Carcinoid Tumors, Lung Health Article

Clinical trials

Researchers are currently investigating whether:

• new methods of delivering radiation can shrink lung carcinoids that have not responded to treatment
• inhaling chemotherapy drugs can shrink advanced lung carcinoids
• biological therapy can starve lung carcinoids by cutting off the flow of blood that nourishes them and stimulate patients' white blood cells to kill cancer cells
• new methods of delivering chemotherapy can kill cancer cells without harming normal cells
• new combinations of chemotherapy drugs can prevent cancer cells from multiplying
• chemotherapy drugs combined with radioactive substances can locate and kill cancer cells without harming normal cells

Information about clinical trials is available from the National Institute of Health's National Cancer Institute.

Prevention

There are no known risk factors for lung carcinoids, and no methods of prevention are known.

See Also Neuroendocrine carcinomas; Bronchoscopy

Resources

PERIODICALS

"New NCCN Recommendations for Small-Cell Lung Cancer." Oncology News International 10, no. 4 (April 2001).

ORGANIZATIONS

National Carcinoid Support Group, Inc. 6666 Odana Rd., #146, Madison, WI 53719-1012. <http://members.aol.com/thencsg/info.html>.

OTHER

National Cancer Institute. CancerNet 28 May 2001 <http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov>.

"Lung Carcinoid Tumor." Lung Carcinoid Tumor Research Center. 23 May 2000. 2 April 2001. 2 July 2001 <http://www3.cancer.org>.

"Lung Tumors: A Multidisciplinary Database." Virtual Hospital. August 1999. 27 May 2001. 2 July 2001 <http://www.vh.org/Providers/Textbooks/LungTumors/TitlePage.html>.

Maureen Haggerty

Acromegaly

—Hormonal disorder causing progressive enlargement of hands and feet and elongation of the face, headache, muscle pain, and visual and emotional disturbances in middle-aged men and women.

Carcinoid syndrome

—Rare malignant disease characterized by facial flushing, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, breathlessness, and other symptoms. Affects fewer than 10% of patients with carcinoid tumor.

Cushing's syndrome

—Hormonal disorder characterized by a round face, mental or emotional instability, high blood pressure, weight gain, or abnormal growth of facial and body hair in women.

Emphysema

—Abnormal lung condition characterized by breathing problems, cough, rapid heartbeat. Later stages are characterized by restlessness, weakness, confusion, increased breathlessness, and may cause fluid to collect around the lungs (pulmonary edema) and congestive heart failure.

Hypercalcemia

—Abnormally high levels of calcium in the blood, causing muscle pain and weakness and loss of appetite. Severe cases can result in kidney failure.

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE DOCTOR

• What kind of lung carcinoid do I have?
• What treatment do you recommend?
• Will this treatment cure me?
• What can I do to make this treatment more successful?