Who is at risk for getting carcinoid or another neuroendocrine cancer? What are the signs and symptoms? We are very pleased to share a feature article from the April 27, 2014 edition of the New York Daily News, “Daily Checkup: Carcinoid Tumors Have a Variety of Symptoms.” The article about carcinoid and related neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), such as pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, spotlights specialist Dr. Celia M. Divino, Chief of the Division of General Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Dr. Divino is a member of the team at Mount Sinai’s Center for Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumors, which is directed by Dr. Richard R.P. Warner.
At least 115,000 Americans are currently living with carcinoid/NETs, with about 11,000 to 15,000 new cases diagnosed annually. In the United States, a disease is considered rare if less than 200,000 people are known to have that disease.
Raising awareness of NET cancers is especially important as these rare diseases have symptoms that are seen in more common diseases such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, rosacea, and asthma. Dr. Divino points out that Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, had a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.
Dr. Divino, who specializes in surgeries in the gastrointestinal tract, has been working in the field for 25 years. She shared her insights about carcinoid and other rare neuroendocrine cancers, including statistics about the number of newly diagnosed NET cases annually, treatment options, research breathroughs, and questions to ask your doctor if you have the unexplained symptoms that “fit the triad of flushing, diarrhea and palpitations.”
If you suspect you have carcinoid or another neuroendocrine tumor or receive a diagnosis of one of these diseases, what should you do? Dr. Divino recommends getting informed by seeking out the latest information, getting support, don’t ignore symptoms, and address nutrition.
Read the New York Daily News article here: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/daily-checkup-carcinoid-tumors-variety-symptons-article-1.1765133.
