title: [Diagnosis and treatment of carcinoid tumors in the gastrointestinal tract].
abstract: Histopathologically and biologically, endocrine cell tumors in the gastrointestinal tract are divided into two groups: 1) carcinoid, a low-grade malignancy, and 2) endocrine cell carcinoma (synonymous with small cell carcinoma), a high-grade malignancy. Atypical carcinoid, which has increased histological atypia and proliferative activity, shows more aggressive biological behavior than classical carcinoid. As a rule, endocrine cell carcinoma should be resected surgically with dissection of lymph nodes and adjuvant therapy if needed, while carcinoid should be treated by endoscopic resection or localized resection without lymph node dissection. Classical carcinoid of more than 2.0 cm in size and atypical carcinoid should be treated more carefully because of the increased risk of vascular permeation or distant metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular and Functional Pathology, Dept. of Cellular Function, Niigata University Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, 1 Asahimachi-dori, Niigata 951-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishikura
authors.forename: Hidenobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Mitsuya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwafuchi
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ajioka
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mukai
mesh_terms: D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis