Comparison of chemotherapeutic efficacy between LCNEC diagnosed using large specimens and possible LCNEC diagnosed using small biopsy specimens

Background It is often difficult to diagnose large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (LCNEC) of the lung using small biopsy specimens. Some recent studies attempted to diagnose LCNEC using biopsy specimens; in 2011, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer pathological panels suggested possible LCNEC as a diagnosis for LCNEC by using biopsy specimens. Here, we compared the chemotherapeutic efficacy in possible LCNEC and LCNEC diagnosed using surgically resected specimens.