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Background and Aim: Lung cancer is one of the significant comorbidities seen in patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). However, there is limited data on non-IPF Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) patients with lung cancer (LC). The present study aims to compare the characteristics and survival outcomes of patients diagnosed with LC in IPF and non-IPF PF., Methods: The multicenter data records of IPF and non-IPF PF patients diagnosed with lung cancer between 2010- 2022 were analyzed in this descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective study., Results: Of the 251 patients involved in this study [164 IPF-LC, 87 non-IPF PF-LC], 89.6% were male, the mean age was 69±7.9 years and the smoking rate was 85.7%. Honeycomb pattern was more frequently observed in IPF-LC patients [62.8%,37.9%p<0.001], whereas ground-glass opacity [33.5%,59.8%p<0.001] and emphysema [37.8%,59.8%p<0.001] were more frequently seen in non-IPF PF-LC patients. The most commonly seen histological type was squamous cell carcinoma [42.7%,33.9%], followed by adenocarcinoma [28.2%; 32.2%]. [46.4%;47.2%] and their 5-year mortality rates were high [64.6%, 63.2%]. The median survival for both groups was 2±0.22 years [median 95% CI (1.55-2.44)]. The shortest survival time was observed in non-IPF PF-LC subgroup with unclassified PF [1±0.253 years median 95% CI (0.50-1.49) (p=0.030)]., Conclusions: The majority of IPF and non-IPF PF LC patients were male, elderly, and had a high smoking rate. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequently seen histological type and they had short survival periods and high mortality rates. The survival period of unclassified non-IPF PF-LC patients was found to be the shortest.

Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) have higher mortality rates from cancer than individuals without SMI. The aim of this paper is to highlight these disparities in cancer care in individuals with SMI and suggest potential solutions. We conducted a narrative review of published papers, focusing on mortality, incidence, behavioral and provider risk factors, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care among individuals with SMI and cancer. The literature does not provide a clear consensus on whether a difference in cancer incidence exists among individuals with SMI compared to the general population. However, it is evident that individuals with SMI have higher mortality from cancer. Factors such as increased cancer related risk behavior, mental health stigma, and difficulty accessing cancer care contribute to this mortality difference. The literature also indicates lower screening rates, delayed and improper diagnosis and treatment, as well as inadequate clinical trial enrollment in individuals with SMI. While the literature is inconclusive regarding disparities in palliative care, we outline key concepts to provide the best possible end of life care to this population. We also summarize strategies to address disparities at the screening, diagnostic, and treatment levels and describe general strategic approaches to improve cancer care in individuals with SMI. We highlight patient-related, physician-related, and healthcare/systems-related factors leading to disparities in cancer care in individuals with SMI. Future research must examine the effectiveness of proposed solutions to guide evidence-based practices., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The development of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) has been associated with improved survival outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, this association's extent across race and ethnicity remains uncertain. We evaluated the association between the development of irAEs and treatment outcomes across racially diverse groups treated at a safety net hospital., Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients with advanced NSCLC treated between 2015 and 2020. The incidence of irAEs across racial subgroups was compared using logistic regression analysis. Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between the development of irAEs and treatment outcomes., Results: We identified 138 NSCLC patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), of whom 50% identified as non-Hispanic Black (NHB). Incidence of irAEs was 28%, with no significant difference between NHB and other racial groups. However, females [OR 2.3, 95% CI, (1.1-4.8)] and patients with Medicaid or MassHealth insurance had a higher incidence of irAEs [OR 2.7 (1.2-5.7)]. Additionally, patients with irAEs had a lower risk of disease progression (multivariable HR 0.46, 95% CI, 0.23-0.92) compared to those without irAEs. The association between irAEs and improved progression free survival (PFS) in NHB patients was similar to the other racial group [median PFS 246 vs 181 days; HR 0.87 (0.58-1.29)]., Conclusion: We demonstrated a similar incidence of irAEs in NHB patients with NSCLC as compared to other racial groups. Patients who developed irAEs experienced significantly improved survival outcomes. This association remained independent of race and ethnicity, underscoring the importance of providing unbiased treatment recommendations., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Background: Disparities within clinical trial enrollment are well-documented, reducing the generalizability of results. Although nearly 30 years have passed since Congress passed the NIH Revitalization Act to encourage the participation of minoritized populations in clinical trials, these patients continue to be underrepresented. This study aimed to investigate lung cancer clinical trial enrollment disparities for race/ethnicity, sex, and age., Methods: We queried the National Institutes of Health: US National Library of Medicine database of clinical trials for all US-based lung cancer clinical trials completed between 2004 and 2021 and collected data on race and ethnicity, gender, and age breakdown. This data was compared to Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database data. Independent sample t-tests and Kruskal-Wallis's approach were used to analyze the data., Results: Of 311 eligible trials with exclusive US enrollment, 136 (44%) reported race and ethnicity breakdown for the patient cohort representing 9869 patients. Hispanic, Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native, Non-Hispanic Black, and Non-Hispanic Unreported participants were underrepresented (p = 0.001, p = 0.005, p = 0.014, p = 0.002, respectively). Non-Hispanic White participants were overrepresented (p = 0.018). Disparities worsened from 2017 to 2021 for Hispanic patients (p = 0.03). No significant differences were found for sex or age., Conclusions: Disparities for clinical lung cancer trial enrollment have not shown statistically significant improvement since 2004, and representation remains unequal, especially for racial and ethnic minorities., (© 2023. W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute.)

