Mini-review: Current challenges in the treatment of developmentally diverse neuroendocrine like tumors: Comparison of bronchial carcinoids and neuroblastoma

Abstract

Bronchial carcinoids (BC) derive from the pulmonary neuroendocrine cell system while neuroblastoma (NB) derives from the neural crest and represents the peripheral nervous system. Nevertheless, their production of serotonin and catecholamines, respectively, permits comparison as neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). BC are most often diagnosed in adults accounting for 1-5% of all invasive lung malignancies in the adults. NB, primarily a pediatric cancer, accounts for 7-8% of all childhood cancers with the highest incidence in children younger than 5 years, and frequent metastasis to liver, skin, bone, and brain. The major standard treatments for BC is surgery followed by endocrine therapy and chemotherapies. NB patients on the other hand receive treatments according to presenting stage with chemotherapies dominant and now newer immunotherapies at more advanced stages. In general BC are more indolent but when less differentiated can be aggressive portending a poorer outcome. NB in contrast often present at an advanced stage and if high stage the overall survival approaches 25% despite extensive and other therapies. Early stage diagnosis still remains a challenge since symptomology depends on their neuroendocrine manifestation. Here we summarize the current knowledge and challenges in the management of BC and NB.