Carcinoid Syndrome – Carcinoid tumours are a rare type of cancer that affect the neuroendocrine system, which is the part of the body that makes hormones.
The tumour typically develops in the intestines or the appendix, but it can also appear in the stomach, pancreas, lung, breast, kidney, ovaries, or testicles. It usually develops quite slowly.
The group of symptoms known as carcinoid syndrome is experienced by certain people when serotonin and other hormones are released into the circulation by a carcinoid tumour, typically one that has progressed to the liver.
Symptoms of Carcinoid
You might not have any symptoms when a carcinoid tumour is in its early stages. If the tumour is only in your digestive system, you might not have any symptoms since your liver will break down whatever hormones it produces.
If symptoms do appear, they are frequently quite generic and simple to confuse with those of other diseases.
Both the tumour itself and whatever hormones it releases into the bloodstream can cause symptoms.
Carcinoid syndrome symptoms frequently include:
diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and a decrease in appetite
skin flushing, especially on the face, rapid heartbeat, dyspnea, and wheezing
Given that the hormones might be released at any time by the tumour, these symptoms may appear out of the blue.
Additionally, some patients may develop carcinoid heart disease, which causes the heart valves to thicken and become dysfunctional. Additionally, there is a chance of experiencing a rare but severe reaction termed a carcinoid crisis, which is characterised by intense flushing, shortness of breath, and a dip in blood pressure.
Causes of carcinoid tumours
Carcinoid tumours are assumed to arise most frequently accidentally, while the specific cause is unknown.
You may be more likely to develop a carcinoid tumour if you have:
Parents or siblings with a carcinoid tumour a rare family syndrome termed multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) parents with non-lymphoma, Hodgkin’s cancer of the brain, breast, liver, womb, bladder, or kidney disorders called neurofibromatosis or tuberous sclerosis
Diagnosing carcinoid tumours
Accidentally discovering a carcinoid tumour is possible, such while a surgeon is taking out an appendix. In this situation, the tumour is frequently discovered early and removed together with the appendix without creating any more issues.
Otherwise, after experiencing symptoms, folks typically consult their doctor. After doing a battery of scans and tests, including maybe undergoing an endoscopy and detecting the level of serotonin in your urine, a carcinoid tumour may be identified.
Carcinoid syndrome and tumour treatment
Early detection of the tumour may allow for its total removal and complete cancer recovery. If not, surgeons will cut the tumour as small as feasible (debulking).
You may not require immediate treatment if the tumour cannot be removed but is not spreading or causing symptoms; instead, it may merely need to be carefully monitored.
You might be recommended one of the following treatments if it’s creating symptoms:
injections of somatostatin analogues, such as octreotide and lanreotide, which can inhibit the growth of the tumour; radiation therapy to destroy some cancer cells; and hepatic artery embolization, a surgery to cut off the tumor’s blood supply (for tumours in the liver).
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