Background: Pulmonary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is an uncommon subtype of lung cancer believed to represent a spectrum of tumors sharing characteristics of both small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Other groups have proposed genomic LCNEC subtypes, including small cell-like, non-small cell-like, and carcinoid-like subtypes. The primary goal of this study was to better define the NSCLC-like subtype with comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP)., Methods: An institutional database was queried to identify tissue specimens (TBx, N = 1,426) and liquid biopsies (LBx, N = 39) submitted for CGP during routine clinical care (8/2014 - 7/2023) with a disease ontology of LCNEC. TBx were profiled with FoundationOne® (F1) or F1CDx, using hybrid-capture technology to detect genomic alterations (GAs)., Results: 1,426 LCNEC samples were genomically profiled. The presence of RB1 and TP53 genomic alterations (GAs) were used to define a SCLC-like subtype (n = 557). A carcinoid-like group was defined by the presence of MEN1 mutation in the absence of TP53 GAs (n = 25). The remaining 844 samples were compared to the SCLC-like group and GAs enriched relative to the SCLC-like samples with a false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.0001 were used to define a NSCLC-like group. These NSCLC-like subtype-defining GAs included SMARCA4, KRAS, FGF3/4/19, STK11, CDKN2A/B, MTAP, and CCND1. Under this schema, 530 samples were classified as NSCLC-like and 314 remained unclassified., Conclusions: Large-scale CGP can better characterize biologically distinct molecular subtypes in LCNEC. Further studies to define how these molecular subtypes may help inform treatment decisions in this complex and challenging malignancy are warranted., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the United States, less than 5% of all adult cancer patients enroll in clinical trials. Few studies explore participation in cancer clinical trials at safety net hospitals, which disproportionately care for minoritized, low-income, uninsured, and underinsured populations. Our study aims to investigate disparities in clinical trial discussions and enrollment among lung cancer patients at Boston Medical Center, the largest safety net hospital in New England., Methods: We included 1121 patients diagnosed with lung cancer between January 2015 and December 2020. Electronic Medical Records (EMR) were queried, and patients were categorized into three groups: (1) clinical trial discussed and the patient enrolled, (2) clinical trial discussed but the patient not enrolled, and (3) clinical trial not discussed. Sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, city, primary language, median household income, medical insurance type, and education level were also collected. Chi-squared, t test, and multivariate regression analysis was done using SPSS version 26.0., Results: Of the 1121 patients, clinical trials were discussed in 141 patients (12.6%), of which 22 (15.6%) were enrolled. Clinical trial discussions were conducted more with younger patients (68.19 vs 71.37, p = .001), but on multivariate analysis there was no significant difference (OR = 1.023; 95% CI 0.998-1.048; p = .068). There was no significant difference in clinical trial discussion or enrollment between the other sociodemographic factors., Conclusion: Additional study of barriers to cancer clinical trial discussion and enrollment at safety net institutions can serve as a prerequisite to ameliorating racial disparities observed on a national scale., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Dr Tapan has received an educational grant to the institution from Pfizer, Inc, served as an advisory board member for Sanofi/Genzyme/Regeneron, and as a speaker at Astra Zeneca-sponsored symposium and is currently serving as an outside consultant to Glaxo Smith Klein. Dr Dudipala, Dr Burns, Dr Jani, Dr Radwan, Dr Omari, Ms Patel, Ms Kilic, Ms Zhao, Dr Mak, and Dr Suzuki do not have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Background: Patients with thoracic malignancies who develop COVID-19 infection have a higher hospitalization rate compared to the general population and to those with other cancer types, but how this outcome differs by race and ethnicity is relatively understudied., Methods: The TERAVOLT database is an international, multi-center repository of cross-sectional and longitudinal data studying the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with thoracic malignancies. Patients from North America with thoracic malignancies and confirmed COVID-19 infection were included for this analysis of racial and ethnic disparities. Patients with missing race data or races and ethnicities with fewer than 50 patients were excluded from analysis. Multivariable analyses for endpoints of hospitalization and death were performed on these 471 patients., Results: Of the 471 patients, 73% were White and 27% were Black. The majority (90%) were non-Hispanic ethnicity, 5% were Hispanic, and 4% were missing ethnicity data. Black patients were more likely to have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status ≥ 2 (p-value = 0.04). On multivariable analysis, Black patients were more likely than White patients to require hospitalization (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.69, 95% CI: 1.01-2.83, p-value = 0.044). These differences remained across different waves of the pandemic. However, no statistically significant difference in mortality was found between Black and White patients (OR 1.29, 95% CI: 0.69-2.40, p-value = 0.408)., Conclusions: Black patients with thoracic malignancies who acquire COVID-19 infection are at a significantly higher risk of hospitalization compared to White patients, but there is no significant difference in mortality. The underlying drivers of racial disparity among patients with thoracic malignancies and COVID-19 infection require ongoing investigation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate whether the revised US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) criteria reduced inequities in lung cancer screening (LCS) eligibility among a racially diverse sample of patients with lung cancer., Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of adults diagnosed with primary lung malignancies at an urban safety net hospital. For all patients and exclusively ever-smokers, χ 2 tests were used to evaluate differences in LCS eligibility among socio-demographic variables using the 2013 and 2021 USPSTF criteria. Patients who were ineligible for LCS were categorized by reason for exclusion., Results: Among 678 lung cancer patients (46% female, mean age 66 ± 10 years), 51% were White, and 39% were Black. Using the 2013 guidelines, White patients (57%) would have been more likely to be eligible than Black (37%) and other-race patients (35%) (P < 0.0001) at time of cancer diagnosis. Under the 2021 guidelines, White patients (68%) remained more likely to be eligible for LCS than Black (54%) and other-race patients (48%) (P = 0.0002). Among exclusively ever-smoking patients, we did not observe a significant difference in eligibility by race under the 2021 USPSTF guidelines (White [73%], Black [65%], and other-race [65%]; [P = 0.48]). Sex, ethnicity, education level, and insurance type were not associated with differential screening eligibility under either the 2013 or 2021 guidelines., Conclusion: The revised 2021 USPSTF LCS guidelines may not be sufficient to eliminate racial inequities in LCS eligibility among patients who go on to be diagnosed with primary lung cancer. Differential rates of lung cancer among never-smokers may contribute to this inequity., (© 2022. W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute.)

