Carcinoid tumors outside the abdomen

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Endocrinology
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are malignancies originating from various tissues.
• Bronchial and thymic carcinoid tumors are specific types of NETs, with bronchial carcinoids comprising 25% of all NETs and thymic carcinoids being rare thymic tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of bronchial and thymic carcinoid tumors.
• To highlight current therapeutic strategies and ongoing clinical trials for these rare NETs.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on extra-abdominal carcinoid tumors, specifically bronchial and thymic types.
• Discussion of histological classification, clinical presentation, and current treatment modalities.

Main Results:

• Bronchial and thymic carcinoid tumors are classified as typical or atypical based on mitotic rate.
• Symptoms may include obstruction and carcinoid syndrome.
• Surgical resection is the gold standard; systemic therapies include somatostatin analogs, peptide receptor radioligand therapy, everolimus, and chemotherapy.

Conclusions:

• Prognosis is influenced by histologic grade, disease extent, and metastasis.
• Current management involves a combination of surgery and systemic therapies.
• Ongoing trials are investigating novel agents like immune checkpoint inhibitors and multi-kinase inhibitors.