Determining Prognosis in Patients With Carcinoid Syndrome: A Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Endocrinology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Carcinoid syndrome (CS) is the most common hormonal syndrome associated with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and leads to reduced survival.
• The specific contribution of NET-related deaths in CS patients remains unclear.
• Understanding mortality causes is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate overall survival (OS) in patients with CS.
• To identify prognostic factors influencing survival in CS.
• To determine the primary causes of death in CS patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of CS patients treated between 1995 and 2021.
• Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests for survival analysis.
• Cox proportional hazards model to identify mortality predictors.

Main Results:

• Over 90% of deaths in CS patients were NET-specific.
• Median OS was 7.1 years; 5-year and 10-year survival rates were 65.1% and 34.1%, respectively.
• Independent predictors of mortality included age, WHO tumor grade 2, elevated plasma chromogranin A (CgA) levels, and primary lung NET.

Conclusions:

• CS patients have a high likelihood of succumbing to their NET.
• Age, tumor grade, primary lung NET, and CgA levels are significant independent predictors of mortality.
• Urgent development of advanced therapeutic strategies for CS is necessary.