Search

Byline: Koichi Kobayashi, Masafumi Kawamura, Tsuneo Ishihara Abstract: Objective: The role of surgery in the treatment of patients with pulmonary and hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer has not been delineated. Methods: Of the 351 patients enrolled in the Metastatic Lung Tumor Study Group of Japan between June 1988 and June 1996 who underwent thoracotomy for pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer, 47 also underwent hepatic resection for metastatic tumors. The records of these patients were studied. Results: The 47 patients who underwent pulmonary and hepatic resection had a 3-year survival of 36% [+ or -] 8%, a 5-year survival of 31% [+ or -] 8%, and an 8-year survival of 23% [+ or -] 9%. The longest survival was 98 months. This patient was alive without recurrence. There was a significant difference in the cumulative survival of the patients with a solitary pulmonary metastasis and the patients with multiple pulmonary metastases (P = .04). Neither age, sex, location of the primary tumor, maximum diameter of the pulmonary metastases, method of pulmonary resection, number of hepatic metastases, nor method of hepatic resection was correlated with survival. However, 9 of 10 patients who survived 3 years or more after the initial thoracotomy had only one or two hepatic metastases. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of a solitary pulmonary metastasis concurrent with or after resection of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer may be appropriate if the hepatic metastases are resectable for cure. Patients with a solitary pulmonary metastasis and a small number of hepatic metastases are good candidates for resection. Long-term survival can be expected. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;118:1090-6) Author Affiliation: Metastatic Lung Tumor Study Group of Japan, Tokyo, Japan Article History: Received 25 January 1999; Revised 4 May 1999; Revised 19 July 1999; Accepted 11 August 1999 Article Note: (footnote) [star] Address for reprints: Koichi Kobayashi, MD, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582 Japan (E-mail: kawamura@med.keio.ac.jp )., [star][star] 0022-5223/99 $8.00 + 0 12/1/102481

In 3 cases in which lung cancer had occurred in the right upper lobe bronchus and had infiltrated the carina, the right upper lobe (including the lower part of the trachea, the carina, and the right main bronchus) was resected, and a new carina was created by anastomosing the trachea with the left main bronchus and the right intermediate trunk. Surgical techniques and the method for anesthesia were described in these 3 cases. To evaluate the function of the reconstructed trachea and bronchus, we made cinebronchograms at the high speed of 100 or 150 frames per second. This bronchographic movie film helped us to determine the state of the reconstructed trachea and bronchus.

Operative methods, in relation to the completeness of resection and surgical results, and postoperative complications, in relation to operative methods, were discussed in 60 patients with advanced thyroid carcinoma in whom tumor invading the trachea was resected along with thyroid carcinoma. Laryngotracheal anastomosis was performed in 41 patients and tracheotracheal anastomosis in 19 patients. Complete resection was performed in 22 patients in the former group and in 12 patients in the latter group. Three-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates in patients undergoing complete resection were 87.0%, 78.1%, and 78.1%, respectively. Those for patients undergoing incomplete resection were 64.9%, 43.7%, and 24.3%, respectively. The locations of remaining tumor were the tracheal stump in patients in whom resection was incomplete. In four patients with esophageal invasion, the muscular layer of the esophagus was resected. Three of these patients had good postoperative results. Postoperative complications consisted of stenosis at the anastomosis in two patients, temporary mis-swallowing in three patients, temporary lower pharyngeal stenosis in one patient, temporary vocal cord edema in one patient, and tetany in two patients.

This paper presents the unusual case of a patient with a histologically benign giant cell tumor of the femur that resulted in bilateral multiple pulmonary metastases having the appearance of benign giant cell tumor. An aggressive surgical approach was used to eradicate the pulmonary metastases; 25 nodules excised from the left lung and 33 nodules from the right lung were proved histologically to be benign giant cell tumors. Three years after bilateral thoracotomies, he remains well, without evidence of recurrent disease, and his lung function is almost normal.

