Lung Carcinoid Tumours: An easy understanding

Marked by the uncontrollable growth of tissues and cells in a particular part of the body, cancer is triggered by unintended mutations in the DNA of the cells. While many people know about cancers, like breast cancer, stomach cancer, blood cancer, lung cancer etc, there are certain malignancies that you might have never heard of before. For instance, lung carcinoid tumour, which is a type of lung cancer accounting for 1 to 2 per cent of all lung cancers. These are not as aggressive as other types of lung cancers and originate from the neuroendocrine cells that are found in the lungs and many other parts of the body. Treatment for lung carcinoid tumours is offered at the best cancer hospital in Jodhpur.

Various types of Lung Carcinoid Tumours:

Lung Carcinoid Tumours can be further divided into two different types – typical carcinoid tumours and atypical carcinoid tumours.

• Typical carcinoid tumours are comparatively common, accounting for 9 out of 10 cases of carcinoid tumours. These grow at a very slow pace and really spread beyond the lungs.
• A typical carcinoid tumours grow at a relatively faster rate and are much more likely to spread beyond the lungs.

Apart from this, lung carcinoid tumours can also be differentiated on the basis of the place of their origin. Tumours that originate from the cells lining the large airways of the lungs are known as central carcinoids, whereas those which grow along the edges of the lungs are known as peripheral carcinoids.

Although the exact cause of lung carcinoid tumours is not known, experts from the best cancer hospital in Jaipur suggest that atypical carcinoid tumours have been linked with excessive smoking, whereas no such link has been found for typical carcinoid tumours. There are certain risk factors that are known to increase the risk of lung carcinoid tumours. These have been mentioned below:

• Age – Although carcinoid tumours can affect people of any age group, these are most commonly found in people lying in the age group of 45 to 55 years.
• Gender – As far as gender is concerned, women have been found to be more prone to lung carcinoid tumours as compared to men.
• Family history – Just like many other types of cancer, the risks of lung carcinoid tumours are significantly elevated for people who have a family history of the same.
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia Type 1 – The risks of lung carcinoma tumours are also high in people with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, which is an inherited syndrome.

Symptoms you need to look out for

Surprisingly many patients, around 25 per cent, suffering from lung carcinoid tumours do not experience any symptoms at all, while others are likely to experience the following:

• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Chest pain and discomfort
• Breathlessness

Some patients may also experience carcinoid syndrome, which is triggered by the hormones released by the carcinoid cells. In such cases, the patient is likely to have an accelerated heart rate and experience unintended weight gain, diarrhoea and flushing of the face.

Are there any treatment options available?

Surgery is usually the first resort when it comes to lung carcinoid tumours. However, the type of surgery depends upon the location of the tumour, overall health of the patient, stage of the tumour and its type. After accessing all these factors, your doctor will advise a proper treatment plan.

Apart from surgery, certain therapies may also be recommended. These include chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Targeted therapy may also be used in certain cases. If you want to know more about lung carcinoid tumours, or explore the treatment options, consult the experts from the best cancer hospital in Jaipur today.