Carcinoid Tumors

Excerpt

Carcinoid tumors are slow-growing tumors arising from neuroendocrine cells and capable of secreting a variety of peptides and neuroamines. The common primary sites are the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (60%) followed by the tracheobronchial tree (25%), but other primaries may occur in the ovaries or kidneys. The most common location of carcinoids is the small intestine. The term carcinoid is usually used for well-differentiated and low to intermediate grade neuroendocrine tumors, and the term neuroendocrine carcinoma is used for the less frequent, poorly differentiated and high-grade neuroendocrine tumors. We will focus on gastrointestinal (GI) carcinoid tumors in this chapter.