Recent advances in the management of typical and atypical lung carcinoids

Abstract Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung represent about 20-30% of all neuroendocrine tumors. Based on clinical and pathological characteristics, two different categories of tumors may be defined: poorly differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms, characterized by a high rate of recurrences and poor prognosis and well differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms (typical carcinoids and atypical carcinoids) which generally display an indolent course. Lung carcinoids represent only 1–5% of all lung malignancies, but their incidence has significantly increased over the past 30 years. Surgery is the gold standard of treatment for lung carcinoids with loco-regional disease. For advanced or unresectable lung carcinoids several therapeutic options are available, but the choice should be shared within a multidisciplinary team to ensure optimal therapeutic outcomes. In this review we will describe the current management of these rare neoplasms.