What causes carcinoid syndrome?

What causes carcinoid syndrome?

Carcinoid syndrome happens when your gastrointestinal (GI) tract produces and sends too many hormones to your liver. Normally, your liver manages the flow, even when an NET boosts hormone production. But when your GI tract produces too many hormones or if you have an NET in your liver that keeps it from processing and removing the hormones, your hormones can flood your system, triggering carcinoid syndrome.

When there’s too large of an amount of hormone produced, or if neuroendocrine tumors in your liver prevent it from being able to process and remove the hormones produced, they can flood your system, triggering carcinoid syndrome.