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Carcinoid Syndrome

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Neuroendocrine Tumours

Abstract

Carcinoid tumors are rare, slow-growing, well-differentiated endocrine tumors and originated from the enterochromaffin cells in the neuroendocrine system. The most common location of carcinoid tumors is the gastrointestinal tract. Carcinoid syndrome occurs in less than 10 % of patients with carcinoid tumors. A number of symptoms including flushing, wheezing, diarrhea, asthma-like symptoms, abdominal pain, diaphoresis, skin lesions, hypotension, and valvular heart disease, especially pulmonary or tricuspid valve involvement, are principal features of the carcinoid syndrome. The signs and symptoms occur due to hormone and peptide and their metabolites secreting from the tumor cells into the bloodstream. Most cases only occur after metastatic spread to the liver.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Oncology, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Sıhhiye, Ankara, 06100, Turkey

    Saadettin Kilickap MD, MSc

  2. Medical Oncology Department, Cancer Institute, University of Hacettepe, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey

    Suayib Yalcin MD

Authors
  1. Saadettin Kilickap MD, MSc
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  2. Suayib Yalcin MD
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Correspondence to Saadettin Kilickap MD, MSc .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, Turkey

    Suayib Yalcin

  2. Department of Endocrine Oncology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden

    Kjell Öberg

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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kilickap, S., Yalcin, S. (2015). Carcinoid Syndrome. In: Yalcin, S., Öberg, K. (eds) Neuroendocrine Tumours. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45215-8_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45215-8_29

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-45214-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-45215-8

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