SMALL-BOWEL CARCINOID - REVIEW OF A SINGLE INSTITUTION EXPERIENCE ANDREVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

We have undertaken a review of the small bowel carcinoids treated at G eorgia Baptist Medical Center during the last 27 years in order to eva luate the clinical behavior, diagnostic approaches, treatment options, and prognosis of these neoplasms. A retrospective analysis of the tum or registry at Georgia Baptist Medical Center was undertaken. A total of 148 cases of carcinoid tumors were identified. Of these, 34 were lo cated in the small bowel. Twenty-eight of these cases were diagnosed a t our institution. The others were referred for oncology care. The pat ient records were reviewed for sex, race, age at presentation, locatio n, 5-HIAA status, coexistent neoplasms, multifocality, size, metastati c status, clinical presentation, diagnostic intervention, extension, a djuvant therapy, treatment intervention, and survival. A review of the available literature was undertaken to analyze the historical results in the aforementioned categories. In retrospect, many of these tumors had been clinically active for some time. The authors outline a more aggressive workup in order to avoid acute, in extremis, and late stage presentation, We present an analysis of traditional views on survival and prognosis as related to the size and spread of small bowel carcin oid. We expect that this information will assist in the development of definitive treatment, effective adjuvant therapy, and symptomatic rel ief for this often frustrating neoplasm.