If you have a loved one with a gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, or GEP-NET, a possible complication you should know about is carcinoid syndrome.
“It’s really important to know the different symptoms that can be associated with carcinoid syndrome, because some can go unnoticed by the patient themselves,” says Kimberly Perez, MD, Medical Oncologist with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
What is carcinoid syndrome?
Carcinoid syndrome is a group of symptoms that are caused by the excess release of hormones from the cancer cells.
Neuroendocrine cells release hormones (such as serotonin) in response to certain stimuli. When these cells become cancerous, they may release hormones in a chaotic or abnormal way. In some cases, this may lead to carcinoid syndrome.
What are symptoms of carcinoid syndrome?
Some symptoms of carcinoid syndrome include:
Diarrhea
Racing heart
Shortness of breath
Abdominal pain
What should you do if your loved one is having symptoms of carcinoid syndrome?
If your loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important that they realize that it’s happening.
“The next step is to reach out to the care team and discuss what you’re seeing as the care provider or loved one, so that they can help create a care plan to address the symptoms,” says Perez.
Your loved one’s care team may suggest changing or adding a treatment option to get the symptoms under control.
Kimberly Perez, MD, is a Medical Oncologist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA.
References
American Cancer Society. (n.d.). Caregiver resource guide.
American Cancer Society. (2018). Signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors.
Chan, J. A., et al. (2023). Metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: Local options to control tumor growth and symptoms of hormone hypersecretion. UpToDate.
Pandit, S., et al. (2023). Carcinoid syndrome. StatPearls.
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