What is an Atypical Carcinoid Tumor of the Ovary?
Atypical carcinoid tumor of the ovary is a very rare type of cancer of the ovary and accounts for approximately 0.1 % of all types of ovarian cancers.Disease Causes
Mutations (defective changes) in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are the cause of the development of atypical ovarian carcinoid tumors.Signs and Symptoms
The patient may suffer from the following signs and symptoms. These are- Mass in the pelvic or abdomen
- Pain in the abdomen
- Enlargement in the size of the abdomen
- Fullness and tightness feeling in the abdomen as in the gas
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Headache
- The patient may also suffer from constant fever, excessive sweating, and weight loss in the advance stage of the disease
Diagnosis
Following diagnostic tests and procedures can be used to make the diagnosis. These are- Complete blood count ( CBC)
- Serum tumor markers
- Levels of lactate dehydrogenase
- Imaging techniques like ultrasonography (USG), CT-scan, MRI, and X-Ray to detect the site, size, and extent of the tumor.
- Pelvic examination through per- speculum examination of the vagina, cervix, and ovaries. A speculum is a gynecological instrument used to visualize the vaginal wall, cervix, uterus, and ovaries to detect any abnormality.
- CA-125