Surgical management of pulmonary carcinoid tumors: sublobar resection versus lobectomy

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.