Carcinoid Syndrome

It is occurred when rare type of carcinoid cancer secretes certain chemicals in your blood. Most common site of carcinoid cancer is GIT and lungs. Carcinoid tumor usually arise at the end stage of carcinoid cancer.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of carcinoid syndrome includes:

Purplish spider like veins on face area
Skin flushing
Diarrhea
Breathing difficulty
Irregular heart beat

Causes

The exact cause to carcinoid tumor is not known yet. Mutation is the major causes of all the cancers and tumor development. The accumulation of mutations in the neuroendocrine cells causes the carcinoid tumor. Carcinoid syndrome occur when large amount of secretion release from the tumors.

Complications

If left untreated it may cause the following complications:

Bowel obstruction due to swelling of the lymph nodes of intestine.
Carcinoid heart disease cause thickening of the heart valves.
Carcinoid crisis consist flushing of skin confusion, low blood pressure and breathing difficulty.

Diagnosis

Diagnostic tests include:

Imaging test to check the extend of tumor.
Urine test to rule out the other causes.
Blood test to check the complete count of blood.
Endoscopy to visualize the inner condition of body.

Treatment

Treatment depend upon the overall health condition and severity of the symptoms. Treatment options include:

Surgery to remove the whole affected organ or cancerous tissue.
Drugs to blocked the hormones produce by the certain tumor types which produce the signs and symptoms.
Radiotherapy to killed the tumor cells with the help of radiations.
chemotherapy

Lifestyle and home remedies

Home remedies include:

Take multivitamins
Eat a healthy food
Avoid alcohol
Stop smoking

Carcinoid Syndrome