Five-year survival of resectable stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: In stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), surgery plays a role in terms of multimodal treatment. Surgery rates have increased in recent years, mainly due to the combination of more accurate imaging tools, electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy, robotic bronchoscopy, robotic surgery, and a wide range of challenging clinical scenarios to lead surgeons and oncologists to include surgery as an option in therapeutic management. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prognostic factors, the 5-year overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients with resectable stage III-NSCLC. METHODS: Patients' information was extracted from 76 Hospitals' Cancer Registry. OS and CSS were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to assess differences between curves. In addition, Cox regression was conducted to evaluate the patients' characteristics leading to better OS and CSS. RESULTS: Overall, 433 stage III NSCLC surgical patients followed over 19 years were included. The median age was 61.29 ± 9.62 years, 58.4% male, 50.1% with adenocarcinoma, 29.3% with squamous cell carcinoma, 3.7% with large-cell lung carcinoma, and 16,9% with other lung cancer types. The 5-year OS was 30.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 27.4-36.1), and the CSS was 35.0% (95% CI: 29.4-41.0). In the Cox multivariate regression, squamous cell carcinoma was associated with reduced OS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.07-1.83; p=0.014) and CSS (HR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.17-2.08; p = 0.002), in comparison with adenocarcinoma. The 2015-2019 quinquennial had a 50% reduction in HR (0.49; 95% CI: 0.29-0.81; p = 0.006), and the 2010-2014 group had a 40% reduction (0.59; 95% CI: 0.42-0.83; p = 0.006) in comparison with the 2000-2004 patients' group. CONCLUSION: The OS and CSS of patients with resectable stage III NSCLC have improved over the past 19 years in our region. Squamous cell carcinoma was associated with increased mortality risk from any cause or specific cancer.

A cuproptosis-related long non-coding RNA signature to predict the prognosis and immune microenvironment characterization for lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Cuproptosis or copper-dependent cell death is a newly identified non-apoptotic cell death pathway which plays a critical role in the development of multiple cancers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly recognized as crucial regulators of programmed cell death and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) development, and a comprehensive understanding of cuproptosis-related lncRNAs may improve prognosis prediction of LUAD. However, few studies have explored the association of cuproptosis-related lncRNAs with the prognosis of LUAD. Methods: The RNA sequencing data and corresponding clinical information of patients were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Five hundred LUAD patients were randomly divided into a training (n=250) and a testing cohort (n=250). Pearson correlations were performed to identify cuproptosis-related lncRNAs, and univariate Cox regression was performed to screen prognostic lncRNAs. A cuproptosis-related lncRNAs prognostic signature (CLPS) was constructed by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression. Kaplan-Meier analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves, and multivariate Cox regression were performed to verify the prognostic performance of CLPS. Additionally, immune cell infiltration was estimated using the single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis. pRRophetic algorithm and Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion algorithm were used to assess the immunotherapy and chemotherapy response, respectively. Results: CLPS was established based on 61 cuproptosis-related prognostic lncRNAs and exhibited a satisfactory performance predicting LUAD patients' survival (area under the curve at 1, 3, 5 years was 0.784, 0.749, 0.775, respectively). multivariate Cox analysis confirmed the independent prognostic effect of CLPS (hazard ratio: 1.128; 95% confidence interval: 1.071-1.189; P<0.001), and a nomogram containing it exhibited robust validity in prognostic prediction. We further demonstrated a higher CLPS-risk score was associated with lower levels of signatures including immune cell infiltration, immune activation, and immune checkpoints. Conclusions: The CLPS serves as an effective predictor for the prognosis and therapeutic responses of LUAD patients. Our findings provide promising novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for LUAD.

Overall survival and prognostic factors in Stage I lung adenocarcinoma treated with curative intent: A real-life 19-year cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Important differences in Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are related to the delay in the diagnosis to the treatment, hospitals' specialised status, comorbidities, tumour stage and histological type. METHODS: A 19-year retrospective cohort study was conducted, including 681 patients with NSCLC in clinical-stage IA-IB. The variables analysed were gender, age, schooling, type of health care provider, type of treatment, period of 5-year treatment, the time between first attendance to diagnosis and the time between diagnosis and treatment, and hospital's specialised status. RESULTS: Patients who underwent radiotherapy alone had three times more risk of death than those who underwent surgery alone (adjusted hazard ratio [adjHR] = 3.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.45-4.82; p <0.001). The independent risk of death factors was being treated in nonhigh complexity centres in oncology hospitals and having started the treatment more than 2 months after diagnosis (adjHR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.26-2.56; p <0.001) and (adjHR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.33-3.00; p <0.001), respectively. In addition, the patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2015 had a 40% lower risk of death when compared to those diagnosed between 2000 and 2005 (95% CI: 0.38-0.94; p = 0.027). CONCLUSION: The overall survival in curative intent Stage-I lung cancer patients' treatment was associated with the 5-year diagnosis group, the delayed time between diagnosis and treatment and the hospital qualification.

Efficacy and safety of a device used to prevent fogging and residue buildup on surgical optics during video-assisted thoracic surgical procedures (LacrimaSurg): a pilot in vivo study in 30 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Nowadays the majority of the surgical procedures are video surgeries. Despite technological advances, some problems remain. The buildup of residues in front of the lens is an example of this problem. To solve it, Abreu et al. (Surg Technol Int 26:43-47, 2015) developed LacrimaSurg, which works as a lacrimal duct in the optics preventing fogging and residues buildup on it. This had 98.1% of efficiency in an experimental study. OBJECTIVE: Study feasibility and safety of the device under real surgical conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A pilot study included 30 patients undergoing thoracic procedures using LacrimaSurg. Procedures were recorded for further analysis by investigators. The characteristics of patients (age, sex, body mass index, Charlton comorbidity index), data of environment (Temperatures variances), and data of procedures (type of surgery and duration of it) were recorded. The investigators watched the videos and recorded the residue buildup and fogging events that impaired surgeon's vision. The number of times the optics got dirty, need for further jets of crystalloid solution, and need for mechanical cleaning were collected to evaluate efficacy. Comparative serum measurements of electrolytes before and after surgery were studied. Data were organized and analyzed by simple linear correlations and t test for continuous variables and Fisher's test for categorical variables. RESULTS: The use of the device allowed 97% of the procedures to be performed without interruption. No characteristics inherent to the patients or to the procedures that lead to fogging or filth of the optics were identified. There were no statistically significant differences between pre- and postoperative serum ions, and no postoperative complications related to the use of the device were observed. CONCLUSION: The device was effective in preventing interruption of surgical procedures due to dirt or fogging, its use was considered safe, and did not cause postoperative complications.

Real-Life Long-Term Cohort of Patients With Stage IIIA Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Overall Survival Related to Patients' Characteristics and Multiple Treatment Models.

PURPOSE: This real-life cohort of patients describes the treatment patterns and compares the overall survival (OS) and hazard risk of utilization of multiple therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic medical registries of patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) regularly attended in 72 hospitals were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the primary patients' characteristics leading to better OS and cancer-specific survival. RESULTS: A total of 3,363 patients with stage III NSCLC followed over 19 years were included in this study. The median age was 66.00 (58.00-72.00) years, 65% male, and 41.2% with squamous cell carcinoma followed by adenocarcinoma (34.6%) and undifferentiated carcinoma (13.1%) in clinical stage T3 (50.3%), T2 (29.3%), and T4 (12.3%). The median survival (in months) was 18.4 (95% CI, 16.9 to 19.5) in patients submitted to radiotherapy plus chemotherapy, 11.2 (95% CI, 10.5 to 12.1) to chemotherapy, 31.5 (95% CI, 25.9 to 37.7) to surgery plus chemotherapy, and 33.8 (95% CI, 28.3 to 47.8) to chemotherapy plus radiotherapy plus surgery. The median cancer-specific survival (in months) was 19.3 (95% CI, 17.9 to 20.9) in patients submitted to radiotherapy plus chemotherapy, 12.1 (95% CI, 11.1 to 12.9) to chemotherapy, 36.9 (95% CI, 29.6 to 43.2) to surgery plus chemotherapy, and 41.3 (95% CI, 32.1 to 61.3) to chemotherapy plus radiotherapy plus surgery. The patients treated with multiple chemotherapy plus radiotherapy followed by surgery had significantly better OS and lower mortality rates than those treated with other treatments (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.66; P < .001). At the end of the study, 11.2% and 10.7% of the patients were living with and without cancer, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our real-life 19-year cohort study has shown that only 30.3% of the total patients with stage III NSCLC have been submitted to standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. This may show a substantial difference between the recruited clinical trials' patients and the real-life patients' characteristics in daily routine treatment.

