Bronchial Carcinoid (Lung Neuroendocrine Tumor), from the CureRays guide library.

Bronchial carcinoids are slow-growing neuroendocrine tumors of the lung airways; most are cured by surgery, and when they spread there is a targeted 'radiation from within' treatment (PRRT) that homes in on the tumor cells.

What it is.

Bronchial carcinoids are a type of lung tumor that arises from neuroendocrine cells lining the airways — hormone-sensing cells scattered through the bronchial walls. They are very different from common lung cancers: they grow slowly, are usually not linked to smoking, and often appear in younger adults. Because a carcinoid tends to sit in an airway, the first sign is frequently a cough, wheezing, repeated pneumonia in the same spot, or coughing up blood. A minority release hormones that cause flushing or other 'carcinoid syndrome' symptoms. Doctors divide them into typical carcinoids (low-grade, the great majority, excellent outlook) and atypical carcinoids (intermediate-grade, somewhat more likely to spread). Surgery to remove the tumor — ideally while sparing as much healthy lung as possible — cures most patients. For tumors that have spread, a powerful tool is peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), which uses a radioactive molecule that attaches to the tumor's somatostatin receptors and irradiates it from the inside.

How radiation treats it.

Radiation damages the DNA inside tumor cells so they can no longer divide. Bronchial carcinoids offer a unique advantage: their cells carry receptors that grab a specific molecule, so doctors can attach a radioactive atom to that molecule and inject it. The treatment — called PRRT — circulates through the body, sticks to carcinoid cells wherever they hide, and delivers its radiation from point-blank range while largely sparing normal tissue. When ordinary external radiation is needed instead, modern image-guided beams shape the dose tightly around a lung tumor or a painful spot of spread. All of these are painless and, in the case of PRRT, any radioactivity clears from the body over a few days.

The ways we can treat it.

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). A radioactive form of lutetium is attached to a molecule that locks onto the tumor's somatostatin receptors. Given through a vein, it travels to the carcinoid cells wherever they are and irradiates them from the inside, sparing most healthy tissue.

DOTATATE PET imaging. A scan using the same receptor-seeking molecule lights up carcinoid cells throughout the body. It both finds hidden spread and shows whether a tumor will respond to PRRT.

External-beam radiation (SBRT/IMRT). Precisely shaped or stereotactic x-ray beams treat a lung tumor in someone who can't have surgery, or a painful area of spread, over a few focused painless sessions.

Questions we hear often.

Is a bronchial carcinoid the same as lung cancer? It's a type of lung tumor, but it behaves very differently from common lung cancers. Carcinoids are neuroendocrine tumors that usually grow slowly, are not caused by smoking, and have a much better outlook — most are cured with surgery.

What is PRRT and will I be radioactive? PRRT is a treatment that attaches radiation to a molecule which homes in on your tumor's receptors, irradiating the cancer from the inside. You'll carry a small amount of radioactivity for a few days, so your team gives simple precautions, but it clears on its own.

What's the difference between typical and atypical carcinoid? Typical carcinoids — the great majority — grow slowly and rarely spread, with an excellent outlook. Atypical carcinoids divide faster and are more likely to reach lymph nodes or other organs, so they're treated and followed more closely.

This guide is informational only. It is not medical advice — please confirm anything here with your care team.