Anthracosis is a type of mild pneumoconiosis secondary to harmless carbon dust deposits. Although anthracosis was previously associated with inhaled coal particles, such as coal workers' pneumoconiosis, this hypothesis was later abandoned; pathology has been associated with inhaled dust particles. Our paper is the first case report of ANCA-associated vasculitis and anthracosis coexistence. In addition, it aims to highlight that histopathologically proven anthracotic granulomatous nodules can show high FDG uptake in PET/CT contrary to expectation. We present a case of a 73-year-old male with p-ANCA-associated vasculitis and anthracotic lung nodules accompanied by radiological and clinical findings. The patient got diagnosis with p-ANCA-associated vasculitis with serological and rheumatological tests. Atypically, the clinical findings of the patient were weak (No dyspnoea, cough or additional pulmonary complaints). Nodules were present on X-ray graphics and nodules' contours were irregular on CT. On PET/CT, SUV values of the nodules were high [12 kBq/mL]. Histopathological specimens showed multiple lung granulomas including anthracosis particles. Until performing the biopsy, we could not exclude the possibility of malignancy. Conclusion: When lung involvement of vasculitis is superimposed by anthracosis, it can create granulomas with high SUV values. The relationship between anthracosis and parenchymal lung diseases is a current topic and many recently published papers are present on this subject. To the best of our knowledge, our paper is the first paper showing the relationship between parenchymal involvement of vasculitis and anthracosis in the literature. Environmental pollution and dust particles are the known reasons for anthracosis particles in the nodules. It is open to future research on whether air pollution triggers new atypical cases or not.

