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Abstract
A series is presented comprising 23 patients with lung carcinoids treated during the period 1956-71.
Eighteen of the carcinoids showed invasive growth and six had metastases. The average history of the patients was 3 to 6 months. The diagnosis was established preoperatively in 13 cases. It should be stressed that a cytological examination in 18 patients revealed pathological cells in 7 of these.
The patients were treated according to the same principles followed in cases of malignant lung tumours.
Four patients died due to progression of the tumour, 2 from complicating diseases and 4 of postoperative complications. Fourteen patients are alive and have been followed-up. Two of them were submitted to a non-curative operation. One year after they show no clinical signs of tumour progression. Eleven patients were submitted to a curative operation 6 months to 15 years prior to the follow-up. None of them show any signs of recurrency. One patient refused operation.
The five-year survival rate was 56%, or 68% after exclusion of four immediate postoperative deaths.
It is concluded that lung carcinoids are potentially malignant tumours. Because of their slow growth rate and later development of metastases, extensive operations in cases of invasive tumours and re-operations in cases of recurrence may be carried out with good results. It is further concluded that cytological examinations have greater value than was hitherto assumed.