Carcinoid Tumors

Carcinoid tumors arise from the GI tract or lung and can metastasize to the liver. They are relatively indolent tumors that can take years to grow. Tumors in the liver can cause symptoms of flushing, palpitations, and diarrhea, which can be debilitating. There is evidence that removal or destruction of more than 90 percent of the carcinoid tumors in the liver can ameliorate symptoms and lengthen survival.

In many cases, carcinoid tumors in the liver are too widespread for surgical resection alone to be feasible. In this situation, a combination of surgical resection and tumor ablation can be utilized. Both cryosurgery (tumor freezing) and thermal destruction (radiofrequency ablation or RFA) have evolved as effective therapies. In patients who are not operative candidates, hepatic artery embolization can result in tumor shrinkage and improvement in carcinoid symptoms. The addition of chemotherapeutic agents and radioisotopes to various embolization materials are being studied in hopes of improving outcomes.