Carcinoid Tumor

Carcinoid Tumor – General Information

Carcinoid Tumor is considered a rare, slow-growing kind of cancer which can develop in several places throughout the patient’s body. It appears, in most of the cases, in the gastrointestinal tract, which can include the appendix, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum or in the lungs. But, this type of tumor can also develop in other places of the body, such as the ovaries and testes. This rare tumor differs from more encountered cancers in several matters. It grows slowly and, in some cases does not cause any signs or symptoms, until in its late stages. Even under a microscope, this kind of tumor can appear to be non-cancerous or benign, even though it may have already been spread through the body. Carcinoid Tumor can also produce and release hormones into the patient’s body which can lead to the appearance of the first signs and symptoms of this disease, such as diarrhea or skin flushing. Because of the small number of early signs and symptoms, diagnosing Carcinoid Tumor early can be challenging even for specialists. In most of the cases, these diseases are discovered during a test or procedure for another unrelated condition. Once they are diagnosed, the treatment options usually involve surgical operation, which consist in removing the tumor. In patients whose this type of tumor has not spread, survival rates after surgery are increased. No one knows exactly what causes this tumor, which can develop from cells in the neuro-endocrine system, the part of the body that has several functions, including the production of certain hormones. These types of cells also have characteristics related to the nerve cells.

Carcinoid Tumor – Symptoms

In most of the cases, Carcinoid Tumor doesn't cause any signs or symptoms. When they do appear, these signs and symptoms are usually vague and depend on the affected part by the tumor and can include gastrointestinal tumors and lung tumors. If the patient has the tumor inside his stomach, he can experience symptoms such as abdominal pain. Inside the small intestine and colon, this tumor causes changes in bowel movements, abdominal pain, and in some particular cases, blockage of the intestines. Carcinoid Tumor of the rectum can provoke symptoms such as rectal bleeding and pain. Inside the lungs, this type of tumor can cause recurrent pneumonia, cough and chest pain. In some cases, lung tumors can also cause the patient to cough up blood. Because Carcinoid Tumors usually don't cause any early signs or symptoms, it can be difficult to know when the patient needs to seek medical support. Signs that could be caused by these tumors include redness or a feeling of warmth in the face and neck, diarrhea that is persistent and unrelenting, difficulty breathing, wheezing, fast heartbeat, fatigue, swelling of the feet and ankles, pain or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen. These signs and symptoms are not specific to this kind of tumor, and they are much more commonly caused by other diseases. If the patient has persistent or unrelenting symptoms, he must see his doctor. In rare cases, these signs and symptoms can be related to carcinoid syndrome, a rare form which can appear as a result of these tumors.

Carcinoid Tumor – Treatment

The available treatment for the Carcinoid Tumor depends on whether it has metastasized, if it has spread to other parts of the patient’s body. If the cancer has not spread, the tumor can usually be surgically removed and no further treatment is necessary. If the surgical approach is not an option because the patient’s cancer is too widespread, the doctor can prescribe other effective treatments for the patient’s tumors. These types of treatments can include procedures like slowing the tumor’s growth, stopping blood supply to the tumor, killing cancer cells with heat or using chemotherapy. To slow the growth rate of the patient’s Carcinoid Tumor a monthly injection with a drug called octreodite, prescribed as Sandostatin, is administered. The octreodite medicine has the effects of controlling flushing and diarrhea in most patients suffering with this kind of disorder. There are also some side effects of the octreodite medicine and can include abdominal pain and bloating, diarrhea or nausea. These signs and symptoms can disappear in time. Some patients can not tolerate the side effects of the octreodite medicine and have to stop taking the drug, and in addition to this, the drug is also very expensive.

Stopping blood supply to the tumor treatment option is done by a procedure known as hepatic artery embolization in which the doctor inserts a catheter through a needle near the patient’s groin and threads it up to the main artery that carries blood to the body’s liver, the hepatic artery. The doctor then releases particles to clog the hepatic artery, cutting off the blood supply to cancer cells that have spread to the liver. In most of the cases, these particles are given in combination with chemotherapy. The healthy liver cells survive by taking blood from other blood vessels. The hepatic artery embolization procedure is considered to be very risky, particularly in patients with liver dysfunctions, and the procedure is generally performed in specialized medical centers. The patient can discuss the benefits and risks with his doctor.

The killing cancer cells with heat procedure uses radiofrequency ablation which delivers heat through a needle to the cancer cells in the liver, leading to the death of these cells. Radiofrequency ablation can be considered an effective treatment option if the patient has a small number of liver metastases that are small in size. Radiofrequency ablation is in almost all the cases safe, though there is a small risk of blood loss and infection. Chemotherapy drugs have the effect of shrinking Carcinoid Tumors. The side effects of this kind of treatment the patient can experience will depend on which chemotherapy drugs he receives. The patient can also discuss with the doctor his chemotherapy regimen. It is very difficult to prevent the Carcinoid Tumor because the patient can not avoid most of the known risk factors, such as family history, age and sex. By quitting smoking the patient can reduce the risk of developing some types of disorders.

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Carcinoid Tumor

Carcinoid Tumor – General Information

Carcinoid Tumor – Symptoms

Carcinoid Tumor – Treatment