How to Cure Carcinoid

Carcinoid tumors are a type of slow growing and cancerous tumors that usually start in either a person's digestive tract or lungs. In rarer cases, the carcinoid's origin can begin in the ovaries or testes. Symptoms of carcinoid tumors can include abdominal pain, bowel obstruction, rectal pain, diarrhea, skin flushing and difficulty breathing. There are treatments available to cure carcinoid tumors.

Things You'll Need

• Doctor's care

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Instructions

• 1

  See your physician and if he diagnoses a carcinoid tumor, he may recommend that you see an oncologist. Certain tests like CT scan, PET scan, MRI, endoscopy and colonoscopy may be ordered to pinpoint the location of the tumor or tumors.

• 2

  Receive injections from your doctor to block the symptoms of carcinoid syndrome. Carcinoid syndrome occurs when hormones are secreted by the carcinoid tumor. Carcinoid syndrome can cause diarrhea and skin flushing if not treated. The medications used include octreotide and lanreotide.

• 3

  Go through surgery to remove the carcinoid tumor. If detected early enough before spreading to other organs, carcinoid can be cured by the surgical removal of the tumor. If the liver has been affected, part of the liver may be surgically removed as well.

• 4

  Speak to your doctor about heat or cold therapies used to kill carcinoid cancer cells. If the carcinoid cancer has spread to the liver, your doctor may recommend either radiofrequency ablation or cryoabalation. Radiofrequency ablation uses heat to kill the cancer while cryoabalation freezes and thaws the cells to get rid of the carcinoid.

• 5

  Inquire about hepatic artery embolization. With this technique, blood supply is cut off to the cancer cells in order to cure the condition.