Carcinoid Syndrome Diagnosis
How is a carcinoid syndrome diagnosis made?
Carcinoid syndrome is a constellation, collection, or group of symptoms experienced by a subset of people who have a neuroendocrine tumor.
The diagnosis of carcinoid syndrome is complicated by the fact that common conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome and severe allergic reactions, can cause symptoms similar to those of carcinoid syndrome.
To make a carcinoid syndrome diagnosis, a doctor will likely begin by assessing your symptoms and ruling out or excluding other conditions with similar presentations. The process of considering other conditions that may be responsible for your symptoms is called a “differential diagnosis.”
If you have not been diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor, initial tests involve screening for biochemical markers of neuroendocrine tumors, followed by attempts to localize the tumor by using imaging (MRI, CT, scintigraphy) and/or endoscopic tests.1
If you have been diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor, testing will try to learn about any changes that may be going on with the tumor.
Read about testing for carcinoid syndrome.
Next: Learn about carcinoid syndrome testing.
Learn more by listening to NETRF’s NETWise podcast
NETRF Awards Six Grants
NETRF awarded six new research grants totaling $1.85 million to leading academic institutions around the world. The goal of the funding is to improve current treatments for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), an uncommon and poorly understood cancer, which occurs in the body’s hormone-producing cells.
Episode 2: Imaging, Testing, and Building a Care Team
Detecting and Monitoring NETs: Listen as NETWise takes you on a journey to diagnose neuroendocrine cancer.
NETRF Awards Six Grants
NETRF awarded six new research grants totaling $1.85 million to leading academic institutions around the world. The goal of the funding is to improve current treatments for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), an uncommon and poorly understood cancer, which occurs in the body’s hormone-producing cells.
Episode 6: Managing Symptoms of NETs
Functional and Non-Functional NETs This episode is about managing the symptoms of functional NETs. To