Carcinoid Syndrome and Carcinoid Tumors

In the early stages of having a carcinoid tumor, you may not have any symptoms. You may also not have symptoms if the tumor is just in your digestive system, as any hormones it produces will be broken down by your liver.

If symptoms do develop, they tend to be fairly general and can be easily mistaken for signs of other illnesses.

Symptoms may result from both the tumor itself and from any hormones, it releases into the bloodstream.

Symptoms caused by the tumor

Symptoms will depend on where in the body the tumor develops:

A bowel carcinoid tumor may cause tummy pain, a blocked bowel (diarrhoea, constipation, feeling or being sick) and bleeding from the bottom (rectal bleeding).

A lung carcinoid tumor may cause a cough, which may make you cough up blood, and cause wheezing, breathlessness, chest pain and tiredness.

A stomach carcinoid tumor may cause pain, weight loss, tiredness and weakness. Some tumors may not cause any symptoms and are discovered by chance. For example, an appendix carcinoid tumor may only be found when the appendix is being removed for another reason.

Symptoms caused by the hormones (carcinoid syndrome)
Typical symptoms of carcinoid syndrome include:

-diarrhoea, tummy pain and loss of appetite
-flushing of the skin, particularly the face
-fast heart rate
-breathlessness and wheezing

These symptoms may come on unexpectedly, as the hormones can be produced by the tumor at any time.

Some people may also develop carcinoid heart disease, where the heart valves thicken and stop working properly. There is also a risk of developing a rare but serious reaction called a carcinoid crisis, which involves severe flushing, breathlessness and a drop in blood pressure.