Carcinoid tumor - is a rare, slowly progressive form of cancer can be cured at an early stage. This kind of disease is difficult to diagnose. Most carcinoid tumors appear only in the intestine, including the intestinal tract, appendix, rectum, colon, stomach or pancreas Diabetes and pancreas - the things you need to know .

This type of tumor is the third part of tumors developing in the small intestine, and almost 50% of all malignant tumors of the small intestine. Also carcinoid tumors can occur in the lung, ovary and other organs.

Carcinoid tumors - a type of neuroendocrine tumor. This means that they are developed from the cells of the nervous and endocrine systems, and can produce hormones. When they emit excessive amounts of hormones such as histamine and serotonin, may have symptoms such as flushing, stomach cramps and diarrhea - the so-called "carcinoid syndrome".

Like many other types of cancer, carcinoid tumor is most easily cured in the early stages of the disease. Indeed, at an early stage of the disease can be cured completely by surgery. Basically carcinoid tumors grow and spread throughout the body very slowly. For many years the disease could occur without any symptoms, so to detect it at an early stage is not so easy.

Signs and symptoms

In those cases where carcinoid tumors nevertheless manifest themselves, these displays can be very weak and may resemble symptoms of other diseases.

Carcinoid tumors developing in the gastro-intestinal tract, may cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation, bleeding or convulsions. Carcinoid lung can cause infections, pneumonia, or chronic cough.

Furthermore, carcinoid tumors may lead to carcinoid syndrome Carcinoid syndrome: how to get rid of in the early stages   syndrome and Cushing's.

Symptoms of carcinoid syndrome are: diarrhea, flushing, wheezing, shortness of breath, stomach cramps and palpitations.

Symptoms of Cushing's include weight gain, muscle weakness, thinning of the skin, increasing the amount of hair on the face and body, a high level of blood sugar Blood sugar - one of the main indicators of human health   and high blood pressure Blood pressure - dangerous if his swing? .

The biggest challenge in the diagnosis lies in the fact that doctors often do not even think of the possibility of this disease, as carcinoid tumors - a rare disease, doctors do not treat the disease as a possible cause of existing symptoms.

Risk factors for carcinoid tumors

Researchers are still studying the disease and its possible causes. There are several known risk factors for carcinoid tumors, and most of these factors can not be controlled or changed.

• The genetic syndrome. People with a rare genetic syndrome, multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN I) are at increased risk of developing certain types of tumors, including carcinoids. The risk of carcinoid also higher in individuals with neurofibromatosis type I disease.
• Paul. In women, the risk of carcinoids somewhat higher. Why this is so, the researchers can not yet say.
• Race. Men and women of African-American race are more common carcinoids of the gastrointestinal tract, and the Europeans are more common lung tumors.
• Gastric diseases. People with the disease, reduces the formation of acid in the stomach and cause damage to the stomach, an increased risk of developing gastric carcinoid tumors.
• Smoking. Smokers have an increased risk of some types of carcinoid tumors of the lung. Also, a recent study conducted in Europe, found that smoking doubles the risk of the development of carcinoids of the small intestine. However, to confirm these data, more research is needed.

Medullary thyroid cancer - the third most common of all cancers of the thyroid gland. Unlike papillary and follicular thyroid cancer Follicular thyroid cancer: no one is safe , Medullary carcinoma develops in the parafollicular cells (also referred to as C-cells), which produce the hormone calcitonin is not involved in the control of metabolism such as thyroid hormones do Thyroid hormones: mechanism of action and physiological effects . Using assays for levels of the hormone after surgery can determine whether there are any cancer cells in the body and they continue to proliferate.

From this medullary thyroid cancer patients cured less than that of well-differentiated carcinomas (papillary and follicular thyroid cancer), but greater than that of anaplastic cancer. Ten-year survival rate for patients with medullary cancer develops only within the thyroid gland, is 90%; for patients whose cancer cells have spread to the cervical (neck) lymph nodes Lymph nodes - what keeps our immune system   - 70%. If you have remote metastases ten-year survival rate is about 20%.

Main characteristics of medullary thyroid cancer

• It occurs in four different clinical manifestations (details are described below) and may be associated with other endocrine tumors;
• A more common among women than among men (except when the medullary carcinoma associated with hereditary diseases);
• Regional metastases (spreading to the cervical lymph nodes) appear in the early stages of the disease;
• Remote metastases medullary thyroid cancer gives only in the later stages, and they can occur in the liver, brain, bone and adrenal medulla;
• Medullary thyroid cancer is not associated with exposure to radiation;
• Typically develops in the upper part of the isthmus, and the central part of the thyroid gland;
• Among the poor prognostic factors - age over 50 years, distant metastasis, and the presence of other endocrine tumors associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type IIb;
• The presence of residual thyroid tissue and cancer cells after surgery, as well as recurrent cancer can be detected by measuring the level of kaltsitotsina (in the first few years it is done every 4 months, then throughout life, every six months).

Shapes

• Sporadic medullary thyroid cancer

It is the most common type of medullary thyroid cancer. The name of this form of cancer reflects the reasons for its development; rather, the fact that the exact cause of this is unknown - it develops sporadically, with no obvious trigger. Until now, scientists were unable to identify gene mutations that cause sporadic medullary thyroid cancer.

• Medullary thyroid cancer, a syndrome associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A

Medullary thyroid cancer may develop as part of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A. MEN 2A syndrome and are associated endocrine disorders as pheochromocytoma and hyperparathyroidism. People with MEN 2A these are inherited genetic mutations that lead to the development of this syndrome associated with a high probability of disease medullary thyroid cancer.

• Medullary thyroid carcinoma associated with MEN 2B

MEN 2B as MEN 2A, can cause the development of medullary thyroid cancer. In addition, as MEN 2A, MEN 2B causes the development of pheochromocytoma, but hyperparathyroidism is not typical for her.

In patients with MEN 2B, there are specific physical characteristics, such as tumor on the tip of your tongue - ganglioneuroma. Such tumors can also develop under the eyelids and in the gastrointestinal tract. Because of MEN 2B, people are also more dense lips and eyelids.

MEN 2B is caused by a genetic mutation that can be inherited, but may develop sporadically. In some patients, family history of MEN 2B syndrome is not, but it develops them, and leads to disease medullary thyroid cancer.

• Hereditary medullary thyroid cancer

The fourth form of medullary thyroid cancer as well as the two previous forms can be inherited - hence its name (sometimes also called a family disease medullary carcinoma).

Medullary thyroid cancer Thyroid cancer: it is curable   this type is not associated with other endocrine disorders; They develop on its own.

The sooner it will diagnosed medullary thyroid cancer - and determine its type - the greater the chances of a full recovery.

Symptoms

All forms of medullary cancer are typical symptoms of thyroid cancer: sore throat, hoarseness in the voice, swollen lymph nodes, difficulty in breathing and swallowing. These symptoms are not specific and in most cases do not indicate a serious disease, but if they persist for several weeks, it is strongly recommended to see a doctor.