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Typical and atypical pulmonary carcinoids: our institutional experience

Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Bologna, ‘S. Orsola – Malpighi’ Hospital, Via Massarenti, 9, 40138 Bologna (BO), Italy

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 051 6363580; fax: +39 051 307022.

E-mail address: fab7816l{at}hotmail.com (F. Davoli).

Pulmonary carcinoids are rare malignant neoplasms, accounting for 2–5% of all lung tumors, with an approximate annual incidence of 2.3–2.8 cases per million of the population. We relate our experience of 54 patients (21 male, 33 female, mean age 53±15 years) treated between July 1986 and April 2006. All the patients underwent preoperative fibrobronchoscopy: preoperative diagnosis was made in 28 patients (52%). Surgical treatment consisted of: 31 standard lobectomies, 6 pneumonectomies, 5 bilobectomies, 2 sleeve lobectomies, 2 anatomic segmentectomies, 6 wedge resections; two patients were managed with sleeve bronchial procedure of the left main bronchus without lung resection. Fifty-four patients were followed with a mean time of observation of 67 months: 6 (11%) deaths occurred, at a mean period of 49 months after surgery; there were no postoperative deaths. Overall, 5-year survival was 91%, 10 years 83%: 5-year survival was 91% for typical carcoinoids (TC) vs. 88% for atypical (AC), 10 years 91% for TC and 44% for AC (significant value, P=0.0487). Carcinoid tumors are a distinct group of neuroendocrine tumors with a good prognosis in most cases. Surgery currently represents the best treatment with good results at mid- and long-term survival, according to an acceptable risk.

Key Words: Pulmonary carcinoid; Neuroendocrine; Diagnosis; Treatment