Pulmonary Metastases of Endocrine

Purpose: To determine the clinical course and outcome of patients undergoing pulmonary resection for metastatic endocrine tumors. Methods: Retrospective review of 47 patients with known endocrine tumors and pulmonary metastases who were evaluated for surgical resection between 1975 and 1996. Results: Tumors evaluated included the following: carcinoid (16), thyroid (12), pancreatic adenocar¬ cinoma (10), adrenocortical carcinoma (6), pheochromocytoma (2), and parathyroid (1). Thirty-three patients were asymptomatic. Hormone secretion was noted in five patients. Twenty-five patients, who had isolated lung metastases, good control ofthe primary tumor, and no medical contraindication had surgical resection. The number of pulmonary nodules was not a limiting factor as long as all disease could be resected with adequate residual pulmonary function. CT was successful in directing resection in all patients. Twenty-six operations were performed in 25 patients and 22 patients were treated medically. Wedge resection was performed for lesions <2 cm (15), and lobectomy for larger