Description of Patients with Midgut Carcinoid Tumours: Clinical Database from a Danish Centre

Background: We have initiated a clinical database of patients with neuroendocrine tumours (n= 132). Data on patients with well-differentiated endocrine carcinoma (WHO classification) previous classified as midgut carcinoid patients, are presented. Patients and Methods: Retrospectively, 56 patients with midgut carcinoid tumours were evaluated with respect to symptoms, primary tumour size, metastases, tumour markers, treatment and survival. Results: Flushing was described in 29%, diarrhoea in 52%, abdominal pain in 34%, bronchial constriction in 2% and carcinoid heart disease in 4% of the patients. Fifty-two percent had liver metastases at referral. Twenty-seven percent were considered to have had radical surgery. Patients not considered for radical surgery and patients with liver metastases had significantly higher tumour marker levels (serum chromogranin A (CgA), serum serotonin and urinary 5-hydroxyindolic acid (5-HIAA)) compared to radically-operated patients and to patients without liver metastases (p