Delayed hypersensitivity reactions before therapy in 137 patients with lung cancer and in 50 patients with benign thoracic lesions were evaluated by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) contact sensitization using the patch test. Ninety-eight percent (49/50)* of control patients and 46 percent (62/137)* of patients with lung cancer were sensitized by 250 μg of DNCB.* There was an excellent correlation between the initial reactivity to DNCB and resectability. In patients with resectable lung cancer, preoperative DNCB reactivity has no prognostic value. However, an excellent correlation was found between postoperative reactivity and 2 year survival, i.e., conversion from unresponsive to responsive status was observed on sequential testing. In 15 of 74 patients with resectable disease, the conversion was noted postoperatively, and among 12 patients followed for 2 years, only two patients had died. Conversion from a reactive to nonreactive status to DNCB occurred only in the terminal stage of the disease. From these observations, we found that, in order to evaluate the afferent limb of cellular immunity in patients with lung cancer who have once expressed reactivity to DNCB, one must use some new sensitizing agents which show no cross-sensitivity with each other thereafter.

Thirty-six patients underwent tracheobronchoplastic procedures for treatment of tuberculous tracheobronchial stenosis. The modes of operations were left upper sleeve lobectomy in 13 patients, sleeve resection of the left main bronchus in 12 patients (two underwent concomitant left upper lobectomy), right upper sleeve lobectomy in five patients, sleeve resection of the right intermediate bronchus in two patients, right sleeve superior segmentectomy of the lower lobe in one patient, sleeve resection of the trachea with concomitant left pneumonectomy in one patient, carinal resection with right upper sleeve lobectomy and middle lobectomy in one patient, and dilatation of the left main bronchus with a free skin graft reinforced with a steel wire in one patient. One patient died of pulmonary edema of unknown cause on the first postoperative day. Anastomotic stenosis occurred in seven patients. One of these patients underwent reoperation and six underwent endoscopic dilatation. One patient died in the hospital of massive bleeding during endoscopic dilatation 4 months after operation. Slight to moderate stenosis resulted in the remaining patients. Although there are some complications, we believe bronchoplastic operation is worthwhile for restoring pulmonary function in patients with tuberculous tracheobronchial stenosis. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg1993;106:1118-21)

The effect of bronchial circulation on wound healing at the site of anastomosis after right upper sleeve lobectomy was studied in dogs. In two dogs (Group I), the bronchial arteries were carefully preserved during the sleeve lobectomy. In 16 dogs (Group II), only sleeve lobectomy was performed after all bronchial arteries in the hilum were ligated. In three dogs (Group III), the site of anastomosis was wrapped by a Penrose drain after sleeve lobectomy. In three other dogs (Group IV), the site of anastomosis was wrapped with a free pleural flap after sleeve lobectomy. In another group of 11 dogs (Group V), the anastomotic site was wrapped with a pedicled pleural flap. The dogs in Group I were put to death immediately and bronchial arterial circulation was recognized to consist primarily of systemic arterial blood. In Group II dogs, bronchial arteries distal to the anastomosis filled with pulmonary arterial blood immediately after the sleeve lobectomy. Although the majority of bronchial arteries became filled with systemic arterial blood with time, some vessels were filled with pulmonary arterial blood even 7 days after the sleeve lobectomy. In Group III dogs, wound healing at the site of anastomosis was severely delayed, and 7 days after the sleeve lobectomy the majority of bronchial arteries in the bronchial wall distal to the anastomosis were filled with pulmonary arterial blood. In Group IV dogs, the state of wound healing at the bronchial anastomotic site was similar to that of Group III dogs. In Group V, although the state of wound healing at the anastomosis was relatively good in most of the animals, the pedicled pleural wrap did not significantly improve bronchial circulation over that of Group II.

Twelve cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the trachea and main-stem bronchus were histologically analyzed, and the results were examined with reference to the growth pattern of the tumor and the prognosis. The tumors were histologically classified into tubular, cribriform, and solid subtypes. Three histologic grades were established: grade I, tumors with tubular and cribriform subtypes but without solid subtype; grade II, tumors with tubular and cribriform subtypes in which the solid subtype comprised less than 20% of the area; grade III, tumors in which the solid subtype comprised more than 20% of the area. Three gross infiltrating types were established: type I, entirely intraluminal; type II, predominantly intraluminal; type III, predominantly extraluminal. In most cases histologic grade correlated with gross tumor type; that is, grades, I, II, and III were grossly types I, II, and III, respectively. The tumors infiltrating along the tracheobronchial wall were of the tubular or cribriform subtype, but not of the solid subtype. In two patients who died of distant metastasis, the histologic studies revealed the solid subtype. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the tubular subtype was the most differentiated form and the solid subtype, the most undifferentiated form. The histologic subtype of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the tracheobronchial tree was an important factor in the growth pattern of the tumor and the prognosis.