What is carcinoid syndrome diarrhea (CSD) and what causes symptoms to build?
CSD is one of the most common symptoms of functioning neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). CSD primarily occurs when functioning NETs produce too much serotonin, a hormone that normally helps with bodily functions such as digestion.
However, when NET cells produce too much serotonin in the gut, you can experience:
Urgency
Frequency
Watery stools
The science behind CSD
When cells grow abnormally, they form a tumor.
When a tumor forms in the neuroendocrine system, it may produce too many hormones, such as serotonin.
Hormones are one way your body’s cells communicate with each other to help with bodily functions. For example, serotonin is a hormone that communicates with your gut to help with digestion.
When NETs produce too much serotonin, your body’s natural serotonin levels can be thrown off balance. The extra serotonin in the gut can lead to CSD.
How common is CSD?
In patients with functioning NETs (CS), CSD may be more common than you think. In an online survey of 100 US patients with functioning NETs (CS), nearly 9 out of 10 reported symptoms of diarrhea despite treatment with a long-acting somatostatin analog (SSA).
CS=carcinoid syndrome.
Questions about treatment?
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