In the 2008 U.S. News and World Report Best Hospitals issue, Cedars-Sinai ranked among America's best in Cancer.

Comprehensive Treatment and Innovative Therapies for Rare Cancers

The Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, under the leadership of Run Yu, MD, and Edward M. Wolin, MD, Co-Directors, provides multidisciplinary team-based, state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic services for managing carcinoid and neuroendocrine tumors. This innovative program is unique in Southern California and is one of only a few such programs in the United States.

Neuroendocrine Tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors affect neuroendocrine cells, which produce and secrete regulatory hormones and are present throughout the nervous and endocrine systems. In addition to behaving similarly to typical cancers, neuroendocrine tumors cause the body to produce a detrimentally excessive amount of hormones, possibly leading to asthma, cardiac disease, dehydration and profuse diarrhea. The most common types of neuroendocrine tumors found in adults are carcinoid and oat cell. While neuroendocrine tumors can originate anywhere in the body, carcinoid tumors are most commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract or lungs. Other types of neuroendocrine tumors are:

  • Adrenal pheochromocytomas
  • Gastrinomas (causing Zollinger-Ellison syndrome)
  • Glucagonomas
  • Insulinomas
  • Medullary carcinomas of the thyroid
  • Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes
  • Pancreatic endocrine tumors
  • Paragangliomas
  • VIPomas (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide tumor)

Diagnosis

Carcinoid and neuroendocrine tumors are rare cancers that are often misdiagnosed. Because symptoms vary widely depending on where the cancer originates, a diagnosis is frequently determined only after the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. The Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Program uses the most advanced imaging and laboratory technology to accurately identify these cancers at the earliest stages, when treatment can be most effective. The Program's specialists are experts at interpreting information from these state-of-the-art procedures into a definitive diagnosis. Available testing procedures include:

Treatment

The Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Program provides comprehensive treatment services for patients with these rare cancers, including innovative therapies available at few other institutions. The Program offers the most up-to-date minimally invasive procedures that can result in less pain and scarring, fewer complications and quicker recovery than traditional surgical techniques. The Program's patients also have access to other Cedars-Sinai services, including the Women's Guild Lung Institute, Outpatient Cancer Center and S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center. Available treatments include:

Team of Specialists

The Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Program's highly experienced physicians specialize in these types of cancers. Along with experts from related fields, the Program's physicians and skilled support staff comprise a multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists who work together to examine every diagnostic and treatment option for each specific case. This team approach helps ensure that each patient receives the most effective, individualized care available. Team members include:

  • Endocrinologists
  • Gastroenterologists
  • Oncologists
  • Surgeons
  • Liver transplant surgeons
  • Pathologists
  • Anesthesiologists
  • Interventional radiologists
  • Nuclear medicine specialists

Research

Cedars-Sinai is actively involved in numerous endocrinology-related research studies, some of which are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Researchers at the Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Program are currently investigating the molecular genesis of carcinoid and neuroendocrine tumors, as well as innovative, subcellular therapy. Cedars-Sinai's patients have access to the latest clinical trials and investigational studies, which could provide major medical breakthroughs. In fact, research conducted at Cedars-Sinai has helped identify some genetic mechanisms involved in tumor growth and resistance to treatment, enabling physicians to better determine the best treatment options for patients. The knowledge gained from research is shared through residency, fellowship and teaching programs, seminars, community lectures and publications. Everyday Cedars-Sinai fulfills its commitment to leading-edge healthcare by quickly instilling medical breakthroughs into medical practice.

Physician Referral

The experienced team at Cedars-Sinai's Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Program works with the referring physician to determine the best course of treatment for each patient and keeps the referring physician apprised of the patient's condition. At the appropriate time, the patient is referred back to the primary care physician for continued management, but the physicians at Cedars-Sinai remain available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide post-treatment support and to serve as an informational resource.

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