Abstract
Introduction: Lung neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are rare and heterogeneous, with wide range of aggressiveness. Aim: Describe clinical and epidemiologic characteristics, stage, treatment and survival of patients with lung NET according to histological group -[typical carcinoid (TC), atypical carcinoid (AT), large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC). Methods: Retrospective longitudinal, multicenter study analyzing files of patients diagnosed with NET from 2005 to 2010. Small cell carcinoma was excluded. Comparisons among groups were done with X2. Survival curves were generated using Kaplan-Meier method. Results: 137 patients were included, mean age (SD) 59 (± 14) years; 71 (52%) male; 82 (60%) non-smokers. Histological classification: 54 TC, 49 NEC and 34 AC. Table below describes patients' characteristics. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 78 months. Twenty seven patients (20%) died, 1 in TC, 2 in AC, 23 in NEC. The median overall survival (OS) calculated for NEC was 42 months, for other patients median OS has not yet been reached. Conclusion: In our series few patients were asymptomatic, none had carcinoid syndrome and most had symptoms other than those due to endobronchial involvement, which was found in less than 50% pts. Most frequent histological pattern was TC. NEC was most aggressive, with more advanced stage and a higher mortality. Surgery was the most frequent treatment. Prognosis is generally good, although follow-up is still short.
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