Behaviour and survival of high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas of the lung.
BACKGROUND
Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is an aggressive variant of large-cell carcinoma of the lung, which has poor survival in most series, resembling that of small-cell lung carcinoma. We report our retrospective assessment of surgically-resected cases of both tumours.


METHODS
33 large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and 16 peripheral small-cell lung carcinomas were reassessed retrospectively. Survival rates of both tumours in surgically-resected cases were calculated and compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Log Rank test, respectively.


RESULTS
In large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, there were 25 patients with pathologic stage I, 4 with pathologic stage II and 4 with pathologic stage III. In small-cell lung carcinomas, there were 6 patients with pathologic stage I, 3 with pathologic stage II and 7 with pathologic stage III. 12% of large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and 62.5% of small-cell lung carcinomas were of advanced disease. The mean follow-up was 89 months. The actuarial survival for the 2 groups was not significantly different.


CONCLUSIONS
Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the lung have poor prognosis even in early stages, with survival rates similar to that of small-cell lung carcinomas.
Naranjo Gómez
J M
JM
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Servicio de Cirugía Torácica, Avda. de Valdecilla 25, Santander (Cantabria), Spain. jomanago1@hotmail.com
Gómez Román
J J
JJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies