Bronchial Carcinoids and Carcinomas

Abstract

While lung cancer constitutes the most frequent cause of cancer deaths in adults, often in the context of tobacco abuse, the lungs rarely give rise to malignant tumors during childhood and adolescence. If they do, lung tumors may present with embryonal structures resembling immature stages of pulmonary development (pleuropulmonary blastoma). These often develop in the context of genetic predisposition. Other tumors may present with organ-specific bronchial or neuroendocrine differentiation (bronchial neuroendocrine tumors), while classic adeno-, squamous cell, or small cell carcinomas are exceedingly rare. In this chapter, the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for bronchial neuroendocrine tumors (syn. carcinoids) as well as bronchial carcinomas, most often presenting as mucoepidermoid carcinoma, are outlined.