Background: To examine the relationship between hospital safety-net burden and (1) receipt of surgery after chemoradiation (trimodality therapy) and (2) survival in esophageal cancer patients., Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried to identify 22,842 clinical stage II to IVa esophageal cancer patients diagnosed in 2004 to 2015. The treatment facilities were categorized by proportion of uninsured/Medicaid-insured patients into percentiles. No safety-net burden hospitals (0-37th percentile) treated no uninsured/Medicaid-insured patients, whereas low (38-75th percentile) and high (76-100th percentile) safety-net burden hospitals treated a median (range) of 8.8% (0.87%-16.7%) and 23.6% (16.8%-100%), respectively. Adjusted odds ratios and hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals were computed, adjusting for patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics., Results: Compared to no safety-net burden hospital patients, high safety-net burden hospital patients were significantly more likely to be young, Black, and low-income. Age, female sex, Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, nonprivate insurance, lower income, higher comorbidity score, upper esophageal location, squamous cell histology, higher stage, time to treatment, and treatment at a community program or a low-volume facility were associated with lower odds of receiving trimodality therapy. Adjusting for these factors, high safety-net burden hospital patients were less likely to receive surgery after chemoradiation versus no safety-net burden hospital patients (adjusted odds ratio 0.77 [95% confidence interval 0.68-0.86], P < .0001); no difference was detected comparing low safety-net burden hospitals versus no safety-net burden hospitals (adjusted odds ratio 1.01 [0.92-1.11], P = .874). No significant survival difference was noted by safety-net burden (low safety-net burden hospitals versus no safety-net burden hospitals: adjusted hazard ratio 1.01 [0.96-1.06], P = .704; high safety-net burden hospital versus no safety-net burden hospitals: adjusted hazard ratio 0.99 [0.93-1.06], P = .859)., Conclusion: Adjusting for patient, tumor, and treatment factors, high safety-net burden hospital patients were less likely to undergo surgery after chemoradiation but without significant survival differences., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Timeliness of care is an important metric for lung cancer patients, and care delays in the safety-net setting have been described. Timeliness from the point of the suspicious image is not well-studied. Herein, we evaluate time intervals in the workup of lung cancer at an urban, safety net hospital and assess for disparities by demographic and clinical factors., Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of lung cancer patients receiving some portion of their care at Boston Medical Center between 2015 and 2020. A total of 687 patients were included in the final analysis. Median times from suspicious image to first treatment (SIT), suspicious image to diagnosis (SID), and diagnosis to treatment (DT) were calculated. Nonparametric tests were applied to assess for intergroup differences in time intervals., Results: SIT, SID, and DT for the entire cohort was 78, 34, and 32 days, respectively. SIT intervals were 87 days for females and 72 days for males (p < .01). SIT intervals were 106, 110, 81, and 41 days for stages I, II, III, and IV, respectively (p < .01). SID intervals differed between black (40.5) and Hispanic (45) patients compared to white (28) and Asian (23) patients (p < .05)., Conclusion: Advanced stage at presentation and male gender were associated with more timely treatment from the point of suspicious imaging while white and Asian were associated with more timely lung cancer diagnosis. Future analyses should seek to elucidate drivers of timeliness differences and assess for the impact of timeliness disparities on patient outcomes in the safety net setting., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS), including both tissue assays and circulating tumor DNA (ct-DNA), has been pivotal in improving outcomes for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although molecular testing is standard of care for advanced NSCLC, challenges still exist in its implementation. This Perspective examines barriers to the widespread implementation of NGS from the vantage point of a single urban safety-net institution, with a particular focus on examining racial disparities in NGS completion. We conducted a review of patients at our institution from January 2015 through January 2022 and examined molecular testing patterns before and after the publication of updated molecular testing guidelines from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), and College of American Pathologists (CAP) in March of 2018. While NGS increased over time, we found that 43% of patients in the March 2018 through January 2022 group still did not receive NGS, and the most common reasons for the absence of testing included a lack of physician ordering and insufficient tissue on biopsy. We did not note any racial disparities in completion or time-to-adoption of NGS. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) histology were noted to receive liquid NGS markedly less often than patients with non-squamous histology in the March 2018 through January 2022 period. Based on our own data and a review of findings from colleagues in the field, we advocate for additional physician educational programming, increased use of ct-DNA biopsy, automated (reflexive) NGS tissue testing on receipt of biopsy, and consideration for the broader molecular profiling of patients with SCC histology., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement Dr. Oxnard is employed by Foundation Medicine and holds equity in Roche. Dr. Tapan is receiving an educational grant from Pfizer, Inc, is serving as an advisory board member for Sanofi/Genzyme/Regeneron and as an outside consultant to Glaxo Smith Klein, and has served as a speaker at an Astra Zeneca-sponsored symposium. Dr. Burns, Dr. Jani, Dr. Radwan, Dr. Al Omari, and Ms. Patel do not have any conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the function of the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with emphysema., Study Design: Observational study., Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pulmonology, Mugla Training and Research Hospital, Turkey, from January to March 2022., Methodology: Thirty COPD patients and thirty healthy volunteers were included. Demographic data, pack-year of cigarette, spirometric values, and emphysema percentage (calculated with CT scan) were recorded. mTOR, raptor, and deptor were measured with ELISA method. Statistical significance was accepted as p<0.05., Results: The mean value of mTOR in the COPD group was 3.48±2.01 ng/ml and it was significantly higher than the control (1.51±0.44 ng/ml). The mTOR was positively correlated with MMRC, annual exacerbation rate, emphysema percentage, and pack/year of cigarette and negatively correlated with SpO2 and FEV1. The significant relationship was found with only emphysema (B=0.067, SE=0.020, 95% CI=0.027-0.107, p=0.002). The cut-off value of mTOR for COPD was found as 1.815 ng/ml (sensivity=77%)., Conclusion: Overexpression of mTOR and its signalling proteins have a significant role in emphysema development. Reduction of mTOR expression/activity might be helpful to control dyspnea severity, number of exacerbations, loss of FEV1, and progression of emphysema., Key Words: COPD, Emphysema, mTOR.

Background: Mortality from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has improved with screening and novel treatments. The substance use epidemic has threatened health outcomes in a variety of diseases, but little is known about how it is associated with NSCLC outcomes., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 211 patients with NSCLC treated at a safety-net hospital. Sociodemographic data and clinical outcomes were extracted via review of electronic medical records. Patients were stratified based on substance use status. Comparative and multivariable analyses were performed to evaluate baseline characteristics and lung cancer outcomes including survival., Results: Among 193 patients (91.5%) with information available on substance use, 24.9% reported substance use; specifically, alcohol, marijuana, and illicit substances. Patients with substance use were more likely to have increased health care utilization and poor social determinants of health, including safe housing, stable employment, and social support. There were no significant differences in treatment adherence. Only 6.3% of patients with substance use did not receive guideline concordant care (GCC) compared to 24.8% of patients without substance use; due to poor performance status, increased comorbidities, or loss to follow up. On univariable analysis, patients with substance use experienced inferior median overall survival (OS) if they had metastatic disease (0.40 vs. 1.03 years, P=0.01). However, in the multivariable analysis, substance use did not predict for survival. Independent predictors of mortality were sex (male HR, 1.67; 95% CI: 1.04-2.68; P=0.04), smoking status (current smoking HR, 2.63; 95% CI: 1.14-6.08; P=0.02), and stage (stage IV HR, 14.96; 95% CI: 6.28-35.63; P=0.008)., Conclusions: Substance use is associated with poor social determinants of health and increased health care utilization. On multivariable analysis, substance use was not independently associated with OS once guideline-concordant care was used. Future studies should focus on improving our understanding of these associations, delineating potential mechanisms, and developing evidence-based strategies to reduce health care utilization and overcome challenges related to poor social determinants of health., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-21-1992/coif). HJC reports receiving grants and support from NIH-NCATS-1UL1-TR001430 through the Boston University CTSA Award. UT reports receiving a grant from Pfizer Inc., consulting fees from Glaxo-Smith-Kline, honoraria from Astra Zeneca, and serving on the advisory board of Sanofi/Genzyme/Regeneron. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)

Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in patients <50 years old has unique socioeconomic and clinical implications. We aimed to examine the demographics, treatment patterns, and survival of young patients with SCLC and compared them to older adults., Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried to identify SCLC cases diagnosed from 2004 to 2016. Patients were divided into three age groups: ≥18-<50, ≥50-<70, and ≥70 years. Patient characteristics were evaluated for survival within each age group. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess survival., Results: Of the 172,453 evaluated SCLC patients (median age 66 years), 8,792 were ≥18-<50 years old. Compared to the older groups, patients under 50 were more likely to be Black, uninsured or on Medicaid, have household income <$30,000, and present with stage III or IV disease (P<0.0001 for all). While young patients were more likely to receive guideline-concordant care (GCC), the hazard of death increased to 1.96 (95% CI: 1.80-2.14; P<0.0001) with receipt of nonstandard therapy. Private insurance, female gender, non-White race, Hispanic ethnicity, and higher income were associated with better survival. The youngest cohort had significantly better survival overall when compared to the older patients (P<0.0001), but the survival advantage was reduced with the advancing stage., Conclusions: SCLC patients under 50 years old represent a socioeconomically disadvantaged group with advanced disease at presentation. Despite having fewer comorbidities and being offered guideline-concordant treatment, younger patients with SCLC have only marginally better survival than older patients in advanced stages., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-22-210/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Patients with thoracic malignancies are at increased risk for mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and a large number of intertwined prognostic variables have been identified so far., Methods: Capitalizing data from the Thoracic Cancers International COVID-19 Collaboration (TERAVOLT) registry, a global study created with the aim of describing the impact of COVID-19 in patients with thoracic malignancies, we used a clustering approach, a fast-backward step-down selection procedure, and a tree-based model to screen and optimize a broad panel of demographics and clinical COVID-19 and cancer characteristics., Results: As of April 15, 2021, a total of 1491 consecutive eligible patients from 18 countries were included in the analysis. With a mean observation period of 42 days, 361 events were reported with an all-cause case fatality rate of 24.2%. The clustering procedure screened 73 covariates in 13 clusters. A further multivariable logistic regression for the association between clusters and death was performed, resulting in five clusters significantly associated with the outcome. The fast-backward step-down selection procedure then identified the following seven major determinants of death: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-performance status (ECOG-PS) (OR = 2.47, 1.87-3.26), neutrophil count (OR = 2.46, 1.76-3.44), serum procalcitonin (OR = 2.37, 1.64-3.43), development of pneumonia (OR = 1.95, 1.48-2.58), C-reactive protein (OR = 1.90, 1.43-2.51), tumor stage at COVID-19 diagnosis (OR = 1.97, 1.46-2.66), and age (OR = 1.71, 1.29-2.26). The receiver operating characteristic analysis for death of the selected model confirmed its diagnostic ability (area under the receiver operating curve = 0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.75-0.81). The nomogram was able to classify the COVID-19 mortality in an interval ranging from 8% to 90%, and the tree-based model recognized ECOG-PS, neutrophil count, and c-reactive protein as the major determinants of prognosis., Conclusions: From 73 variables analyzed, seven major determinants of death have been identified. Poor ECOG-PS was found to have the strongest association with poor outcome from COVID-19. With our analysis, we provide clinicians with a definitive prognostication system to help determine the risk of mortality for patients with thoracic malignancies and COVID-19., (Copyright © 2022 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite decreases in lung cancer incidence, racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment persist. Residential segregation and structural racism have effects on socioeconomic status for black people, affecting health care access. This study aims to determine the impact of residential segregation on racial disparities in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment and mortality., Methods: Patient data were obtained from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database for black and white patients diagnosed with NSCLC from 2004-2016 in the 100 most populous counties. Regression models were built to assess outcomes of interest: stage at diagnosis and surgical resection of disease. Predicted margins assessed impact of index of dissimilarity (IoD) on these disparities. Competing risk regressions for black and white patients in highest and lowest quartiles of IoD were used to assess cancer-specific mortality., Results: Our cohort had 193,369 white and 35,649 black patients. Black patients were more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stage than white patients, with increasing IoD. With increasing IoD, black patients were less likely to undergo surgical resection than white patients. Disparities were eliminated at low IoD. Black patients at high IoD had lower cancer-specific survival., Conclusions: Black patients were more likely to present at advanced disease, were less likely to receive surgery for early stage disease, and had higher cancer-specific mortality at higher IoD. Our findings highlight the impact of structural racism and residential segregation on NSCLC outcomes. Solutions to these disparities must come from policy reforms to reverse residential segregation and deleterious socioeconomic effects of discriminatory policies., (Copyright © 2022 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been used in acute pulmonary thromboembolism as an alternative to warfarin due to drug interactions, narrow therapeutic range, and necessary close International Normalized Ratio (INR) monitoring. Phase 3 study results have reported that these drugs are at least as effective as warfarin and beneficial in terms of bleeding; however, studies that present up-to-date life data are necessary., Aims: To evaluate the frequency of using DOACs, which are prescribed with a limited number of indications in our country, and real-life data results., Study Design: Cross-sectional study., Methods: This cross-sectional survey collected the clinical data (history, current treatment, treatment duration, etc.) of patients with pulmonary thromboembolism and who applied to the physician for follow-up between October 15, 2019, and March 15, 2020. The researchers kept the patient records sequentially., Results: Data from 836 patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism from 25 centers were collected, and DOAC was used in 320 (38.5%) of them. The most preferred DOAC was rivaroxaban (n = 294, 91.9%). DOAC was mostly preferred because it could not provide an effective INR level with warfarin (n=133, 41.6%). Bleeding was observed in 13 (4%) patients., Conclusion: The use of direct oral anticoagulants is becoming almost as widespread as conventional therapy. Real-life data results are important for their contribution to clinical practice.

Objective: Balance and cognitive problems may develop in COPD. Studies investigating cognitive functions are mostly in elderly patients, and the number of studies on balance impairment is less than studies about cognitive dysfunction in COPD. We aimed to evaluate both balance and cognitive functions in patients with COPD under 65 years., Methods: A total of 60 COPD patients and 60 healthy control group were enrolled. The patients with COPD were divided into two groups due to dyspnea severity. Demographic data and dyspnea scores of all patients were recorded. BECK depression scale, standardized Mini Mental Test (MMT), and BERG balance scale were applied to the individuals. Factors affecting BERG balance scale were evaluated., Results: BERG balance scale and MMT values were found to be significantly lower in patients with COPD compared with the control group (p = 0.009). It was observed that the mean values of BERG balance scale and MMT were significantly low in the severe dyspnea group. BERG scale had significant correlations with MMT (rho = 0.331, p = 0.001), BECK (rho = -0.222, p = 0.016), age (rho = -0.318, p = 0.018), MMRC (rho = -0.368, p < 0.001), CAT (rho = -0.338, p = 0.008), FEV1% (rho = 0.307, p = 0.017), SpO 2 (rho = 0.448, p < 0.001), and number of hospitalization per year (rho = -0.316, p = 0.014). According to the results of multiple linear regression analysis, the effect of oxygen saturation on BERG was found to be statistically significant (B = 0.512, p = 0.008)., Conclusions: Balance tests in patients with COPD under the age of 65 are significantly low when compared with healthy controls at the same age. Balance and cognitive functions are significantly associated with each other. It may be beneficial to perform balance and cognitive function tests earlier even at the beginning of the treatment period of COPD, and strategies should be planned to prevent the progression of functional losses., (© 2022 The Authors. The Clinical Respiratory Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The most common thoracic manifestation form of ankylosing spondylitis is apical fibrocystic changes. It is also known as apical fibrobullous disease (AFBD). The patient was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis before 9 years. He suffered COVID-19 infection and passed an intensive care period. However, post-covid fibrosis (PCF) atypically affected dominantly apical zones. If we had no sequential CT evaluations, our case could be easily confused with AFBD. On CT taken before COVID-19, the lung apex was normal. Thus, it was confirmed that there was no rheumatologic thoracic manifestation in the patient before suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia. PCF created similar changes as AFBD. Our case is the first reported paper on this topic., (Copyright © 2022 Emrah Doğan, Sabri Serhan Olcay, Tuğba Çınar Olcay, Utku Tapan, Özge Oral Tapan, Fatih Alaşan. Published by Vilnius University Press.)

A 34 years old male, labourer by occupation was brought to our trauma centre in an inebriated state with a history of fall from a height of approximately 10 feet. He complained of pain in the right elbow. A complete examination of the affected upper limb revealed an ipsilateral anterior shoulder dislocation and a posterior elbow dislocation with no other concomitant injuries. Both the dislocations were reduced conservatively and the patient was successfully managed. The patient is absolutely fine now, 6 months post his dislocation and has resumed back to his work. This case has been presented to highlight the rare and unusual nature of the injury, since ipsilateral dislocation of shoulder and elbow occur infrequently.

The burden of AIDS-defining cancers has remained relatively steady for the past two decades, whilst the burden of non-AIDS-defining cancer has increased. Here, we conduct a study to describe mortality trends attributed to HIV-associated cancers in 31 countries. We extracted HIV-related cancer mortality data from 2001 to 2018 from the World Health Organization Mortality Database. We computed age-standardized death rates (ASDRs) per 100,000 population using the World Standard Population. Data were visualized using Locally Weighted Scatterplot Smoothing (LOWESS). Data for females were available for 25 countries. Overall, there has been a decrease in mortality attributed to HIV-associated cancers among most of the countries. In total, 18 out of 31 countries (58.0%) and 14 out of 25 countries (56.0%) showed decreases in male and female mortality, respectively. An increasing mortality trend was observed in many developing countries, such as Malaysia and Thailand, and some developed countries, such as the United Kingdom. Malaysia had the greatest increase in male mortality (+495.0%), and Canada had the greatest decrease (-88.5%). Thailand had the greatest increase in female mortality (+540.0%), and Germany had the greatest decrease (-86.0%). At the endpoint year, South Africa had the highest ASDRs for both males (16.8/100,000) and females (19.2/100,000). The lowest was in Japan for males (0.07/100,000) and Egypt for females (0.028/100,000).

A practical colorimetric assay was developed for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For this purpose, magnetic γ Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles were synthesized and used as a peroxidase-like mimic activity molecule. In the presence of γ Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles, the color change of H 2 O 2 included 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine was monitored at the wavelength of 654 nm when spike protein interacted with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor. This oxidation-reduction reaction was examined both spectroscopically and by using electrochemical techniques. The experimental parameters were optimized and the analytical characteristics investigated. The developed assay was applied to real SARS-CoV-2 samples, and very good results that were in accordance with the real time polymerase chain reaction were obtained., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

The new UK strain was first described in December 2020. It was seen for the first time in Turkey in February 2021. It is not yet known whether the new strain has different CT patterns compared to the classical type. We present a 68-years-old male patient with an atypical CT presentation in which GGOs are gathered around the areas of paraseptal emphysema accompanied by CT and clinical findings. This involvement is an unexpected pattern because of the atypical distribution of the GGO.

