Comprise 1-2% of all lung malignancies.
Classified as typical and atypical according to histology.
WHO classifies lung and thymic neuroendocrine tumors into 4 major groups: typical carcinoid, atypical carcinoid, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell carcinoma.
Up uo 30% of pulmonary carcinoid tumors may present as solid pulmonary nodules
Rarely metastasizes and has a 5-year survival rate ranging from 87-100%.
Surgical resection is only curative option at this time.
Patients with thoracic lymph nodes metastases do well after surgical resection.
About 90% are well differentiated with rare mitoses, pleomorhphism, and necrosis.
Approximately 15% of cases metastasize.
Survival for atypical carcinoid lesions 56% and 35% at 5 and 10 years, respectively.
Primary thymic carcinoids represent about 5% of mediastinal tumors and act aggressively in 80% of cases.
When involves the mediastinum may be associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN).