Search

Histological subdivision into typical (TC) and atypical (AC) is crucial for treatment and prognosis of lung carcinoids but can be also very challenging, even for experts. In this study, we aimed to strengthen or reduce the prognostic value of several pathological, clinical, or per-operative factors some of which are still controversial. We retrospectively reviewed clinical records related to 195 patients affected by TC (159) or AC (36) surgically treated between 2000 and 2014, in three different centers. Survival and subtypes comparison analyses were performed to identify potential prognostic factors. TCs showed a lower rate of nodal involvement than ACs (N0 = 94.9%; N1 = 1.9%; N2 = 3.2% in typical and N0 = 63.8%; N1 = 16.6%; N2 = 19.4% in atypical carcinoids, respectively, p

Aim To explore the feasibility and activity of a histology-based induction combination chemotherapy for elderly patients with clinical stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and methods Patients aged ≥70 years with stage IIIA and IIIB lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or adenocarcinoma were treated with three cycles of carboplatin and gemcitabine or pemetrexed, respectively, followed by definitive radiotherapy or surgery. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR) following induction. Results Twenty-seven patients, with a median age of 74 years (range=70-80 years) were treated for adenocarcinoma in 14 (52%) and SCC in 13 (48%), clinical stage IIIA in eight (30%) and IIIB in 19 (70%). Grade 3 or 4 toxicity was reported for five patients (18.5%). The ORR was 46% in 12 (partial responses) out of 26 assessable patients. Conclusion Histology-based induction combination chemotherapy is active and feasible in elderly patients with stage III NSCLC.

Although surgery in selected small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients has been proposed as a part of multimodality therapy, so far, the prognostic impact of node-spreading pattern has not been fully elucidated. To investigate this issue, a retrospective analysis was performed. From 01/1996 to 12/2012, clinico-pathological, surgical, and oncological features were retrospectively reviewed in a multicentric cohort of 154 surgically treated SCLC patients. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was developed using stepwise regression, in order to identify independent outcome predictors. Overall (OS), cancer-specific (CSS), and Relapse-free survival (RFS) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. Overall, median OS, CSS, and RFS were 29 (95 % CI 18–39), 48 (95 % CI 19–78), and 22 (95 % CI 17–27) months, respectively. Lymphadenectomy was performed in 140 (90.9 %) patients (median number of harvested nodes: 11.5). Sixty-seven (47.9 %) pN0-cases experienced the best long-term survival (CSS: 71, RFS: 62 months; p

Objective: To assess the predictive and prognostic value of progressive metabolic disease (PMD) by the use of early 18Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG-PET) in patients with clinical stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with first-line chemotherapy. Methods: An 18FDG-PET performed following the first cycle of chemotherapy (PET-1) was compared with a pretreatment 18FDG-PET (PET-0) and a computed tomography (CT) scan after the third cycle (CT-3). The primary endpoint was the positive predictive value (PPV) of PMD. Secondary endpoints included the prognostic value of PMD. Results: Eleven of 38 patients (29%) had a PMD by PET-1, and 15 (39%), including all patients with a PMD, experienced a progressive disease by CT-3. The PPV of PMD was 100% according to both the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria and the PET Response Criteria In Solid Tumors (PERCIST) (p value for both, Conclusions: Early 18FDG-PET assessment deserves further investigation for the identification of NSCLC patients who do not benefit from first-line chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present paper was to conduct a comparative analysis of outcomes after thoracoscopic resection versus standard thoracotomy approach in the treatment of Pancoast tumours. METHODS: All consecutive patients with Pancoast tumours undergoing surgical treatment from March 2000 to November 2012 were enrolled. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether a thoracoscopic or standard thoracotomy approach was adopted. In addition to morbidity and mortality, (i) intensity of pain; (ii) respiratory function focusing on the postoperative value and its variation with respect to the predicted value (Delta); (iii) analgesic consumption at different times during the postoperative course; and (iiii) survival rate were recorded in both groups and the inter-group differences were statistically compared. RESULTS: Of the 45 enrolled patients, 34 (75%) were included in the final analysis (18 in the thoracoscopic group and 16 in the standard group). Eleven (25%) patients were excluded because they (i) were unfit for surgery after induction therapy (n = 4); (ii) refused the operation (n = 1) or (iii) had unexpected pleural involvement (n = 6). Compared with the standard group, in the thoracoscopic group we observed less pain (P = 0.01), better recovery of forced vital capacity (P = 0.01) and forced expiratory value in 1 s (P < 0.001), and a reduction in opioid (P = 0.01) and analgesic consumption (P = 0.02). The median survival for all patients was 15 months. Patients with N0/N1 disease had better median survival than N2 patients (47 vs 9 months; P = 0.009). One local recurrence in the standard group was observed 1 year after operation, whereas 2 local recurrences, 1 in the thoracoscopic group and another in the standard group, were registered 2 years after the operation (P = 1.0). Finally, 4 (22%) extrathoracic metastases in the thoracoscopic group and 5 (31%) in the standard group (P = 0.8) were found over the 2 years following the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: In the management of Pancoast tumours, a thoracoscopic approach is safe and may be an effective adjunct to standard surgical resection in selected cases. Such an approach enabled surgeons to explore the pleural cavity and avoid exploratory thoracotomy in cases of unexpected pleural involvement. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Background . Surgery for pleuropulmonary aspergilloma is reputed to be risky. We reviewed our results, focusing attention on the postoperative complications. Methods . During a 20-year period, 87 patients were operated on for pulmonary (86) or pleural (3) aspergillomas. Seventy-two percent of patients were complaining of hemoptysis. Eighty-nine resections were performed because there were two bilateral cases. Seventy percent of aspergillomas had developed in cavitation sequelaes from tuberculosis disease. Thirty-four patients had severe respiratory insufficiency that allowed us to perform only lobectomy (18), segmentectomy (2), or cavernostomy (14). Results . Thirty-seven lobectomies (five with associated segmentectomies), two bilobectomies, 21 segmentectomies, 10 pneumonectomies, and 17 cavernostomies were performed. Total blood loss exceeded 1,500 mL in 14 cases, and 71% of patients required blood transfusion. There were five postoperative deaths (5.7%), related to respiratory failure (2), infectious complication (1), pulmonary embolus (1), and cardiorythmic disorder (1). Incomplete reexpansions were frequently seen in patients undergoing lobectomies or segmentectomies. No death or major complications occurred in asymptomatic patients. During follow-up, none of the patients had recurrent hemoptysis. Conclusions . Surgical resection of aspergilloma is effective in preventing recurrence of hemoptysis. It has low risk in asymptomatic patients and in the absence of underlying pulmonary disease. Incomplete reexpansion is frequent after lobectomy and segmentectomy, especially when there is underlying lung disease. Cavernostomy is an effective treatment in high-risk patients. Long-term prognosis is mainly dependent on the general condition of patients.

Clinical recurrence in the absence of biochemical PSA failure is uncommon and accounts for less than 1%; we report a rare case of solitary lung metastasis in a patient with undetectable PSA level (0.1 ng/mL) after radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer (PCa). An asymptomatic 75-year-old man nine years after RP showed a solitary lung mass (about 2 cm) at chest radiography; the 18-FDG-PET/CT confirmed the presence of an isolated mass suspicious for primitive pulmonary cancer. The initial histological specimen after RP showed a mixed acinar and ductal PCa (Gleason score 7, pT3aNO stage, negative surgical margins). A segmental pulmonary resection was performed and definitive specimen demonstrated a single ductal PCa metastasis; after six months from surgery the patient was free from recurrence. In conclusion, in patients with atypical PCa variants imaging studies may be considered in the follow up even in presence of undetectable PSA because they could benefit from early salvage therapy.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a three-drug chemotherapy regimen including gemcitabine, carboplatin, and paclitaxel as induction therapy in clinical stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients aged 18-75 years, ECOG PS 0-1, with unresectable clinical stage IIIA or IIIB NSCLC suitable for definitive radiation treatment, were treated in a phase II study with i.v. carboplatin AUC 5 and i.v., paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) on day 1, and i.v. gemcitabine 800 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8, every 3 weeks for 3 cycles, as previously assessed in a dose-finding study. Primary end point was overall response rate (ORR). Secondary end points included: toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS), resection rate, and overall survival (OS). Out of the 60 enrolled patients, 49 were males and 11 females, 31 patients had stage IIIA and 29 stage IIIB NSCLC. Forty-four partial responses and one complete response were observed, for an ORR of 75 %. The most frequent G3-G4 toxicity included: neutropenia (in 23 % of cases), hypertransaminasemia (12 %), and diarrhea (5 %). With a median follow-up of 15 months (range 2-72), median PFS was 10.5 months (95 % CI 9.9-11.4) and median OS was 21.1 months (95 % CI 19.7-22.8). Fourteen stage IIIA patients underwent surgery, for a resection rate of 45 %. A median PFS of 17.8 months (95 % CI 16.2-19.7) and a median OS of 25.5 months (95 % CI 23.0-28.4) were observed in stage IIIA patients. The three-drug chemotherapy regimen, at the employed dose, demonstrated a considerable disease response and resection rate, with acceptable toxicity.

Lasthenie de Ferjol syndrome is a very rare psychiatric illness that occurs mainly in women. It is characterized by severe recurrent iron-deficiency anemia caused be repeated episodes self-induced blood-letting. We report the case of a young homosexual male repeatedly admitted to various hospitals for severe hypochromic anemia. We discovered that the anemia was indeed due to psychotic self-provoked hemorrhages. Based on this experience and a review of the few cases reported in the literature, we discuss issues of early diagnosis, management and treatment of Lasthenie de Ferjol patients.