serum marker for neuroendocrine neoplasia: comparison with neuron-specific enolase and the alpha-subunit of glycoprotein hormones. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Computed tomography of abdominal carcinoid tumors. PET in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors. Ann N Y Acad Sci. Comparison of somatostatin analog and meta-iodobenzylguanidine radionuclides in the diagnosis and localization of advanced neuroendocrine tumors.
Gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors and second primary malignancies. J Surg Oncol. The incidence, management, and outcome of patients with gastrointestinal carcinoids and second primary malignancies.
J Am Coll Surg. Carcinoid tumors and the carcinoid syndrome. Oberg K. Carcinoid tumors: molecular genetics, tumor biology, and update of diagnosis and treatment.
Curr Opin Oncol. Chemotherapy and biotherapy in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors. Ann Oncol. Guidelines for the management of gastroenteropan-creatic neuroendocrine tumours including bronchopulmonary and thymic neoplasms. Part II-specific NE tumour types. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. In: NCCN practice guidelines in oncology — v. Neuroendocrine tumors.
This content is owned by the AAFP. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. This material may not otherwise be downloaded, copied, printed, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any medium, whether now known or later invented, except as authorized in writing by the AAFP.
Contact afpserv aafp. Want to use this article elsewhere? Get Permissions. Read the Issue. Sign Up Now. Aug 1, Issue.
Carcinoid Tumors. C 13 , 17 A multimodal approach is recommended for imaging and may include CT, MRI, somatostatin receptor scintography using indium labeled octreotide, and endoscopic ultrasonography.
C 13 Patients with carcinoid tumors of the gastrointestinal tract should be evaluated for second primary malignancy. TABLE 2 Differential Diagnosis of Carcinoid Syndrome Flushing Menopausal syndrome; pheochromocytoma; mastocytosis; benign cutaneous flushing; medullary carcinomas of the thyroid; ingestants e. Read the full article. Get immediate access, anytime, anywhere. Choose a single article, issue, or full-access subscription. Earn up to 6 CME credits per issue.
0コメント