Carcinoid Tumours of the Lung: When should one seek medical advice?

Symptoms of carcinoid tumours in most patients are non-specific. Similar symptoms can be caused by many other medical problems such as other tumours in lung, infection of lung etc. Cancer, which is diagnosed in early stages, responds better to treatment and their prognosis is better. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor for any bothersome symptom, which persists for more than a few days.

Consult your doctor if you have any/all of the following symptoms suggestive of some type of significant medical problem:

• Persistent cough (cough that does not go away).
• Chest pain.
• Fever (recurrent or persistent if it lasts for more than a few days: even if it is low grade fever).
• Flushing of face (frequent redness and a warm feeling: it may last for hours to days).
• Sweating (may be profuse).
• Diarrhea (if it is recurrent or lasts for more than a few days).
• Weight loss (unintended or significant weight loss).
• Increase in facial and body hair.
• Increase in pigmentation on skin.
• Weakness or fatigue (out of proportion for your physical activity).
• General feeling of ill health.

Symptoms that need urgent medical consultation or treatment include:

• Blood in cough (hemoptysis).
• Difficulty or discomfort while breathing.
• Wheezing.
• Fast heartbeat (palpitation).

Who to consult

Some health professionals, who evaluate your symptoms include:

• General physicians.
• Family doctor.
• Assistants of physicians.
• Internists.

These are some symptoms, which may occur in a person with carcinoid tumour of the lung. If you have one or more of these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that you have lung cancer. Your doctor can diagnose the cause of your symptoms and treat them accordingly.