Introduction: Systemic treatment with chemotherapy is warranted for patients with extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC). The objective of this study was to determine whether racial and other healthcare disparities exist in receipt of chemotherapy for ES-SCLC., Methods: Utilizing the National Cancer Database, 148,961 patients diagnosed to have stage IV SCLC from 2004 to 2016 were identified. Adjusted ORs with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were computed for receipt of chemotherapy using multivariate logistic regression modeling. Cox regression modeling was used to perform overall survival analysis, and adjusted hazard ratios were calculated., Results: A total of 82,592 patients were included, among which chemotherapy was not administered to 6557 (7.9%). Higher education, recent year of diagnosis, and treatment at more than one facility were associated with increased odds of receiving chemotherapy. Factors associated with a decreased likelihood of receiving chemotherapy were increasing age, race, nonprivate insurance, and comorbidities. On multivariate analysis, black patients had lower odds of receiving chemotherapy compared with white patients (adjusted OR, 0.85; 95% CI: 0.77-0.93, p  = 0.0004). Furthermore, black patients had better survival compared with white patients (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% CI: 0.89-0.94, p  = 0.91). The 1-year survival (median survival) for black and white patients was 31.7% (8.3 mo) and 28.6% (8 mo), respectively., Conclusions: Black patients with ES-SCLC were less likely to receive chemotherapy, as were elderly, uninsured, and those with nonprivate insurance. Further studies are required to address underlying reasons for lack of chemotherapy receipt in black patients with ES-SCLC and guide appropriate interventions to mitigate disparities., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Idiopathic FOP is a rare type of COP. What we know on this subject is made up of a few clinical cases published in recent years. Our patient was admitted to the hospital with an intermittent coughing complaint that worsens over time. Due to a suspicion of malignancy, a radiological evaluation was requested including a PET-CT and a transbronchial biopsy was performed. Until the last part of our algorithm, the patient profile was clinically and radiologically in favor of the diagnosis of malignancy but, in the end, the diagnosis of FOP was fixed with a follow-up decision. In conclusion, FOP is a relatively new entity that should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of malignancy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: Emrah Dogan et al.)

The proto-oncogene β-catenin drives colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis. Casitas B-lineage lymphoma (c-Cbl) inhibits CRC tumor growth through targeting nuclear β-catenin by a poorly understood mechanism. In addition, the role of c-Cbl in human CRC remains largely underexplored. Using a novel quantitative histopathologic technique, we demonstrate that patients with high c-Cbl-expressing tumors had significantly better median survival (3.7 years) compared with low c-Cbl-expressing tumors (1.8 years; P = 0.0026) and were more than twice as likely to be alive at 3 years compared with low c-Cbl tumors (P = 0.0171). Our data further demonstrate that c-Cbl regulation of nuclear β-catenin requires phosphorylation of c-Cbl Tyr371 because its mutation compromises its ability to target β-catenin. The tyrosine 371 (Y371H) mutant interacted with but failed to ubiquitinate nuclear β-catenin. The nuclear localization of the c-Cbl-Y371H mutant contributed to its dominant negative effect on nuclear β-catenin. The biological importance of c-Cbl-Y371H was demonstrated in various systems, including a transgenic Wnt-8 zebrafish model. c-Cbl-Y371H mutant showed augmented Wnt/β-catenin signaling, increased Wnt target genes, angiogenesis, and CRC tumor growth. This study demonstrates a strong link between c-Cbl and overall survival of patients with CRC and provides new insights into a possible role of Tyr371 phosphorylation in Wnt/β-catenin regulation, which has important implications in tumor growth and angiogenesis in CRC., (Copyright © 2018 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Physicians do not adequately use their unique professional privilege to prevent patients from smoking. The aim of this study was to investigate the type and extent of advice given to patients by physicians of different medical specialties regarding smoking cessation., Methods: In total, 317 volunteer physicians were included in this study. The participants rated their attitudes toward the smoking habits of their patients by completing a questionnaire. The approaches used to address the smoking habits of patients significantly differed among physicians working at polyclinics, clinics and emergency service departments (p<0.001). Physicians working at clinics exhibited the highest frequency of inquiring about the smoking habits of their patients, while physicians working at emergency service departments exhibited the lowest frequency., Results: Physicians from different medical specialties significantly differed in their responses. Physicians specializing in lung diseases, thoracic surgery, and cardiology were more committed to preventing their patients from cigarette smoking., Conclusions: The role of physicians, particularly pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons, is critical in the fight against cigarette smoking. Promoting physician awareness of this subject is highly important in all other branches of medicine.

