Surgical management of pulmonary carcinoid tumors: sublobar resection versus lobectomy

Am J Surg. 2013 Feb;205(2):200-8. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2012.05.008. Epub 2012 Oct 11.

Abstract

Background: Surgical resection of bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumors can be curative and remains the primary treatment modality. There are limited data to delineate the optimal extent of resection for this disease.

Methods: A retrospective review of the 3,270 patients diagnosed with typical and atypical carcinoid tumors between 2000 and 2007 in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results registry was performed.

Results: The mean follow-up period was 46 months (range, 1-95 mo). Overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival at 5 years was 80% and 90%, respectively. The mean OS was slightly better in the lobectomy group compared with those undergoing sublobar resection (86 vs 83 mo; P = .008). After adjusting for age, this finding was no longer present (P = .513). By using multivariate analysis, sublobar resection was noninferior to lobectomy with regard to disease-specific survival and OS (P < .05).

Conclusions: Compared with lobectomy, sublobar resection is associated with noninferior survival in patients with typical carcinoid of the lung.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Carcinoid Tumor / mortality
  • Carcinoid Tumor / pathology
  • Carcinoid Tumor / surgery*
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Odds Ratio
  • Pneumonectomy / methods*
  • Pneumonectomy / mortality
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Retrospective Studies
  • SEER Program
  • United States