title: Treatment of lung large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma.
abstract: Lung large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (L-LCNEC) is a rare, aggressive, and difficult-to-treat tumor. It is classified as a neuroendocrine subtype of large cell lung carcinoma (LCLC) belonging to the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) group, but it is also included in the neuroendocrine tumor (NET) group. Most of the available data related to its treatment derive from retrospective analyses or small case series. For patients with L-LCNEC, prognosis is generally very poor. In early stages (I-II-III), surgery is recommended but does not seem to be sufficient. Platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy may be useful while the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy is still not well defined. In patients with advanced L-LCNEC, the chemotherapy regimens used in SCLC still remain the standard of treatment, but results are not satisfactory. Due to their peculiar clinical and biological features and the lack of literature data, there is an emerging need for a consensus on the best treatment strategy for L-LCNEC and for the identification of new therapeutic options. In this review, we will discuss the key aspects of L-LCNEC management with the aim to clarify the most controversial issues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy. giuseppe.lorusso@istitutotumori.mi.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lo Russo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pusceddu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Proto
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macerelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Signorelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitali
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ganzinelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zilembo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Platania
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buzzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Braud
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina Chiara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Garassino
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011379:Prognosis
keywords: Chemotherapy; Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma; Lung neuroendocrine tumor; Treatment options