ABSTRACT

Traditionally, primary tumors of the lung are divided into two categories: small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), which represent about 20" and 80" of clinically identified lung tumors, respectively. Similar to other NSCLC, large cell carcinoma (LCC) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) likely evolve from a common pluripotent progenitor cell capable of multidirectional differentiation. LCC and LCNEC are peripheral tumors that show similar clinical symptoms to other NSCLC. LCNEC has a poorer prognosis than LCC as it is often Stage III-IV at diagnosis and is more aggressive than LCC. Treatment options for LCC and LCNEC consist of surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Chemotherapy may be administered postoperatively, in conjunction with radiotherapy, or alone for LCC and LCNEC. Targeted therapy may be considered for attacking lung cancer specifically, with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy.