Synchronous Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma and Carcinoid Tumor Diagnosed via a Single-Session Robotic Bronchoscopy: A Case...

Synchronous multiple primary lung cancers (SMPLCs) are uncommon, particularly when they consist of histologically distinct tumors, such as adenocarcinoma and carcinoid. Differentiating SMPLCs from intrapulmonary metastases is critical because treatment approaches and prognostic implications vary substantially. We describe the case of an 82-year-old woman who was found to have both pulmonary adenocarcinoma and a typical carcinoid tumor in separate lobes, diagnosed during a single robotic-assisted bronchoscopy session. This case underscores the importance of considering SMPLCs in patients with multifocal pulmonary lesions, highlights the diagnostic utility of advanced bronchoscopic platforms that enable sampling of multiple sites in a single procedure, and points to emerging molecular evidence suggesting that adenocarcinoma and carcinoid tumors may share a common progenitor cell origin.