Carcinoid Tumors of the Lung

Carcinoid tumors have been called"cancers in slow motion" because they rise slowly. They tend to be less inclined than other germs to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the human anatomy. But this isn`t always the situation. Sometimes, they grow and spread rather fast.

Lung cancers are thought to be small cell lung cancer or even non-small cell lung cancer. Carcinoid tumors of the lung do not fall into either of those categories.

About 25 percent of these begin in the lungs, although most carcinoid tumors start in the small gut. They account for only a tiny fraction of all lung cancers.

Some carcinoid tumors, especially those arising from the appendix or the gastrointestinal tract, produce. Hormones are chemical substances that will be measured within the blood flow or in the urine and also may be drawn up by the cyst. Their measurements, if elevated, will enable the physician in suspecting a carcinoid tumor may be present.

Carcinoid tumors within the lung are not as inclined to develop hormones.

You will find two different kinds of tumors of the lung: typical and atypical. Normal carcinoid tumors are about nine times more common than carcinoid tumors. Normal carcinoid tumors are somewhat prone to spread beyond the lungs.

Carcinoid tumors of the lung occur equally in men and women , usually between ages 45 and 55.

Infection

Sometimes, no symptoms are produced by carcinoid tumors of the lungs; when a torso x ray is accepted for one more condition, frequently, they are discovered. But if you do have symptoms, their severity is based on this tumor`s size and if hormones that are abnormal are produced by it. When patients are being assessed for other conditions, carcinoids arising from the gastrointestinal tract might be found or could bring about certain bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. Potential signs include

• A persistent cough

• Coughing up blood

• Shortness of breath or Illness

• Diseases (a lung disease )

• Facial flushing

• Infection

• A fast heartbeat

• Weight-gain

• Increased facial and body hairloss.

Carcinoids arising from the gastrointestinal tract might be found if patients are now increasingly being assessed or treated for other problems. As an example, a carcinoid tumor might be found when a person`s appendix is removed because of appendicitis. Rarely a gastrointestinal carcinoid could cause bleeding.

Diagnosis

Carcinoid tumors can be seen on torso x rays and computed tomography (CT) scans. Your doctor will need to get rid of cells so they may be examined under a microscope when a cyst is seen. This is known as a biopsy. A lung biopsy could be taken in several manners:

• In bronchoscopy, a viewing tube hauled in the lungs and is put in to your throat. Your doctor certainly will remove cells for testing and also examines the cyst. This process is most effective once the tumor is near the center of the lung.

• A needle biopsy removes cells from germs at the borders of the lungs. Your doctor inserts a long needle between your ribs and also uses it to get rid of tissue.

• Thoracotomy is the opening of the torso cavity. In some cases, this process might be crucial to get rid of tissue. Sometimes, the torso cavity might be entered using a thoracoscope, a tube that enables your doctor to view and remove a slice of tissue for a biopsy. This method may be less traumatic than an open thoracotomy.

• During video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), your physician makes a tiny incision in the chest . He or she rolls a tube that features a tiny video camera at the end in to the distance between the interior of the lung and the chest wall. This way, your physician is able to appear directly at the lung to spot bone tissue. He or she can use exactly the same tubing to lead a tool into the tissue. The sample is delivered into the laboratory for examination.

• A biopsy of the gastrointestinal tract might also be needed if a carcinoid was guessed.

Your doctor may order blood and urine tests to look. You may be asked to collect your urine.

An evaluation known as octreotide scintigraphy might help determine if the carcinoid tumor has spread outside the lungs. Even a tiny bit of a radioactive drug is injected into a vein. The drug is brought to carcinoid tumors. Your physician will work with a camera that detects radioactivity to see at which the drug accumulates. A similar evaluation employs a different radioactive material--meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG).

Otherwise, PET scanning, which talks about a tumor exercise, is often utilised to ascertain if the cancer has spread.

The pathologist (the doctor who examines the biopsy or surgical tissue under the microscope) needs to be more alert to the possible existence of a carcinoid tumor.

Expected Duration

As with any cancer tumors may continue to grow till they are treated. And when those tumors seem to be cured, there is.

Prevention

Carcinoid tumors have not been associated with smog smoking, or exposure. There are no known methods.

Therapy

Surgery is the main treatment for carcinoid tumors; the exact procedure depends on where the tumor can be located. The physician may remove only the section of this tooth containing the cyst, When it`s in a huge tooth. The physician removes a tiny recurrence of lung, When a cyst is located at the border of a lung . Larger tumors or tumors may require removing a lobe of a lung or even an entire lung.

For treatment is surgery of the cyst and the neighboring lymph nodes. Added treatment will rely on if the surgeon can remove the tumor and if the cancer had spread into lymph nodes.

Chemotherapy doesn`t operate on tumors. It is used only when the side effects can be taken when the tumors have spread into other regions of the body.

If your cyst produces hormones that cause uncomfortable symptoms, your doctor may prescribe octreotide (Sandostatin). This drug can relieve nausea, flushing, and other ailments. There`s some evidence that it also may help prevent or reverse this tumor`s growth. Octreotide is not a cure, however. It is employed when the illness has spread. Some medicines have been developed to reduce symptoms.

Even a long acting version of octreotide, which is given is now offered. Every 10 days, A similar drug can be given. Alpha-interferon might be utilized along with octreotide. This chemical may help shrink tumors stimulates your body`s immune system, and eases symptoms.

Researchers are studying a chemical used to see if a tumor has spread beyond the lung, MIBG . Damages them and because carcinoid cells absorb MIBG, it may shrink the tumor and relieve symptoms.

When to Call a Specialist

People diagnosed with carcinoid tumors of the lung do not have symptoms. (The tumors are usually found if a torso x-ray is accepted for a different reason) But if you do have symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Prognosis

Because carcinoid tumors grow and spread slowly, they often are discovered at an early stage. The prognosis for people with carcinoid tumors of the lung is normally good. An irregular carcinoid tumor is more prone to spread to lymph nodes or tissues.

Rates are lower if you have irregular carcinoid tumors and tumors that have spread into other regions of the human anatomy. But, patients may survive for periods of time when the carcinoid tumor has spread.

External resources

National Cancer Institute (NCI)U.S. National Institutes of HealthPublic Inquiries office building 3 1, Room 10A0331 Center Drive, MSC 8322Bethesda, MD 20892-2580Phone: 301-435-3848Toll-Free: 800-422-6237TTY: 800-332-8615http://www.nci.nih.gov/

American Lung Association61 Broadway, 6th FloorNew York, NY 10006Phone: 212-315-8700Toll-Free: 800-548-8252http://www.lungusa.org/

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)P.O. Box 30105Bethesda, MD 20824-0105Phone: 301-592-8573TTY: 240-629-3255Fax: 301-592-8563http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

Further info

Always ask with your physician to ensure the information applies to your personal circumstances.