Prognostic factors and patients' profile in treated stage I and II lung adenocarcinoma: a Hospital's Cancer Registry-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: It is known that survival from lung cancer can differ between countries and even between different regions of the same country. The variability between hospitals, the age and social profile, and the time when this patient was treated, can influence survival, and these factors are intrinsic to each region. Knowing the profile of patients, hospitals, and other factors associated with the treatment of stage I and II lung cancer in a given region is important to understand outcomes and propose improvements that can be replicated in any region of the world that presents the same profile of patients and care structure. This study evaluates survival and possible predictors in all patients with stage I and II lung cancer adenocarcinoma through the Hospital's Cancer Registry (HCR), responsible for the State of Sao Paulo's cancer registry, a geographical area with 40 million inhabitants. METHODS: Based on the HCR, an observational study was conducted, including 1,278 patients diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma at clinical stages (CS) I and II. Sex, age at diagnosis, education, neighbourhood, CS at diagnosis, the time between diagnosis and treatment, 5-year periods in which patients were treated, treatment modality and hospitals where patients were treated were analysed. Cox univariate and multiple regression analyses were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR). RESULTS: A total of 1,278 lung cancer patients with clinical lung cancer adenocarcinoma stages I and II were included. About 40.06% of patients did not receive surgery, and only 55.8% started the treatment within 2 months. The majority of the patients were treated in high complexity hospitals, 69%. Five-year overall survival (OS) was 45.6% in CS I and 27.5% in CS II. Patients treated in high complexity centres have lower mortality rates than those treated in Partial Hospital Complexity Centers in Oncology (PHCCO) (adjHR 1.18; 95% CI: 1.00-1.40; P=0.047). Patients diagnosed between 2010-2014 had a protective factor against the risk of death concerning patients diagnosed between 2000-2004. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year OS has significantly improved as long as the 5-year group analysed. Also, the 5-year OS of the patients treated in high complexity hospitals is higher than those treated in PHCCO.

Prognostic factors of recurrence of malignant pleural effusion: what is the role of neoplasia progression?

BACKGROUND: It is known that malignant pleural effusion (MPE) recurs rapidly, in a considerable number of patients. However, some patients do not have MPE recurrence. Since MPE is associated with an average survival of 4-7 months, accurate prediction of prognosis may help recognize patients at higher risk of pleural recurrence, aiming to individualize more intensive treatment strategies. METHODS: A prospectively assembled database of cases with pleural effusion treated at a single institution analyzed a subset of patients with symptomatic MPE. Prognostic factors for pleural recurrence were identified by univariable analysis using Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test was used for the comparison between the curves. Univariate and multiple Cox regression models were used to evaluate the risk (HR) of recurrence. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis determined the cutoff points for continuous variables. RESULTS: A total of 288 patients were included in the analysis. Recurrence-free survival was of 76.6% at 6 months and 73.3% at 12 months. Univariable analysis regarding factors affecting postoperative recurrence was: lymphocytes, platelets, pleural procedure, chemotherapy lines and number of metastases. The independent factors for recurrence-free survival were pleural procedure and chemotherapy lines. Patients who were submitted to pleurodesis had a protective factor for recurrence, with an HR =0.34 (95% CI, 0.15-0.74, P=0.007). On the other hand, patients submitted to the 1st and 2nd line of palliative CT had, respectively, an HR risk = 2.81 (95% CI, 1.10-7.28, P=0.034) and HR =3.23 (95% CI, 1.33-7.84, P=0.010). CONCLUSIONS: patients receiving the first or second line of systemic treatment have a higher risk of MPE recurrence when compared to patients who underwent MPE treatment before starting the systemic treatment. The definitive treatment of MPE, such as pleurodesis, was associated with a lower risk of MPE recurrence.

CHEST WALL RESECTION FOR LOCOREGIONAL RECURRENCE OF BREAST CANCER: A FEASIBLE AND EFFECTIVE / Ressecção da parede torácica para recidiva locorregional de câncer de mama: um método efetivo e reprodutível

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate survival after chest wall resection for breast cancer locoregional recurrence. Secondary endpoints were symptomatic control and safety of the procedure. Method: This was a retrospective review including all patients who underwent chest wall resection for breast cancer local recurrence at the Division of Thoracic Surgery of the School of Medicine of São Paulo University, from January 1998 to November 2011. Full thickness chest wall resection involving bones and/or soft tissues was performed to achieve macroscopical free margins. Results: Eighteen patients were included in this study with a mean followup of 83.5 months. The interval between mastectomy and chest wall recurrence (CWR) was 4.2 years (0.5 to 9 years). The resection was complete in 12 patients (66%) and incomplete in 6 (33%), in whose resection would involve amputation of an upper limb. Mean tumor size was 8.25 cm and resection of the costal arch was necessary in 10 patients. There was no operation death and after two years, 66% of patients were alive. Six patients died due to distant recurrence of breast cancer on patients who died to inflammatory acute abdomen. The mean survival among patients who died was 25.2 months (12 to 42 months). At the last follow up visit, eleven patients were alive. Conclusion: CWR for locally recurrent breast cancer is feasible and safe in selected patients, who did not develop metastatic disease, allowing good quality of life for a considerable period. Larger and prospective series are needed to endorse our findings.

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a sobrevida após ressecção da parede torácica para recidiva locorregional de c âncer de mama. Desfechos secundários foram controle dos sintomas e a segurança do procedimento. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo de todos os pacientes submetidos à ressecção da parede torácica para recidiva local do câncer de mama na Divisão de Cirurgia Torácica da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, de janeiro de 1998 a novembro de 2011. A ressecção da parede torácica foi realizada com espessura total podendo envolver ossos e/ou tecidos moles, a fim de atingir margens livres macroscópicas. Resultados: Dezoito pacientes foram incluídos neste estudo, com seguimento médio de 83,5 meses. O intervalo entre a mastectomia e a recidiva da parede torácica (RPT) foi de 4,2 anos (0,5 a 9 anos). A ressecção foi completa em 12 pacientes (66%) e incompleta em 6 (33%), cuja ressecção envolveria a amputação do membro superior. O tamanho médio do tumor foi de 8,25cm e a ressecção do arco costal foi necessária em 10 pacientes. Não houve óbito devido à operação e, após dois anos, 66% dos pacientes estavam vivos. Seis pacientes morreram devido à recorrência sistêmica do câncer de mama e uma paciente morreu devido a um abdome agudo inflamatório. A sobrevida média entre os pacientes que morreram foi de 25,2 meses (12 a 42 meses). Na última consulta de acompanhamento, onze pacientes estavam vivos. Conclusões: A RPT para a recidiva locorregional do câncer de mama é factível e segura em pacientes selecionados, que não desenvolveram doença metastática, permitindo boa qualidade de vida por um período considerável. São necessárias séries maiores e prospectivas para endossar nossas achados

The Low-Cost, Long-Term Indwelling Pleural Catheter (LunGO): An Inexpensive and Effective Alternative for the Management of Dyspnea Associated with Malignant Pleural Effusions.

BACKGROUND: A malignant pleural effusion (MPE) in patients with cancer is evidence of the underlying disease progression, resulting in many symptoms, and may lead to hospitalization. The treatment options include talc pleurodesis (TP) or the implantation of an indwelling pleural catheter. The costs of the latter approach are often seen to be inhibitive for the Brazilian and other emerging markets' public health system. OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of utilizing a low-cost device (LunGO) through a case-control study. METHODS: Eighteen patients with recurrent neoplastic pleural effusion and contraindications to pleurodesis were recruited between June 2016 and November 2017. The patients were submitted to pleural catheter prototype implantation. Data on the underlying disease and hospital length of stay after the procedure were collected and compared with patients who underwent pleurodesis in the same period (control group, n = 34). RESULTS: In the LunGO group, 7 patients died due to the natural evolution of the underlying disease with the drain, whereas it was removed in 11 patients at a median of 43 days. Recurrence requiring an intervention was seen with the LunGO in 2, compared to 5 (OR = 1.37, p = 1) with TP. Complications were observed in only 1 with the LunGO, compared to 5 with TP. The chances of recurrence in both cohorts do not have a statistically significant difference, with an OR = 1.08 (p = 0.93). There was a tendency towards lower mortality in the LunGO cohort, despite that fact that we did not observe statistical significance (OR = 0.16, p = 0.23). CONCLUSION: LunGO was shown to be a viable and safe device for the treatment of symptomatic MPE.

Interaction between treatment delivery delay and stage on the mortality from non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate the interaction between treatment delay and stage on the mortality from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We performed a survival analysis in a cohort of patients admitted to the reference cancer center. The following data were collected: age, gender, smoking status, tumor staging, type of lung cancer, and time from the date when the patient was diagnosed with cancer to the starting date of effective treatment. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate the association between potential confounders identified during the study design. After the final adjusted model was determined, tests for interaction among all predictors were performed. RESULTS: Inclusion criteria were met by 359 patients. In the adjusted analysis, delayed treatment delivery was a protective factor for the risk of death, with a crude hazard ratio (HR) =0.75 (0.59-0.97; P=0.02) and an adjusted HR =0.59 (0.46-0.77; P<0.001). However, a statistically significant interaction with mortality was observed between timely treatment and tumor stage. Patients with stage II disease who received delayed treatment had a higher risk of death [HR =3.08 (1.05-9.0; P=0.04)]. On the other hand, stage IV patients who received delayed treatment had a 52% reduction in mortality [HR =0.48 (0.35-0.66; P<0.001)]. CONCLUSIONS: Stage of disease influenced the association between start of the treatment and mortality, and only the subgroup of stage II patients seemed to benefit from early treatment.

