| Carcinoid Tumor Basics |
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A rare and slow-growing form of cancer, carcinoid tumors may develop anywhere in the body where neuroendocrine (hormone-producing) cells exist. Roughly 50% of such tumors form in the gastrointestinal tract, and about 30% occur in the lungs. Only a very small percentage of the estimated 11,000 cases diagnosed each year in the U. S. grow elsewhere in the body.
Because carcinoid tumors often exist for years without yielding symptoms, early diagnosis is difficult. However, for reasons that are not yet clear, the number diagnosed has been increasing by about 6% each year. The tumors frequently are not discovered until they become large enough to cause discomfort, but they can be found during an exam when the doctor is looking for something unrelated, or during a surgery for another digestive system condition.
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| Carcinoid Tumor Treatment at M. D. Anderson |
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Treatment of carcinoid tumors is determined by several factors, including tumor size and location and whether it has spread to other parts of the body, the presence of serious medical conditions and whether the tumor is painful or causing other symptoms.
Patients with carcinoid tumors are treated in our Gastrointestinal Center and in our Thoracic Center.
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| Carcinoid Tumor Education & Support |
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Research Abstracts
View summaries of carcinoid tumor-related studies and clinical trials conducted by M. D. Anderson doctors and researchers.
Education & Support
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