Small intestine neuroendocrine tumor
| Small intestine neuroendocrine tumor | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Gastroenterology/oncology |
A small intestine neuroendocrine tumor is a
Signs and symptoms
A large fraction of cases are diagnosed after routine surgery for bowel obstruction.[4] Others may be diagnosed incidentally, or after investigation for carcinoid syndrome. The tumor typically produces serotonin, Tachykinin peptides and other substances, which cause flushing, tachycardia, diarrhea and in some cases fibrosis of the heart valves.[citation needed]
There are often several small and highly fibrotic tumors present in the intestine. The tumors often spread to the mesenteries and the liver.[citation needed]
Cause
Familial clustering of the disease, with several relatives being diagnosed may occur.[5] Relatives of patients have an increased risk of developing the disease.[6]
Genetics
The tumors often harbour loss of chromosome 18q.[7] Mutations in CDKN1B are present in approximately 8% of cases.[8][9]
Treatment
The treatment traditionally consists of a combination of medical and surgical treatment.
Traditionally, the primary tumor has been surgically removed even in the case of metastatic disease, although this was in 2017 shown not to improve survival in asymptomatic patients.[11]