Abstract
Background: Bronchopulmonary carcinoids (BPCs) are rare neuroendocrine tumors. Metastatic BPC (M-BPC) represents less than 10% of all BPCs.
Aims: A retrospective study of a 5 years' consecutive series of M-BPC patients, treated in a tertiary referral center.
Methods: Demographics, symptoms, staging, pathology, therapy and survival were compared for non-metastatic (NM-) and M-BPC.
Results: Of 57 BPC patients, 12 (21%) had metastases. Five were truly metastatic at diagnosis. No differences were observed for age, smoking status and gender. Hemoptysis was mostly found in M-BPC (4/12); infection and absence of symptoms in NM-BPC (both 16/45). Somatostatin receptor imaging was performed in respectively 20% and 92%, FDG-PET in 67% and 75%, Ki-67 staining in 24% and 75%, chromogranin A staining in 64% and 83% of NM- and M-BPC patients. M-BPC was predominantly treated with chemotherapy (42%) and somatostatin analogues (58%), NM-BPC with surgery (91%). Median survival was 52 months for M-BPC, while not yet reached for NM-BPC patients (p=0.01).
Conclusions: In our center, a larger proportion of M-BPC patients was treated compared to literature. Major differences between NM-BPC and M-BPC were observed for treatment choices. Survival was significantly worse for M-BPC, although much better compared to more common lung cancer types.
- © 2011 ERS