Protocolo fisioterapêutico aplicado no pós-operatório imediato para recuperação acelerada de pacientes submetidos à procedimentos cirúrgicos torácicos no Hospital Santa Marcelina ­ Itaquera (PROSM): estudo clínico randomizado / Physiotherapeutic protocol applied in the immediate postoperative period for accelerated recovery of patients submitted to thoracic surgery at the Hospital Santa Marcelina (Brazil): randomized clinical trial

INTRODUÇÃO: A cirurgia torácica pode causar uma série de complicações pulmonares após o processo cirúrgico. O momento e a circunstância ideais para sedestação fora do leito e suas implicações clínicas, após cirurgias no tórax, ainda necessitam de padronização. Assim, faz-se necessário um tratamento de mobilização precoce adequado visando minimizar as complicações no período pós-operatório. OBJETIVOS: Objetivamos avaliar o efeito do atendimento fisioterapêutico no pós-operatório imediato de pacientes submetidos à cirurgia torácica. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Este será um ensaio clínico randomizado, no qual um grupo de pacientes submetidos às cirurgias de ressecções pulmonares eletivas (segmentectomias, lobectomias ou pneumonectomias) com idade superior a dezoito anos receberão atendimento fisioterapêutico através do PROSM. Serão excluídos os pacientes incapazes de assinar o termo de consentimento livre esclarecido, com performance status comprometido (ECOG superior à 2), com peso corporal inferior à 60 Kg ou superior à 120 Kg, com alergia a qualquer uma das drogas utilizadas na anestesia, portadores de disfunção renal, disfunção hepática (Child B e C) e Insuficiência Cardíaca (classe Funcional III e IV). O instrumento de classificação do grau da dor por meio da Escala Visual Analógica (EVA) e instrumento de classificação da independência funcional por meio da Escala MIF (medida de independência funcional) serão aplicados antes do início e após o término de cada sessão de fisioterapia. Também será analisado o número de sessões de cada paciente e o tempo de internação. Para análise estatística será utilizado o programa SPSS Statistics e o teste de Shapiro-Wilk será usado para identificar a normalidade dos dados coletados. Espera-se um menor tempo de internação e melhor independência funcional na alta hospitalar nos pacientes submetidos ao PROSM. [AU]

INTRODUCTION: Thoracic surgery can cause a series of pulmonary complications after the surgical procedure. The ideal timing and circumstance for out-of-bed sedation and its clinical implications, after chest surgeries, still require standardization. Thus, an appropriate early mobilization treatment is necessary in order to minimize complications in the postoperative period. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the effect of physical therapy care in the immediate postoperative period of patients undergoing thoracic surgery. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This will be a randomized clinical trial in which a group of patients undergoing elective pulmonary resections (segmentectomies, lobectomies or pneumonectomies) aged over eighteen years will receive physiotherapeutic care through PROSM. Patients under the age of eighteen years, unable to sign the informed consent form, with compromised performance status (ECOG greater than 2), with a body weight below 60 kg or greater than 120 kg, with a history of allergy to any of the drugs used in anesthesia, patients with renal dysfunction, liver dysfunction (Child B and C) and Heart Failure (Functional class III and IV). The instrument of classification of pain grade by means of the Visual Analogue Scale (EVA) and instrument of classification of functional independence by means of the MIF Scale (functional independence measure) will be applied before the beginning and after the end of each physiotherapy session. We will also analyze the number of sessions of each patient and the length of hospital stay. For statistical analysis, the SPSS Statistics program will be used and the Shapiro-Wilk test will be used to identify the normality of the data collected. It is expected a shorter hospitalization time and better functional independence at hospital discharge in patients submitted to PROSM. [AU]

Wet M1a non-small cell lung cancer: is it possible to predict recurrence of pleural effusion?

BACKGROUND: The propose was to recognize risk factors of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) recurrence in patients with symptomatic M1a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: All patients with NSCLC and MPE submitted to pleural palliative procedures were enrolled in a prospective study. Group I contained patients who had pleural recurrence, and Group II with no pleural recurrence. Prognostic factors for pleural recurrence were identified by univariable analysis, using Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Student's t test for quantitative variables. Afterwards the significant variables were entered into a multivariable logistic regression analysis (with P<0.05 considered significant). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis determined the cutoff points for continuous variables. RESULTS: A total of 82 patients were included in the analysis. There were 15 patients (18.3%) in Group I and 67 patients (81.7%) in Group II. Univariable analysis regarding factors affecting postoperative recurrence was: adenosine deaminase concentration in pleural fluid <16 mg/dL (P=0.04), albumin concentration in pleural fluid <2.4 mg/dL (P=0.03), administration of second-line palliative chemotherapy (P=0.018) and type of procedure [therapeutic pleural aspiration (TPA)] (P=0.023). At the multivariable analysis, only the type of procedure (TPA) (P=0.031) was identified as independent predictor of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of this factor may assist the choice of the optimal palliative technique; at the first episode of MPE in NSCLC patients and definitive procedure as pleurodesis or indwelling pleural catheter are recommended.

Impact of the delay to start treatment in patients with lung cancer treated in a densely populated area of Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the access of patients with lung cancer in a densely populated area of São Paulo to the Brazilian Public Health System, focusing on the time spent from symptom onset or initial diagnosis until the beginning of treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 509 patients with malignant lung neoplasms who were admitted to a single reference oncology center of the public health system between July 2008 and December 2014. Patients were considered eligible for this study if they were older than 18 years and had not undergone any previous oncology treatment when they were admitted to the institution. The following data were collected from all patients: age, gender, smoking status, tumor staging, time from the when the first symptoms were experienced by the patient to when the patient was diagnosed with cancer, time from the first appointment to cancer diagnosis, and time from when the patient was diagnosed with cancer to the initiation of treatment. RESULTS: The median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was three months. From the first appointment to diagnosis, the median time interval was one month; however, 79% of patients were diagnosed in up to two months. The median time from diagnosis to the start of treatment was one month, but most patients (82.5%) started treatment in up to two months. CONCLUSION: In our highly populated region with preferential access to the public health system, patients are required to wait a relatively long time to effectively begin treatment for lung cancer. This type of study is important to alert medical societies and government health agencies.

Impact of the delay to start treatment in patients with lung cancer treated in a densely populated area of Brazil

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the access of patients with lung cancer in a densely populated area of São Paulo to the Brazilian Public Health System, focusing on the time spent from symptom onset or initial diagnosis until the beginning of treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 509 patients with malignant lung neoplasms who were admitted to a single reference oncology center of the public health system between July 2008 and December 2014. Patients were considered eligible for this study if they were older than 18 years and had not undergone any previous oncology treatment when they were admitted to the institution. The following data were collected from all patients: age, gender, smoking status, tumor staging, time from the when the first symptoms were experienced by the patient to when the patient was diagnosed with cancer, time from the first appointment to cancer diagnosis, and time from when the patient was diagnosed with cancer to the initiation of treatment. RESULTS: The median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was three months. From the first appointment to diagnosis, the median time interval was one month; however, 79% of patients were diagnosed in up to two months. The median time from diagnosis to the start of treatment was one month, but most patients (82.5%) started treatment in up to two months. CONCLUSION: In our highly populated region with preferential access to the public health system, patients are required to wait a relatively long time to effectively begin treatment for lung cancer. This type of study is important to alert medical societies and government health agencies.

Use of indwelling pleural catheters for the definitive treatment of malignant pleural effusion / Utilização de cateter pleural de longa permanência para o tratamento definitivo de derrame pleural neoplásico

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of the use of indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Methods: We prospectively collected data from patients with MPE undergoing IPC placement between January of 2014 and July of 2015. All patients submitted to IPC placement had a life expectancy > 30 days, in accordance with the MPE treatment guidelines established by the British Thoracic Society. The data collected included gender, age, body mass index, primary cancer site, duration of IPC drainage, IPC-related complications, length of hospital stay, pleural effusion recurrence, and occurrence of spontaneous pleurodesis. Results: A total of 19 patients underwent IPC placement during the study period. Median overall survival after IPC insertion was 145 days. The median follow-up among the surviving patients was 125 days (range, 53-485 days), and the median time between catheter insertion and removal was 31 days (range, 2-126 days). There were IPC-related complications in 5 patients (26.2%), and spontaneous pleurodesis was achieved in 8 (42.0%). Among those 8 patients, the IPC was removed between days 30 and 126 in 4, and spontaneous pleurodesis occurred within the first 30 days in 4. Conclusions: The use of IPCs seems to be feasible and safe in patients with MPE.

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar a segurança e a viabilidade do uso de cateter pleural de longa permanência (CPLP) em pacientes com derrame pleural neoplásico (DPN). Métodos: Dados referentes a pacientes com DPN que receberam CPLP entre janeiro de 2014 e julho de 2015 foram colhidos prospectivamente. Todos os pacientes que receberam CPLP tinham expectativa de vida > 30 dias, em conformidade com as diretrizes de tratamento de DPN da Sociedade Torácica Britânica. Foram colhidos dados sobre sexo, idade, índice de massa corporal, local do câncer primário, tempo de drenagem com o CPLP, complicações relacionadas com o CPLP, tempo de internação hospitalar, recidiva do derrame pleural e ocorrência de pleurodese espontânea. Resultados: Dezenove pacientes receberam CPLP durante o período de estudo. A mediana de sobrevida global após a inserção do CPLP foi de 145 dias. A mediana de tempo de acompanhamento dos pacientes sobreviventes foi de 125 dias (variação: 53-485 dias), e a mediana de tempo decorrido entre a inserção e a remoção do cateter foi de 31 dias (variação: 2-126 dias). Houve complicações relacionadas com o CPLP em 5 pacientes (26,2%) e pleurodese espontânea em 8 (42,0%). Nesses 8 pacientes, o CPLP foi retirado entre os dias 30 e 126 em 4, e a pleurodese espontânea ocorreu nos primeiros 30 dias em 4. Conclusões: O uso de CPLP parece ser viável e seguro em pacientes com DPN.

Use of indwelling pleural catheters for the definitive treatment of malignant pleural effusion.

OBJECTIVE:: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of the use of indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE). METHODS:: We prospectively collected data from patients with MPE undergoing IPC placement between January of 2014 and July of 2015. All patients submitted to IPC placement had a life expectancy > 30 days, in accordance with the MPE treatment guidelines established by the British Thoracic Society. The data collected included gender, age, body mass index, primary cancer site, duration of IPC drainage, IPC-related complications, length of hospital stay, pleural effusion recurrence, and occurrence of spontaneous pleurodesis. RESULTS:: A total of 19 patients underwent IPC placement during the study period. Median overall survival after IPC insertion was 145 days. The median follow-up among the surviving patients was 125 days (range, 53-485 days), and the median time between catheter insertion and removal was 31 days (range, 2-126 days). There were IPC-related complications in 5 patients (26.2%), and spontaneous pleurodesis was achieved in 8 (42.0%). Among those 8 patients, the IPC was removed between days 30 and 126 in 4, and spontaneous pleurodesis occurred within the first 30 days in 4. CONCLUSIONS:: The use of IPCs seems to be feasible and safe in patients with MPE. OBJETIVO:: Avaliar a segurança e a viabilidade do uso de cateter pleural de longa permanência (CPLP) em pacientes com derrame pleural neoplásico (DPN). MÉTODOS:: Dados referentes a pacientes com DPN que receberam CPLP entre janeiro de 2014 e julho de 2015 foram colhidos prospectivamente. Todos os pacientes que receberam CPLP tinham expectativa de vida > 30 dias, em conformidade com as diretrizes de tratamento de DPN da Sociedade Torácica Britânica. Foram colhidos dados sobre sexo, idade, índice de massa corporal, local do câncer primário, tempo de drenagem com o CPLP, complicações relacionadas com o CPLP, tempo de internação hospitalar, recidiva do derrame pleural e ocorrência de pleurodese espontânea. RESULTADOS:: Dezenove pacientes receberam CPLP durante o período de estudo. A mediana de sobrevida global após a inserção do CPLP foi de 145 dias. A mediana de tempo de acompanhamento dos pacientes sobreviventes foi de 125 dias (variação: 53-485 dias), e a mediana de tempo decorrido entre a inserção e a remoção do cateter foi de 31 dias (variação: 2-126 dias). Houve complicações relacionadas com o CPLP em 5 pacientes (26,2%) e pleurodese espontânea em 8 (42,0%). Nesses 8 pacientes, o CPLP foi retirado entre os dias 30 e 126 em 4, e a pleurodese espontânea ocorreu nos primeiros 30 dias em 4. CONCLUSÕES:: O uso de CPLP parece ser viável e seguro em pacientes com DPN.

Prognostic factors in patients with malignant pleural effusion: Is it possible to predict mortality in patients with good performance status?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify predictors of mortality only in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) showing good performance status which required pleural palliative procedures. METHODS: All patients with MPE submitted to pleural palliative procedure were enrolled in a prospective study between 2013 and 2014. Patients with Eastern cooperative oncology group (ECOG) score zero, one, and two were considered with good performance status. The possible prognostic factors were tested for significance using the log-rank test (Kaplan-Meier method) and those with significance on univariate analysis were entered into a multivariable Cox model. RESULTS: A total of 64 patients were included in the analysis. Median follow-up time for surviving patients was 263 days. Median survival for the entire cohort was not reached yet. In the multivariate analysis, gastrointestinal primary site (P = 0.006), low albumin concentration in the pleural fluid (P = 0.017), and high serum NLR (P = 0.007) were associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: In our cohort of ECOG 0-2 patients with MPE submitted to pleural palliative procedures, gastrointestinal malignancy compared to other sites, low pleural fluid albumin and high NLR were significantly associated with mortality. The identification of these prognostic factors may assist the choice of the optimal palliative technique. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:570-574. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Catheter for Cleaning Surgical Optics During Surgical Procedures: A Possible Solution for Residue Buildup and Fogging in Video Surgery.

Currently, there is a tendency to perform surgical procedures via laparoscopic or thoracoscopic access. However, even with the impressive technological advancement in surgical materials, such as improvement in quality of monitors, light sources, and optical fibers, surgeons have to face simple problems that can greatly hinder surgery by video. One is the formation of "fog" or residue buildup on the lens, causing decreased visibility. Intracavitary techniques for cleaning surgical optics and preventing fog formation have been described; however, some of these techniques employ the use of expensive and complex devices designed solely for this purpose. Moreover, these techniques allow the cleaning of surgical optics when they becomes dirty, which does not prevent the accumulation of residue in the optics. To solve this problem we have designed a device that allows cleaning the optics with no surgical stops and prevents the fogging and residue accumulation. The objective of this study is to evaluate through experimental testing the effectiveness of a simple device that prevents the accumulation of residue and fogging of optics used in surgical procedures performed through thoracoscopic or laparoscopic access. Ex-vivo experiments were performed simulating the conditions of residue presence in surgical optics during a video surgery. The experiment consists in immersing the optics and catheter set connected to the IV line with crystalloid solution in three types of materials: blood, blood plus fat solution, and 200 mL of distilled water and 1 vial of methylene blue. The optics coupled to the device were immersed in 200 mL of each type of residue, repeating each immersion 10 times for each distinct residue for both thirty and zero degrees optics, totaling 420 experiments. A success rate of 98.1% was observed after the experiments, in these cases the device was able to clean and prevent the residue accumulation in the optics.

Prognostic Factors of 30-Day Mortality After Palliative Procedures in Patients with Malignant Pleural Effusion.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify predictors of 30-day mortality in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) who need pleural palliative procedures. METHODS: Data was prospectively collected from our database, between January 2013 and July 2014 on 86 patients with MPE and complete follow-up 30 days after the procedure. The sample was divided into two groups. The first group (G1) included patients who had died up to 30 days after the palliative procedure, and the second group (G2) included patients who survived for more than 30 days after the palliative procedure. The identification of prognostic factors occurred through univariate analysis using Fisher exact test for analysis of categorical variables and the t test for quantitative variables. Subsequently, all variables were used in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The cutoff values for any significant continuous variables were determined by receiver operating characteristics analysis. RESULTS: There were 24 patients in G1 and 62 patients in G2. Univariate analysis of factors affecting postprocedural survival disclosed nine factors that were associated with significantly reduced postoperative survival. At the multivariate analysis, high levels of white blood cells, (p = .013), low levels of red blood cells (p < .0001) and protein in pleural fluid (p = .001), and primary lung and gastrointestinal sites (p = .0076) were identified as independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: We identified four factors that are easily recognized in daily practice and can help select patients with low life expectancy. Therefore, invasive procedures and hospitalizations for this subgroup of patients can be prevented.

Treatment of thoracic wounds with adapted vacuum therapy.

This is a report of seven cases of infected thoracic wounds treated with an adapted low-cost vacuum therapy in the Thoracic Surgery Unit of Santa Marcelina Hospital. The vacuum system used was designed and adapted to our hospital due to financial limitations on the acquisition of commercial kits. The vacuum-assisted closure kit used in this study consisted of chlorhexidine sponges (which are usually used for antisepsis of the surgical team), a 16F nasogastric tube, and two sterile adhesive films (OPSITE) for surgical field reinforcement. The mean duration of vacuum therapy was 13.4 days (range, 10-20 days), with an average of three dressing changes (range, 1-5). After treatment with vacuum-assisted closure, three wounds (3/7) were closed with simple primary sutures, one of the lesions (1/7) was closed by muscle flap rotation, and three wounds (3/7) healed by second intention. This adapted vacuum therapy was safe and easy to apply in our institution, including its use in patients with thoracostomies.