Neuroendocrine tumors are abnormal cells that overproduce hormones, leading to harmful levels. They can occur in various parts of the body, including the lungs and stomach. Treatment options include prescription drugs, special diets, freezing, removal, and radiation.
A neuroendocrine tumor is a group of abnormally growing cells located in or near the endocrine glands. These tumors occur predominantly in the lungs or stomach. They can, however, grow anywhere in the body. There are about 10 different types of neuroendocrine tumors, ranging from carcinoids to vasoactive intestinal polypeptide tumors. They are all linked to an overproduction of one of the hormones in the body and lead to unusually high and harmful hormone levels, which can sometimes be corrected through prescription drugs or special diets.
Carcinoids are the most frequent type of neuroendocrine tumor, followed by oat cells. Oat cells are tiny cancerous cells located specifically in the lungs. Found primarily in the intestines, stomach, ovaries, or testicles, carcinoids are tumors related to cells that produce amines or peptides.
There are many other varieties of endocrine tumors as well. The type of neuroendocrine tumor that occurs in the stomach and stimulates excessive release of the hormone gastrin is called a gastrinoma. Gastrinomas are typically found in the beginning of the small intestine or in the pancreas. An insulinoma is a neuroendocrine tumor that creates excessive levels of insulin. Another type of tumor called a paraganglioma is a neuroendocrine growth that most commonly forms on the neck, face, and earlobes. In rare cases, they can appear on the abdomen or blood vessels in any of the above locations.
Other types of neuroendocrine tumors include pheochromocytoma, glucagonoma, medullary carcinoma, and pancreatic endocrine tumors. A kind of adrenal tumor, pheochromocytomas attack the areas at the top of the kidneys, causing them to overproduce chemicals such as adrenaline. Rarely occurring glucagonomas are tumors that attack islet cells within the pancreas. Medullary carcinomas are cancerous growths that attach to the thyroid gland and secrete hormones known as calcitonin that reduce calcium levels in the blood plasma. While they don’t occur very often, pancreatic endocrine tumors can occur in middle-aged women due to stunted stem cells in the endocrine system.
Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide tumor, often referred to simply as a “peptide tumor,” is another type of neuroendocrine tumor. These tumors result from an abnormal and excessive production of islet cells, usually in the pancreas. These peptide tumors can, however, also form in the kidney region, near the adrenal glands.
When multiple neuroendocrine tumors appear together, it is sometimes symptomatic of a condition known as multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome. This genetic syndrome can cause different types of irregular growth in the endocrine system. However, not all growths are malignant.
Doctors can discover a neuroendocrine tumor through an endoscopy, imaging scan, or biopsy. In addition to pharmaceuticals, treatments may also include freezing the tumors or having them removed. Sometimes, surgeons can use radiation to heat and destroy tumors as well.
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