Lung Carcinoid Tumor

Lung carcinoid tumors are rare cancerous masses in the lungs. The majority of lung carcinoid tumors are typical, which grow slowly and seldom spread outside the lungs. The rarer atypical lung carcinoid tumors grow more rapidly. Around 4,000 new cases of lung carcinoid tumors are diagnosed each year in the United States, and survival rates vary slightly depending on the tumor type and stage when it is discovered. Typical carcinoids have a five-year survival rate between 85 and 90%, and atypical carcinoids between 50 and 70%. Unlike other cancers of the lungs, the risk of developing lung carcinoid tumors is not associated with tobacco use. They are more common in women and in Caucasians. Lung carcinoid tumors are often asymptomatic, but when symptoms are present they may include: coughing, wheezing, bloody phlegm, bronchial infection, or shortness of breath. Lung carcinoid tumor treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of several of these.