Pulmonary carcinoid tumors consisting of typical carcinoid tumors (TC) and atypical carcinoid tumors (AC) are rare, accounting for 2–5% of all lung tumors. TC is considered a low-grade tumor with a rate of distant metastasis up to 12%. In contrast, ACs are more aggressive tumors, displaying a metastatic rate up to 70%. Surgery is the treatment of choice; however, the current treatment outcomes of metastatic lung carcinoids are discouraging. This study aimed to investigate the EGFR mutation using the PNA-mediated clamping method and to provide basic data for using EGFR-TK1 and its clinical implications.

A total of 14 cases that underwent surgery were diagnosed as carcinoid tumors and pathologically classified as TC and AC. The paraffin-embedded tissues were analyzed for EGFR mutations using the PNA-mediated PCR clamping technique. The mutant type was noted in the cases with a^△Ct greater than 2.0.

Of 14 cases, eight were AC and six cases were TC. No known EGFR mutation was detected with a^△Ct less than 2.0.

The EGFR genotype determined using the PNA-mediated PCR clamping method was wild-type in all pulmonary carcinoid tumors. Therefore, the application of EGFR-TK1 is limited in pulmonary carcinoid tumors.