Update in Pulmonary Carcinoid Tumors: A Review Article

Abstract

Pulmonary carcinoid tumors are neuroendocrine malignant tumors that make up 1% to 2% of all lung tumors. According to histopathologic criteria, carcinoids can be divided into typical (TC) and atypical (AC) carcinoids. Carcinoids can be placed in a spectrum of neuroendocrine tumors, ranging from low-grade malignant TC to intermediate AC to high-grade large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small-cell lung carcinoma. Familial pulmonary carcinoids are rare. The most common symptoms are hemoptysis, cough, recurrent pulmonary infection, fever, chest discomfort and chest pain, unilateral wheezing, and shortness of breath. Paraneoplastic syndromes are rare and include carcinoid syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, and ectopic growth hormone-releasing hormone secretion. The diagnosis is usually established by flexible bronchoscopy and biopsy, although occasionally this can result in severe hemorrhage. Immunoscintigraphy by somatostatin analogs can also be useful in diagnosis. The treatment of choice is surgical resection, and prognosis is relatively good in TC, although it is worse in AC. The role of radiotherapy and chemotherapy as part of multimodality treatment or palliation is still debated.

Bronchial Carcinoid Tumours in Children — A Review

“…Experience with chemotherapy or somatostatine analogue therapy to treat metastatic disease is discouraging in adults 11 and there is not enough experience in children to draw conclusions. The role of adjuvant radiotherapy in N2 disease is also debated and has not been proved to be beneficial.…”

“…In adults TCs show a very favourable prognosis with a low local recurrence rate or distant metastases after radical resection, while ACs have demonstrated a poorer prognosis due to the higher oncological aggressiveness. 7,11,[38][39][40] Clinical behaviour is not as distinct between TCs and ACs in paediatric patients as it is in adults because of the limited number of cases. 15,17,34 Very few ACs are described in the literature in children 16,32,41 and, of these, two had lymph-node metastases at the time of surgery but neither recurrence nor reduced survival was observed.…”

Pulmonary neuroendocrine/carcinoid tumors

“…Tumors of the bronchial tree in particular account for approximately 25% of all well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (Table 1). [1][2][3] However, compared with other malignancies of the bronchoalveolar tree, these well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors are rare, accounting for only 1% of all lung cancers. 3 The pathologic spectrum of neuroendocrine malignancies ranges from low-grade carcinoid to aggressive small cell lung cancer.…”

“…[1][2][3] However, compared with other malignancies of the bronchoalveolar tree, these well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors are rare, accounting for only 1% of all lung cancers. 3 The pathologic spectrum of neuroendocrine malignancies ranges from low-grade carcinoid to aggressive small cell lung cancer. The low-grade and intermediate-grade neuroendocrine malignancies, also known as typical and atypical carcinoid, will be the focus of this review.…”

An autopsy case of rapid progressive atypical carcinoid of the lung discovered with multiple nodular shadows

“…Chest imaging is widely recognized for detecting mean lesion sizes of approximately 3 cm (although much larger lesions are also frequent), mostly centrally located, with only approximately one-third located in peripherally (21). In this case, chest radiography showed multiple nodules in both lungs.…”