Treatment Options for Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors
Localized Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors
Regional Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors
Metastatic Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors
Recurrent Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors
A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.
Localized Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors
Carcinoid tumors in the appendix
Treatment of localized gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors in the appendix may include the following:
Rectal carcinoid tumors
Treatment of localized gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors in the rectum may include the following:
Surgery that saves the sphincter muscles (the muscles that open and close the anus) may be possible.
Small bowel carcinoid tumors
Treatment of localized gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors in the small intestine may include the following:
- Local excision.
- Resection with removal of nearby lymph nodes.
Gastric, colon, and pancreatic carcinoid tumors
Treatment of localized gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors in the stomach, colon, or pancreas is usually resection.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with localized gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Regional Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors
Treatment is usually surgery to remove all the cancer that can be seen at the site of the original tumor, as well as nearby tissues and lymph nodes.
If the tumor cannot be completely removed by surgery, treatment is usually palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the patient's quality of life. This may include the following:
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with regional gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Metastatic Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors
Distant metastases
If the metastatic gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor is not causing symptoms, there may be a period of watchful waiting before treatment is given. Treatment of distant metastases of gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors is usually palliative therapy that may include the following:
Carcinoid syndrome
Treatment of metastatic gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors that are causing carcinoid syndrome may include the following:
A heart valve replacement may be done for some patients with carcinoid syndrome.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with metastatic gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Recurrent Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors
Treatment of recurrent gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors may include the following:
- Surgery to remove part or all of the tumor.
- A clinical trial.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
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