Carcinoid Tumors

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

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• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

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Summary

Carcinoid tumors are rare, slow-growing cancers. They usually start in the lining of the digestive tract or in the lungs. They grow slowly and don't produce symptoms in the early stages. As a result, the average age of people diagnosed with digestive or lung carcinoids is about 60.

In later stages the tumors sometimes produce hormones that can cause carcinoid syndrome. The syndrome causes flushing of the face and upper chest, diarrhea, and trouble breathing.

Surgery is the main treatment for carcinoid tumors. If they haven't spread to other parts of the body, surgery can cure the cancer.

Start Here

• Carcinoid Tumors (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• General Information About Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Gastrointestinal Tract (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• What Are Lung Carcinoid Tumors? (American Cancer Society)
• What Is a Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor? (American Cancer Society)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Can Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors Be Found Early? (American Cancer Society)
• How Are Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors Diagnosed? (American Cancer Society)
• How Are Lung Carcinoid Tumors Diagnosed? (American Cancer Society)
• Lung Carcinoid Tumor Stages (American Cancer Society)
• Stages of Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• What Are the Risk Factors for Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors? (American Cancer Society)
• What Are the Risk Factors for Lung Carcinoid Tumors? (American Cancer Society)

Treatments and Therapies

• Lung Carcinoid Tumor: Surgery (American Cancer Society)
• Treatment of Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors, by Extent of Disease (American Cancer Society)
• Treatment of Lung Carcinoid by Type and Extent of Disease (American Cancer Society)
• Treatment Option Overview (Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

• What Happens after Treatment for Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors? (American Cancer Society)
• What Happens after Treatment for Lung Carcinoid Tumors? (American Cancer Society)

Related Issues

• What Should You Ask Your Doctor about Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors? (American Cancer Society)

Specifics

• Carcinoid Syndrome (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Frequently Asked Questions (Carcinoid Cancer Foundation)

Genetics

• Do We Know What Causes Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors? (American Cancer Society)

Statistics and Research

• What Are the Key Statistics about Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors? (American Cancer Society)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Carcinoid Tumor (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Emerging Immunotherapeutic and Diagnostic Modalities in Carcinoid Tumors.
• Article: Complete and sustained remission of hypercortisolism with pasireotide treatment of an...
• Article: Gene fusions are frequent in ACTH-secreting neuroendocrine neoplasms of the pancreas,...
• Carcinoid Tumors -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• Find a Cancer Doctor (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish

Children

• Childhood Neuroendocrine Carcinoid Tumors Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• 5-HIAA (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Carcinoid syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Serum serotonin level (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish