Relationships among delay of diagnosis, extent of disease, and survival in patients with abdominal carcinoid tumors.
BACKGROUND
A correlation between delay in diagnosis of carcinoid and extent of disease and survival was investigated.


METHODS
In all, 115 patients with carcinoid were interviewed. Data collected included symptoms, delay of diagnosis, incorrect diagnoses given, extent of disease at diagnosis, and survival. Delay in diagnosis and extent of disease were correlated by regression analysis and the impact on death by Fisher's exact test.


RESULTS
Mean delay was 66 months. There was no correlation between delay in diagnosis and extent of disease (R = 0.119, R(2) = 0.014, P = 0.20) or death. However, patients with disease beyond lymph nodes were significantly more likely to die (P = 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Delays of diagnosis of carcinoid are common but do not impact extent of disease or survival. Extent of disease at diagnosis does impact survival, but is not mitigated by early diagnosis, indicating that outcome is dictated by the biology of the disease.
Toth-Fejel
SuEllen
S
Division of Surgical Oncology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
Pommier
Rodney F
RF
D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005483:Flushing / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000652:urine; D016014:Linear Models; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D013004:Somatostatin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; C081788:pentetreotide