Group: 5-HIAA Urine Tests

Why do 5-HIAA urine tests sometimes come back high and other times low after carcinoid tumors have been removed?

October 5, 2015

The urine 5-HIAA test for carcinoid is crude and can be strongly influenced by special diet and drugs. The patient must be on a special diet before and during the urine collection. Even then the test can miss up to 50% of the cases. It should not be relied on …

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Are there any dietary restrictions for patients other than during the 5-HIAA test?

October 5, 2015

No. Bananas and other serotonin containing food need only be avoided when collecting urine for 5HIAA testing. Tumors make their own serotonin independent of dietary sources. See page for how to prepare for the urine 5-HIAA test.

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