Clinical symptoms, hormone profiles, treatment, and prognosis in patients with gastric carcinoids.
BACKGROUND
Type 1 gastric carcinoids are associated with hypergastrinaemia and chronic atrophic gastritis, type 2 occur in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 combined with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and type 3 lack any relation to hypergastrinaemia. Type 1 tumours are usually benign whereas type 3 are highly malignant.


OBJECTIVE
To identify possible tumour markers in patients with gastric carcinoids.


METHODS
Nine patients with type 1, one with type 2, and five with type 3 were evaluated with regard to symptoms, hormone profile, and prognosis.


RESULTS
Plasma chromogranin A was increased in all patients but was higher (p < 0.01) in those with type 3 than those with type 1 carcinoids. All patients with type 3 carcinoids died from metastatic disease, but none of the type 1 patients died as a result of their tumours. One type 1 patient with a solitary liver metastasis received interferon alpha and octreotide treatment. Nine months later, the metastasis was no longer detectable. She is still alive eight years after diagnosis, without recurrent disease. This represents the only reported case of foregut carcinoid with an unresectable liver metastasis that seems to be have been cured by biotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma chromogranin A appears to be a valuable tumour marker for all types of gastric carcinoid. Combination therapy with interferon alpha and octreotide may be beneficial in patients with metastasising type 1 gastric carcinoids.
Granberg
D
D
Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrine Oncology Unit, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Wilander
E
E
Stridsberg
M
M
Granerus
G
G
Skogseid
B
B
Oberg
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002864:Chromogranins