Carcinoid tumours

Wednesday 13 February, 2008

Reviewed by: Annie Angle, cancer nurse, Dip. Oncology Nursing, Royal Marsden, London

Carcinoid is also known as a carcinoid tumour.

What's carcinoid?

Carcinoid is a rare tumour of the neuroendocrine system. The neuroendocrine system is a series of glands that produce hormones that are carried in the bloodstream. These hormones have different roles in the body.

Carcinoid is a tumour that begins in cells in the neuroendocrine system. About 80% of carcinoid tumours grow in the appendix and small bowel. But they can also develop the pancreas, lungs, stomach, ovaries, kidneys or testicles.

Carcinoids grow at different rates but they're usually very slow growing tumours. They may not grow or cause problems for months or years. However, some are aggressive and can quickly spread to other parts of the body and cause serious problems.

Causes of carcinoid

It's not known what causes carcinoid tumours but there are a few factors that put someone more at risk of developing one. They include:

  • Having a rare family syndrome called multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1).
  • Being a black African male - these people have a slightly higher risk of developing a carcinoid tumour than other races.
  • Age and gender - carcinoid tumours are slightly more common in men than women.
  • Certain stomach conditions that change the production of acid in the stomach can put you slightly more at risk. For example, having a peptic ulcer. 

Signs and symptoms of carcinoid

Many carcinoids will not cause any symptoms at all. If you do have symptoms they'll depend on where in the body the carcinoid is. For example, carcinoid in the stomach can cause pain and weight loss. A lung carcinoid can cause chest pain and wheezing.

Sometimes these tumours can produce hormones, which can cause a collection of symptoms known as ‘carcinoid syndrome'. This can include

  • flushing
  • diarrhea which can be quite severe
  • loss of appetite
  • weight loss
  • increased heart rate
  • wheezing
  • sudden changes in your blood pressure.

Remember carcinoid tumour is rare and these symptoms can all be caused by other medical conditions. However, see your doctor if you have any symptom that persists for more than 2 weeks.

Treatment for carcinoid tumours

If you have a slow growing carcinoid tumour and it's not causing any problems you'll probably not have any treatment to begin with. Your doctor will keep a close eye on you and if you develop symptoms they may then decide to actively treat the tumour. If you have a carcinoid that's growing and causing symptoms there are several types of treatment that your doctor may suggest. They include:

  • Surgery
  • Radiotherapy
  • Chemotherapy
  • Biological therapy called interferon
  • Other drugs to help control the symptoms of carcinoid syndrome known as somatostain analogues
  • Hepatic artery embolisation
  • Radiofrequency ablation

The type of treatment you have will depend on where the carcinoid tumour is. For further information about these treatments and when they may be given, use the following links:

Cancer Backup UK - carcinoid tumours

National Cancer Institute  - Gastrointestinal carcinoid tumours

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