Nodal involvement adversely affects prognosis in pulmonary carcinoid tumors.

Background: This study aims to analyze the prognostic factors affecting survival in pulmonary carcinoid tumors.

Methods: Gender, age, smoking habit, comorbidity, localization of the tumor, T status, N status, histological type, and pathological stage of patients who had undergone resection of pulmonary carcinoid tumor between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2016 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: A total of 47 patients (18 male, 29 female; mean age 50.5 years; range, 23 to 74 years) consisting of 40 typical and 7 atypical carcinoid tumor cases were included in our study. Anatomical resection and systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed on all patients. Pathological studies revealed lymphatic involvement in six patients (12.8%; 4 pN1 and 2 pN2). In the typical group (n=40), three patients were classified N1 (7.5%) and one patient N2 (2.5%). In the atypical group (n=7), one patient were classified N1 (14.3%) and one patient N2 (14.3%). Throughout the study, four patients with typical histology (10%) and two patients with atypical histology (28.6%) had nodal involvement. All six patients with nodal involvement underwent adjuvant radiotherapy. Atypical histology (p=0.005) and nodal involvement (p=0.008) were determined as negative prognostic factors in statistical analysis.

Conclusion: Systematic hilar and mediastinal nodal dissection play a crucial role in the surgical treatment of pulmonary carcinoid tumors.