Outcomes of Curative-Intent Surgery and Adjuvant Treatment for Pulmonary Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

Background Pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is pathologically classified as non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its clinical behavior is more aggressive than other types of NSCLC. Accordingly, the optimal treatment strategy for LCNEC, including the indication of adjuvant treatment, remains controversial. Methods A retrospective review of 139 patients who underwent curative-intent surgery for LCNEC was performed to investigate clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes and to evaluate whether adjuvant treatment affected survival outcomes. Results The mean patient age was 64 years (126 men, 90.6%). Operative procedures included 111 lobectomies (79.8%), 12 pneumonectomies (8.6%), and 2 sublobar resections. Pathologic stage was IA in 31 (22%), IB in 36 (26%), IIA in 34 (24%), IIB in 9 (6%), IIIA in 19 (14%), IIIB in 2 (1.4%), and IV in 4 patients (2.9%). Postoperatively, 50 patients (36%) received adjuvant treatment. The median follow-up duration was 33 months. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 53%, and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 39%. In patients with pathologic stage I, there was no significant difference in either OS or DFS according to the addition of adjuvant treatment. However, in patients with pathologic stage II or higher, patients who underwent adjuvant treatment showed significantly better OS (p = 0.023) and DFS (p = 0.038). Conclusions Our findings showed that patients who underwent curative-intent surgery for LCNEC benefitted from the use of adjuvant treatment especially in pathologic stage II or higher.