Flushing Zebra

What does the Flushing Zebra mean?

The Flushing Zebra has become the "mascot" of sorts for Carinoid Cancer.

The "flushing" part is obvious because it's one of the major symptoms of Carcinoid cancer.

The zebra comes from the story that doctors in medical school are taught that “if you hear hoofs, don’t look for zebras.” In other words, go for the obvious first. Carcinoids say that “if you hear hoofs, look behind you, it might be a zebra.”  Look beyond the obvious because it might save your life.

Because many of the symptoms associated with Carcinoid cancer are symptoms associated with other common conditions (IBS, etc), Carcinoid cancer often goes undiagnosed until it has metastasized to other organs in the body, making it much harder to treat.