Carcinoid tumors grow from neuroendocrine cells. These cells are found in organs throughout your body and produce and release hormones in response to nerve signals.
The
Carcinoid tumors are rare. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), 27 cases are diagnosed per million people in the United States annually. They tend to develop slowly and often don’t cause symptoms until they grow large or start producing hormones.
Keep reading to learn more about these rare tumors, including diagnosis, treatment, and outlook.
Carcinoid tumors fall into a group of tumors called neuroendocrine tumors, which develop in cells that produce hormones in response to nerve signals. These cells are found in many different organs in your body but are especially common in your digestive tract.
Carcinoid tumors are rare, and experts estimate they occur in about
They are even rarer in children. Neuroendocrine tumors are estimated to affect
Where carcinoid tumors develop
About
- small intestines
- rectum
- colon, the large intestine
- appendix
- stomach
The next most common location for carcinoid tumors to develop is your lungs. The lungs make up about
Other sites they develop include:
- thymus
- kidneys
- ovaries
- pancreas
- prostate
- breast
In children, the
Carcinoid syndrome
Less than
Carcinoid tumors can secrete molecules such as:
- histamine
- serotonin
- tachykinins
- prostaglandins
Carcinoid tumors tend to grow
When tumors occur in the appendix, people tend to experience symptoms resembling appendicitis, such as abdominal pain.
Tumors in other parts of the digestive tract may cause general symptoms such as:
In the lungs, they may cause symptoms similar to pneumonia, such as:
Symptoms of carcinoid syndrome
If you develop carcinoid syndrome, you may experience:
- flushed skin in your face and upper trunk
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhea
- purple veins on your nose and lips
Foods that contain
Researchers are still working to understand why carcinoid tumors develop. Like other cancers, they occur when genetic mutations in cancer cells cause them to divide uncontrollably.
They develop most often in people ages
According to NORD, men and women in the United States are affected equally. African Americans develop carcinoid tumors more often than other ethnic groups.
Carcinoid tumors don’t seem to have a link to
According to the
The risk of carcinoid tumors spreading to other organs seems to be related to their size.
Diagnosing a carcinoid tumor is often delayed since it doesn’t usually cause symptoms in the early stages. It takes about
Doctors can make a diagnosis with a combination of lab tests, imaging, and a biopsy:
- Laboratory tests: Your doctor may order blood or urine tests to check your hormone levels and monitor levels of biomarkers that are suggestive of carcinoid tumors.
- Imaging: Imaging can help your doctor see where the tumor is and how large it’s grown.
Imaging options include: - Biopsy: Doctors can confirm if a tumor is cancerous by taking a small tissue sample with a needle. The cells are analyzed in a laboratory to see if they’re cancerous and what type of cancer they are.
The type of PET scan is usually a
Before the scan, a healthcare professional injects gallium into your body. Gallium is a radioactive substance that travels through your body and collects in areas where cells are actively dividing. This helps doctors detect cancer cells on a scan and determine how far a cancer has spread.
Doctors sometimes diagnose carcinoid tumors after removing the appendix due to suspected appendicitis.
According to the
- Surgery: Surgery removes the tumor and the surrounding tissue. It can help keep the tumor from spreading. It may not be an option for large tumors.
- Somatostatin analogs: Somatostatin analogs are medications that suppress hormone production. They may help manage symptoms of carcinoid syndrome and help shrink the tumor.
- Targeted therapy: A
targeted therapy called peptide receptor radionuclide therapy can target receptors on the surface of carcinoid cells called somatostatin receptors to curb their growth. - Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a drug therapy that kills cancer cells. It can also kill healthy cells in your body that replicate quickly, like skin cells and cells in your gastrointestinal tract, and cause side effects.
According to the
| Stage | 5-year relative survival rate |
| localized | 97% |
| regional | 95% |
| distant | 66% |
| all stages | 94% |
Grade is a measure of how quickly doctors expect the cancer to spread. Five-year relative survival is a measure of how many people with the disease are alive 5 years later compared with people without the disease.
Below are the 5-year relative survival rates for
| Stage | 5-year relative survival rate |
| localized | 98% |
| regional | 87% |
| distant | 58% |
| all stages | 90% |
These numbers can give you a general idea of what to expect. But your doctor can give you a better idea of your outlook based on factors such as:
- the stage of your cancer
- the grade of your cancer
- your overall health
- your age
- how well your cancer responds to treatment
Carcinoid tumors develop in neuroendocrine cells and tend to develop very slowly. The most common place for them to develop is the gastrointestinal tract.
Many people with carcinoid tumors don’t experience any symptoms, making diagnosis difficult.
If you’re diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor, your doctor can give you the best idea of what to expect and advise you on the best treatment options.