Background: While racial disparity in colorectal cancer survival have previously been studied, whether this disparity exists in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving care at safety net hospitals (and therefore of similar socioeconomic status) is poorly understood., Methods: We examined racial differences in survival in a cohort of patients with stage IV colorectal cancer treated at the largest safety net hospital in the New England region, which serves a population with a majority (65%) of non-Caucasian patients. Data was extracted from the hospital's electronic medical record. Survival differences among different racial and ethnic groups were examined graphically using Kaplan-Meier analysis. A univariate cox proportional hazards model and a multivariable adjusted model were generated., Results: Black patients had significantly lower overall survival compared to White patients, with median overall survival of 1.9 years and 2.5 years respectively. In a multivariate analysis, Black race posed a significant hazard (HR 1.70, CI 1.01-2.90, p=0.0467) for death. Though response to therapy emerged as a strong predictor of survival (HR=0.4, CI=0.2-0.7, p=0.0021), it was comparable between Blacks and Whites., Conclusions: Despite presumed equal access to healthcare and socioeconomic status within a safety-net hospital system, our results reinforce findings from previous studies showing lower colorectal cancer survival in Black patients, and also point to the importance of investigating other factors such as genetic and pathologic differences., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Despite the loss of Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) in a majority of colorectal cancers (CRC), not all CRCs bear hallmarks of Wnt activation, such as nuclear β-catenin. This underscores the presence of other Wnt regulators that are important to define, given the pathogenic and prognostic roles of nuclear β-catenin in human CRC. Herein, we investigated the effect of Casitas B-lineage lymphoma (c-Cbl) on nuclear β-catenin, which is an oncoprotein upregulated in CRC due to loss-of-function APC or gain-of-function CTNNB1 mutations. Despite mechanistic rationale and recent discoveries of c-Cbl's mutations in solid tumors, little is known about its functional importance in CRC. Our study in a cohort of human CRC patients demonstrated an inverse correlation between nuclear β-catenin and c-Cbl. Further investigation showed that the loss of c-Cbl activity significantly enhanced nuclear β-catenin and CRC tumor growth in cell culture and a mouse xenograft model. c-Cbl interacted with and downregulated β-catenin in a manner that was independent of CTNNB1 or APC mutation status. This study demonstrates a previously unrecognized function of c-Cbl as a negative regulator of CRC.

Aims We determined plasma levels of dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and osteopontin (OPN) which have roles in the Wnt pathway in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients and in healthy controls. We also tested whether DKK-1 and OPN levels could be of clinical or prognostic significance in CLL and NHL. Methods We included 36 CLL, 24 NHL patients, and 21 healthy controls. Patients' clinical and demographic features, treatment modalities, and response to treatment were recorded. DKK-1 and OPN levels in plasma obtained at initial diagnosis were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results CLL patients had significantly lower DKK-1 levels than NHL and control groups (P levels, respectively, 0.048 and 0.017). OPN level was significantly higher in NHL group than in CLL and control groups (P values, 0.017 and <0.001). CLL patients with early and late Rai stages of disease had similar DKK-1 and OPN levels. After a median follow-up of 48 months, 13 CLL patients died. Univariate analysis showed that advanced Rai stages and older age were significantly poor prognostic factors. DKK-1 level in CLL patients who have died was significantly lower than those who were alive (P = 0.035). NHL patients with extranodal involvement had significantly higher OPN levels than those with no involvement (P = 0.04). Conclusions Our results demonstrated that the Wnt pathway inhibitor DKK-1 was decreased in CLL. OPN was increased in NHL and associated with extranodal involvement. In order to reveal the pathogenic and clinical roles of DKK-1 and OPN in CLL and NHL, larger studies need to be conducted.

Background and Objectives: Until now, very few studies evaluated the association between gastrointestinal and psychiatric symptoms in iron deficiency anemia (IDA). The study investigated the frequency of functional dyspepsia (FD) in IDA patients and determined its association with depression and somatization., Design and Settings: The study was conducted at the Hematology Department of Trakya University Medical Faculty, which is a tertiary referral center in northwestern Turkey. It was a case-control study., Materials and Methods: A total of 125 consecutive IDA patients and 57 healthy control subjects were included. Patients and controls were questioned about the severity of their gastrointestinal system (GIS)-related symptoms and the presence of constipation and associated symptoms using a visual analog scale. In addition, IDA patients were administered a validated depression scale (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and somatization symptoms checklist., Results: IDA patients had more frequent self-reported constipation compared with controls (56% vs 22.8%, P < .001). The mean scores of bloating, dyspepsia, and constipation-related quality of life (QoL) disturbance were significantly higher in the IDA group than in the control group (all P values.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the prevalence and etiology of potassium abnormalities (hypokalemia and hyperkalemia) and management approaches for hospitalized patients., Subjects and Methods: Over a 4-month period, all hospitalized patients at Hacettepe University Medical Faculty Hospitals who underwent at least one measurement of serum potassium during hospitalization were included. Data on serum levels of electrolytes, demographic characteristics, cause(s) of hospitalization, medications, etiology of potassium abnormality and treatment approaches were obtained from the hospital records., Results: Of the 9,045 hospitalized patients, 1,265 (14.0%) had a serum potassium abnormality; 604 (6.7%) patients had hypokalemia and 661 (7.30%) had hyperkalemia. In the hypokalemic patients, the most important reasons were gastrointestinal losses in 555 (91.8%) patients and renal losses in 252 (41.7%) patients. The most frequent treatment strategies were correcting the underlying cause and replacing the potassium deficit. Of the 604 hypokalemic patients, 319 (52.8%) were normokalemic at hospital discharge. The most common reason for hyperkalemia was treatment with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers in 228 (34.4%) patients, followed by renal failure in 191 (28.8%). Two hundred and ninety-eight (45.0%) patients were followed without any specific treatment. Of the 661 hyperkalemic patients, 324 (49.0%) were normokalemic at hospital discharge., Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of potassium imbalance among hospitalized patients. Although most of the potassium abnormalities were mild/moderate, approximately half of the patients treated for hypokalemia or hyperkalemia were discharged from the hospital with ongoing dyskalemia.