Typical carcinoids and neuroendocrine carcinomas of the stomach: differing clinical courses and prognoses.
BACKGROUND
Gastric endocrine tumors are usually classified as 3 types of well-differentiated endocrine tumors (typical carcinoids or carcinoids) and poorly differentiated carcinomas (neuroendocrine carcinomas [NECs]).


METHODS
From 1993 to 2008, 97 patients (73 men and 24 women) were diagnosed with gastric neuroendocrine tumors at the Asan Medical Center.


RESULTS
Of the 45 patients with typical carcinoids, 37 underwent surgery (eg, endoscopic resection). Of the 52 patients with NECs, 43 underwent surgery (eg, radical gastrectomy). One patient died of recurrence of the typical carcinoids, whereas 26 patients with NECs died of related diseases (P < .05). The rates of survival and recurrence did not significantly differ by type of typical carcinoid (P > .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Regardless of the type, carcinoids that are not yet advanced can be effectively treated with minimal endoscopic or laparoscopic surgery. However, all NECs and advanced carcinoids should be treated with radical gastrectomy.
Kim
Beom Su
BS
Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Korea. bskim@amc.seoul.r
Oh
Sung Tae
ST
Yook
Jeong Hwan
JH
Kim
Kab Choong
KC
Kim
Min Gyu
MG
Jeong
Jun Won
JW
Kim
Byung Sik
BS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome