Objective: This review aimed to critically analyse data pertaining to the clinical presentation and treatment of neuroendocrine carcinomas of the larynx.
Method: A PubMed search was performed using the term 'neuroendocrine carcinoma'. English-language articles on neuroendocrine carcinoma of the larynx were reviewed in detail.Results and conclusionWhile many historical classifications have been proposed, in contemporary practice these tumours are sub-classified into four subtypes: carcinoid, atypical carcinoid, small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. These tumours exhibit a wide range of biological behaviour, ranging from the extremely aggressive nature of small and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, which usually have a fatal prognosis, to the less aggressive course of carcinoid tumours. In small and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, a combination of irradiation and chemotherapy is indicated, while carcinoid and atypical carcinoid tumour management entails conservation surgery.
Keywords: Carcinoid Tumors; Laryngeal Cancer; Larynx; Neuroendocrine Carcinoma; Neuroendocrine Tumors.