Carcinoid tumors of the lung: Immuno- and ligandohistochemistry, analysis of integrated optical density, syntactic structure analysis, clinical data, and prognosis of patients treated surgically

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Analysis of potentially prognostic relevant factors of carcinoid tumors of the lung. METHODS: Clinical features, tumor size, and features derived from immuno- and ligandohistochemistry, cytometry and histometry, and survival have been analyzed in 82 potentially curatively resected carcinoid tumors of the lung. RESULTS: Patients with typical carcinoid tumors had a longer history of symptoms (13 vs. 8 months), fewer smoked (30% vs. 80%), and developed less frequently lymph node metastases (20% vs. 65%) compared to patients with atypical carcinoids. Statistically significant differences between both cell types have been observed in cytometric and histometric features, and binding of Lewis A trisaccharide (Lea). Prognosis is associated with the cell type, presence of lymph node metastases and heparin-binding lectin (HBL), certain cytometric and structural features, and binding of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and beta-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (beta-GalNAc). CONCLUSIONS: Complete lymph node dissection is necessary, data of cytometry, histometry, and ligandohistochemistry might eventually predict the course of the disease.