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Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology Program

Patient and Family Education

Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor

What Is Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor? | Risk Factors | Symptoms and Diagnosis | Stages | Treatment Options | About Clinical Trials | Online Resources | Greenebaum Cancer Center

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors cause few symptoms in the early stages. Sometimes the tumors are found when doctors are doing tests for other reasons. For example, doctors performing surgery for appendicitis or screening for colorectal cancer will sometimes find a tumor that is still too small to cause any symptoms.

The most common symptom of a carcinoid tumor is abdominal pain. Some carcinoid tumors release high levels of hormones that cause symptoms such as:

  • flushing and swelling of the skin of the face and neck
  • wheezing
  • diarrhea
  • shortness of breath
  • symptoms of heart failure

A doctor can use a number of tests to look for a gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor, including:

  • blood and urine tests
  • x-rays, ultrasound
  • CT scans
  • biopsy

There are often no signs of a gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor in its early stages. Often the cancer will make too much of some of the hormones, which can cause symptoms.

A doctor should be seen if the following symptoms persist:

  • pain in the abdomen
  • flushing and swelling of the skin of the face and neck
  • wheezing
  • diarrhea
  • symptoms of heart failure, including breathlessness

The chance for recovery (prognosis) and choice of treatment depend on whether the cancer is just in the gastrointestinal system or has spread to other places, and on the patient's general state of health.



This page was last updated on: October 5, 2009.

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