Fulguration uses a special tool inserted into the colon or rectum through the anus. An electric current is then used to burn the tumor away. Bowel resection takes out the cancer and a small amount of healthy tissue on either side. The healthy parts of the bowel are then sewn together. The doctor will also remove lymph nodes and have them looked at under a microscope to see if they contain cancer.
Cryosurgery kills the cancer by freezing it.
Hepatic artery embolization uses drugs and other agents to reduce or block the flow of blood to the liver in order to kill cancer cells growing in the liver. Patients are often uncomfortable during the first few days after surgery, but the pain can usually be controlled with medicine. The recovery period after an operation varies from patient to patient. Usually external-beam radiation is used for gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors. It has not been proven to be effective at curing the cancer, so it is generally used to relieve pain.