The incidence, management, and outcome of patients with gastrointestinal carcinoids and second primary malignancies.

Abstract

Gastrointestinal carcinoid is associated with a high incidence of second primary malignancy, 46 percent in this study. The most common site for the second primary malignancy in these patients is the gastrointestinal tract, suggesting a site specific predisposition to malignant degeneration. Most gastrointestinal carcinoids are incidentally discovered at laparotomy or autopsy. The discovery of an asymptomatic gastrointestinal carcinoid during the operative treatment of another malignancy will usually only require resection without additional treatment and will have little affect on the prognosis of the individual.