Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Pulmonary carcinoid (PC) tumors represent approximately 25% of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and about 2% of all lung cancers. Despite the relative prevalence of PCs compared to all NETs, there is only one FDA indicated therapy (everolimus). Since regulatory approvals stem from publications that are often initially presented at scientific meetings, we sought to determine the frequency of presentations including PCs at two major international NET and lung cancer meetings.

Methods: The North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) annual meeting and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) were identified as high impact scientific meetings and used as the data repository for the analysis. NANETS (2010-2021) and WCLC (2013-2021) were searched for abstracts pertaining to PCs. Abstracts were divided into the following categories: preclinical, clinical trial, clinical landscape (institutional reviews, case series, database-analyses, guidelines or similar), or trials in progress. We also recorded whether PC was included or the primary focus of the abstract. WCLC was also searched for trials related to ROS-1 positive lung cancer which represents approximately 2% of all lung cancers.

Results: A total of 18,671 abstracts were presented at both meetings and included 252 PC (1.3%). NANETS had 958 abstracts identified with 165 (17.2%) including PCs. WCLC had 17,713 abstracts with 87 (0.5%) including PCs. There were 136 (0.77%) abstracts including ROS-1 positive lung cancers at WCLC. Of abstracts which included PC, preclinical studies comprised 29 (18%) and 15 (17%) at NANETS and WCLC, respectively. Of abstracts which included PC, clinical landscape studies made up 77 (47%) at NANETS and 68 (78%) at WCLC, respectively. The total number of clinical trials/trials in progress that included PCs was 47/12 at NANETS and 3/1 at WCLC. The total number of primary PC clinical trials was 6 (3 NANETS/3 WCLC).

Conclusion: PC abstracts were underrepresented in proportion to the incidence of PC at both NANETS and WCLC. However, PC studies more likely to be presented at NANETS (20% vs 0.5%). Most abstracts that included PCs were not primarily PC-focused. The number of primary PC clinical trials were low at each meeting. ROS-1 lung cancer abstracts were better represented at WCLC compared to PC abstracts; this may account for the higher number of approved treatments for ROS-1 positive lung cancer despite similar incidence to PCs. PC patients would benefit from dedicated clinical trials to increase treatment options.

Abstract ID 21462