title: The Post-Surgical Long-Term Behaviour of Lung Carcinoid Tumours.
abstract: Here, we report a retrospective evaluation of long-term behaviour of lung carcinoids after surgery. A total of 23 patients (17 with typical pulmonary carcinoids and 6 with atypical pulmonary carcinoids) were enrolled in our hospital from April 1994 to July 2009. All patients underwent intervention at the Unit of Surgery and then were followed at the Unit of Oncology. The standard protocol for patient monitoring consisted of follow-up at 3 months after surgery, 6 months after first control and annually for 5 years. The follow-up evaluations consisted in blood tests, imaging of chest and abdomen, bone scintigraphy, and brain computed tomography. In case of disease recurrence, patients underwent chemotherapy (etoposide, carboplatin) and radiotherapy. All patients were followed for a mean of follow-up period of 100 months, ranging between 20 and 203 months. In the group of typical carcinoid, the observed recurrence rate at 5 years was zero, at 10 years was 5.8 %, whereas the observed mortality rate at 5 and 10 years was zero. In the group of atypical carcinoid, both the recurrence rate and the mortality rate at 5 and 10 years were 16.6 %. A statistical significant difference (p = 0.002) in the recurrence rate between stage I and stage II was observed. The overall prognosis of pulmonary carcinoids was favourable, and the typical carcinoids presented a better prognosis than the atypical ones. The stage at time of diagnosis could be considered as a predictive prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Unit of General Surgery 2nd and Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" Hospital, Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo Foggia, Italy ; Azienda Sanitaria Locale di Foggia, Unit of General Surgery, "San Camillo De Lellis" Hospital, Via Isonzo, 71043 Manfredonia Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tancredi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Oncology, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" Hospital, Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia Anna
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Muscarella
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Oncology, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" Hospital, Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: la Torre
authors.affiliation: Unit of General Surgery 2nd and Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" Hospital, Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scaramuzzi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Oncology, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" Hospital, Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Vanna Maria
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Valori
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Oncology, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" Hospital, Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Vito Michele
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Fazio
authors.affiliation: Unit of General Surgery 2nd and Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" Hospital, Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scaramuzzi
keywords: Carcinoid tumours; Long term follow-up; Lung cancer; Lymph node metastasis; Tumour behaviour