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• Diagnosis and Tests
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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
• 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)
• Lung Carcinoid Tumor Stages (American Cancer Society)
• Stages of Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Tests for Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors (American Cancer Society)
• Tests for Lung Carcinoid Tumors (American Cancer Society)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor Risk Factors (American Cancer Society)
• Risk Factors for Lung Carcinoid Tumors (American Cancer Society)

Treatments and Therapies

• Surgery to Treat Lung Carcinoid Tumors (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

• Living as a Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor Survivor (American Cancer Society)
• Living as a Lung Carcinoid Tumor Survivor (American Cancer Society)

Related Issues

• Questions to Ask about Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors (American Cancer Society)

Specifics

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

Genetics

• What Causes Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors (American Cancer Society)

Statistics and Research

• 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: Segmentectomy and wedge resection are equivalent for the treatment of early-stage...
• Article: Exploring the multifaceted antitumor activity of axitinib in lung carcinoids.
• Article: Prognosis of unresected versus resected early-stage pulmonary carcinoid tumors ≤3 cm in...
• Carcinoid Tumors -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• Choosing a Cancer Doctor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish

Children

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

Patient Handouts

• 5-HIAA urine test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Carcinoid syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Serotonin blood test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish