J Cancer 2019; 10(18):4226-4236. doi:10.7150/jca.33367 This issue Cite

Research Paper

Comparative study of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma in high-grade neuroendocrine tumors of the lung: a large population-based study

Jian Wang*, Ling Ye*, Hui Cai, Meiling Jin

Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200030, China.
* Jian Wang and Ling Ye contributed equally to this article.

Citation:
Wang J, Ye L, Cai H, Jin M. Comparative study of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma in high-grade neuroendocrine tumors of the lung: a large population-based study. J Cancer 2019; 10(18):4226-4236. doi:10.7150/jca.33367. https://www.jcancer.org/v10p4226.htm
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Abstract

Background: In 2015, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) was removed from the large cell carcinoma group and classified with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) constituting two members of the high-grade neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the lung. However, the difference between high-grade LCNEC and SCLC in terms of clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis has not been fully understood owing to the rarity of LCNEC.

Patients and methods: Patients with high-grade LCNEC and SCLC at initial diagnosis between 2001 and 2014 were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program database. Clinicopathological characteristics between high-grade LCNEC and SCLC were compared using the Pearson's chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test. Differences in overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were compared using the log-rank test, Cox models and propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.

Results: A total of 1223 patients with high-grade LCNEC and 18182 patients with high-grade SCLC were enrolled. To the best of our knowledge, this study involved the largest number of high-grade LCNEC patients to date, with respect to a comparison between high-grade LCNEC and high-grade SCLC patients. There were significant differences in age, sex, race, laterality, SEER stage, nodal status, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, but not marital status, between high-grade LCNEC and SCLC patients. High-grade LCNEC patients had a better OS and CSS than high-grade SCLC patients. Subgroup analysis also confirmed the better prognosis of the high-grade LCNEC patients in the regional stage, distant stage and surgery subgroups. However, no significant difference in prognosis was observed between the two non-surgery subgroups, which was confirmed using PSM analysis. Furthermore, high-grade LCNEC patients showed different metastatic patterns to high-grade SCLC patients.

Conclusion: These results suggested that high-grade LCNEC and high-grade SCLC were different histological types, and that a detailed classification for high-grade NETs of the lung was needed.

Keywords: Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, small cell lung carcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors, high grade, lung


Citation styles

APA
Wang, J., Ye, L., Cai, H., Jin, M. (2019). Comparative study of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma in high-grade neuroendocrine tumors of the lung: a large population-based study. Journal of Cancer, 10(18), 4226-4236. https://doi.org/10.7150/jca.33367.

ACS
Wang, J.; Ye, L.; Cai, H.; Jin, M. Comparative study of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma in high-grade neuroendocrine tumors of the lung: a large population-based study. J. Cancer 2019, 10 (18), 4226-4236. DOI: 10.7150/jca.33367.

NLM
Wang J, Ye L, Cai H, Jin M. Comparative study of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma in high-grade neuroendocrine tumors of the lung: a large population-based study. J Cancer 2019; 10(18):4226-4236. doi:10.7150/jca.33367. https://www.jcancer.org/v10p4226.htm

CSE
Wang J, Ye L, Cai H, Jin M. 2019. Comparative study of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma in high-grade neuroendocrine tumors of the lung: a large population-based study. J Cancer. 10(18):4226-4236.

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