[Tracheobronchial carcinoids: current therapeutic trends].

Tracheobronchial carcinoids are relatively uncommon neoplasms potentially curable with surgery. However, the extent of excision which results in the best long term local and distant tumour control is still controversial. A series of 522 patients who underwent surgical treatment for tracheobronchial carcinoids reported by the literature which included 52 cases of tracheobronchial neuroendocrine tumours observed between 1960 and december 1983 at the Institute of I Clinica Chirurgica of Università "La Sapienza" Rome was reviewed. Local recurrence rate range between 1% and 1.8% after major surgery and between 11.8% and 16.7%, after bronchial wall resection and endoscopic treatment respectively. Local recurrences were detected after a mean period of 110.2 month (median = 9 years). 15 years survival rate was above 70%. Long term prognosis was related to the degree of malignancy (typical or atypical forms) and locoregional (N) and distant metastases (M). Factors related to the possibility to obtain free margins by the surgical procedure (pneumonectomy/lobectomy or sleeve resections vs simple bronchial wall resection or endoscopic resection), the degree of bronchial wall involvement (endobronchial, iceberg, peripheral), the biology of primary tumour (atypical vs typical) and the presence of regional and/or distant metastases are of prognostic importance for both local and distant tumour control. The Authors describe their strategy for managing this disease: endoscopic treatment or simple bronchial wall resection are available for endobronchial typical carcinoid tumours. Atypical carcinoid neoplasms or tumours involving bronchial wall or peripheral lung parenchyma need more extended resection and lymphadenectomy.