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Carcinoid Tumor (Gastrointestinal) Treatment
- Days In Hospital 2 days
- Outside Hospital Stay 30 days
- Success Rate %
Minimum Cost
$ 2500
Maximum Cost.
$ 10000
Overview of Carcinoid Tumor (Gastrointestinal) Treatment in India
Carcinoid tumors are a kind of gradually increasing cancer that may develop in various locations throughout your body. The first development of carcinoid tumors is generally in your GI system (preferably within the stomach, appendix, small intestines, large intestines, or rectum) or within your lungs.
Typically, carcinoid tumors do not exhibit any physical signs or symptoms until late into the condition's development. However, carcinoid tumors can produce and release hormones into your system, which may cause various signs and symptoms (such as diarrhea or flushing on your skin).
The treatment of carcinoid tumors will most commonly be performed surgically; patients' treatment plans may also consist of additional pharmaceuticals.
What Are Carcinoid Tumors?
Carcinoid tumors start in the hormone-producing cells of the body’s neuroendocrine system. Most often, you’ll find them in the digestive tract—places like the stomach, small intestine, or rectum. Sometimes they show up in the lungs or other organs too. They usually grow slowly, but here’s the thing: they can release hormones like serotonin. When that happens, people can develop something called carcinoid syndrome.
Types of Carcinoid Tumor (Gastrointestinal) Treatment:
There are two ways that carcinoid tumors act. The first is based on how fast the cancer grows. The second is whether or not the tumor has grown or gone to a different part of your body. There are four types of carcinoid tumors:
The slow- growing tumors are the most common. They typically stay small (under 1 cm) and very rarely will grow fast and or spread to a different part of the body.
The faster-growing tumours will grow quickly and are also likely to spread to a different part of the body.
The hormone-secreting (or functioning) tumors produce hormones such as insulin, gastrin, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), glucagon, somatostatin, and serotonin. You will develop carcinoid syndrome if too much serotonin is produced by the cancer.
The most common type of carcinoid tumor is the non-hormone-secreting (or nonfunctioning) carcinoid tumor. Non-functioning carcinoid tumors do not produce any hormones.
Procedure:
How doctors treat a carcinoid tumor really comes down to a few things: where the tumor is, whether it’s spread, what hormones it’s making, your general health, and honestly, your own preferences.
Here’s what treatment can look like:
Surgery
If doctors catch the tumor early, they can usually take it out completely with surgery. But if the tumor’s already advanced, removing all of it isn’t always possible. In those cases, surgeons often try to take out as much as they can to help with symptoms and keep things under control.
Medications to control excess hormones
Some tumors make extra hormones that cause all sorts of symptoms. Medications can help block those hormones, which often eases symptoms of carcinoid syndrome and slow down the tumor’s growth.
Doctors often use octreotide (Sandostatin, Bynfezia Pen) or lanreotide (Somatuline Depot). You get these as injections under the skin. People sometimes get side effects—think stomach pain, bloating, or diarrhea. There’s also telotristat (Xermelo), a pill that’s sometimes added to the injections to help with symptoms if you need a little more relief.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy attacks tumor cells with powerful drugs. You can get it through an IV in your arm or as a pill you swallow. Doctors usually turn to chemotherapy when carcinoid tumors have spread too far for surgery to help.
Targeted drug therapy
Targeted drugs go after certain quirks inside the tumor cells. By blocking these, the drugs trigger the cancer cells to die off. For advanced carcinoid tumors, doctors often pair targeted therapy with chemotherapy to get better results.
Drugs that deliver radiation straight to cancer cells
Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, or PRRT, is a bit different. It combines a drug that finds cancer cells with a radioactive substance that kills them. The drug goes into your body through an injection, tracks down the tumor cells, sticks to them, and delivers a burst of radiation right where it’s needed. PRRT is another option for people dealing with advanced carcinoid tumors.
Treatments for cancer that spreads to the liver
Carcinoid tumors often end up in the liver. When that happens, treatments can include surgery to cut out part of the liver, blocking blood flow to the tumor (this is called hepatic artery embolisation), or relying on heat or cold to destroy the cancer cells. Radiofrequency ablation uses heat to burn away tumor cells in the liver, while cryoablation freezes and then thaws the cells to kill them.
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Cost of Carcinoid Tumor (Gastrointestinal) Treatment in India
The cost to treat a carcinoid tumour in India might range from 2,500 USD to 10,000 USD or more, depending on the type of treatment, hospital location, and complexity of the tumour. The table that follows lists the most popular forms of carcinoid tumour treatment in India:
|
Treatment |
Cost in (USD) |
|
Surgery |
$2,700 – $8,000 |
|
Chemotherapy |
$1,300 – $5,300 |
|
Targeted Therapy |
$5,300 – $9,300 |
|
PRRT |
$1,800-$3,200 (per cycle) |
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Indications of Carcinoid Tumor (Gastrointestinal) Treatment:
Carcinoid tumor symptoms really depend on where the tumor is and whether it’s pumping out hormones. Sometimes, things like exercise, stress, or even foods—think alcohol, chocolate, or certain cheeses—can set off symptoms. But honestly, most carcinoid tumors don’t make hormones at all, so they usually fly under the radar with no obvious signs.
When symptoms show up because of the tumor’s size or where it’s growing, you might notice:
- Pain or pressure in your belly
- Changes in how you go to the bathroom
- Blood showing up in your stool
- Nausea or vomiting
- Chest pain
- A nagging cough
- Blood in what you cough up
- Losing weight without trying
If the tumor’s releasing hormones, then you could get:
- Your face suddenly turns red (flushing)
- Diarrhea that just won’t quit
- High or low blood sugar swings
- Stomach ulcers
- Unusual rashes
- Feeling anxious or confused
- A racing heart or feeling faint
Carcinoid syndrome is a special set of symptoms that can pop up when tumors make certain hormones:
- Flushing in your face
- Sweating for no clear reason
- Wheezing or trouble catching your breath
- Diarrhea
- A pounding or irregular heartbeat
- A heart murmur
- Low blood pressure
- Feeling confused
It’s a tricky disease because symptoms can come and go, and sometimes you won’t have any at all. But these are some of the most common things people notice.
Risk Factors:
Here are some of the factors that put a patient at greater risk for developing carcinoid tumors:
Age: Carcinoid tumors tend to occur more often in older adults than in younger individuals or children.
Gender: Carcinoid tumors typically occur more frequently in females than in males.
Race: Within the digestive tract, carcinoid tumors occur more commonly in African American (Black) than Caucasian (White) individuals.
Certain medical conditions: Individuals with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN1) have a significantly higher chance of developing carcinoid tumors and this is a genetic condition that can be inherited. The risk of developing carcinoid tumors is also increased in individuals with Neurofibromatosis (type1).