Frequency of Carcinoid tumor is different in different people.

• In the US: The frequency of carcinoid tumor is 1 case per 300 individuals. For carcinoid syndrome, it is 1 case per 300,000 individuals.

Mortality/Morbidity: Survival is dependent on the primary site and the size of the primary tumor. Patients with metastatic disease arising from midgut (ie, distal small intestine/cecal) primary tumors generally live longer than those with the foregut (ie, bronchial, gastric, pancreatic) and hindgut (ie, rectal) as primary sites. The 5-year survival rate from the time of diagnosis of metastatic disease is 67%. No therapy to date has been shown in any randomized clinical trial to prolong survival for patients with metastatic carcinoid tumors, and therapy remains palliative.

Race: No racial differences in the incidence of carcinoid tumors are known.

Sex: The incidence of carcinoid is similar between males and females

Age: The occurrence rate of carcinoid tumors peaks at approximately age 62 years. Carcinoid tumors are rare in young persons, particularly because the argentaffin cells from which this tumor develops are only identified in children older than 4 years (Deans, 1995).

Share This