Atezolizumab and nintedanib in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and interstitial lung disease.

In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), pre-existing interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a risk factor for the development of pneumonitis induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Anti-fibrotic agents, including nintedanib, reduce the potential for acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, whether nintedanib can reduce the potential for ICI-induced pneumonitis is unknown. From among 140 patients with NSCLC treated with atezolizumab monotherapy at our institution, we retrospectively investigated 4 patients with pre-existing ILD treated concurrently with nintedanib. On computed tomography (CT), a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern was present in one patient, probable UIP pattern in one patient, and indeterminate for UIP pattern in two patients. Of those four patients with pre-existing ILD, two achieved a partial response to ICI treatment, with response durations of 8.1 and 7.6 months. The other two patients experienced progressive disease. Notable adverse events included the development of non-symptomatic grade 1 pneumonitis in the patient with a probable UIP pattern and grade 3 lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in another patient. None of the patients experienced a worsening of respiratory symptoms. In patients with NSCLC and pre-existing ILD, nintedanib might reduce the potential for ICI-induced pneumonitis and enhance the antitumor effect.

The Role of Rigid Bronchoscopic Intervention for Bronchial Carcinoid.

Bronchial carcinoid is a rare malignant tumor that is categorized as a typical carcinoid or atypical carcinoid. Many institutions use flexible bronchoscopy for diagnosis. However, due to the hemorrhagic nature of the tumor, the amount of specimen obtained is often small, making it difficult to obtain an accurate diagnosis. The use of rigid bronchoscopy may not only contribute to obtaining a diagnosis but also be beneficial in the treatment plan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of rigid bronchoscopic interventions for the diagnosis and treatment of bronchial carcinoids. All patients with bronchial carcinoids who underwent rigid bronchoscopic intervention under general anesthesia at our institution between June 2006 and August 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Eight patients [3 men and 5 women; median age, 71 years (range 45-82 years)] were eligible for the analysis. None of the cases had accurate subtyping preoperatively before intervention. In contrast, all cases were diagnosed as carcinoid with subtypes (5 patients had typical carcinoid and 3 had atypical carcinoid) following rigid bronchoscopic intervention. All respiratory symptoms improved immediately after the procedure. One instance of bleeding occurred, and was easily controlled by argon plasma coagulation and intraluminal administration of epinephrine under flexible and rigid bronchoscopy. Four patients (3 with typical carcinoid and 1 with atypical carcinoid) underwent radical surgery sequentially, and no recurrences were observed. We conclude that rigid bronchoscopic intervention is safe and effective for accurate diagnosis and improvement of respiratory symptoms in patients with bronchial carcinoids.

External fixation of airway stents for upper tracheal stenosis and tracheoesophageal fistula.

OBJECTIVES: Stent migration is a common complication of airway stent placement for upper tracheal stenosis and tracheoesophageal fistula. Although several researchers have reported that external fixation is effective in preventing stent migration, the usefulness and safety of external fixation have not been proved because their cohorts were small. We therefore investigated the efficacy and safety of external fixation during upper tracheal stenting. METHODS: Records of patients who underwent airway stent placement from May 2007 to August 2018 in a single centre were retrospectively reviewed. We included only patients whose stent had been placed in the upper trachea with external fixation to the tracheal wall. The primary endpoint of this study was the rate of stent migration. RESULTS: Altogether, 51 procedures were performed in 45 patients (32 males, 13 females; median age 60 years, range 14-91 years). The median follow-up period was 9 months (range 0.3-90 months). Among the procedures, 15 were performed for benign disease and 36 for malignancy. Stents were composed of either silicone (n = 42) or metal (n = 9). Stent migration occurred in 3 (6%) patients. The stents with migration were all composed of silicone. Other sequelae were granulation tissue formation in 10 (20%) patients, sputum obstruction in 6 (12%), cellulitis in 3 (6%) and pneumonia in 1 (2%). CONCLUSIONS: External fixation was an effective method for preventing migration of airway stents placed for upper tracheal stenosis and tracheoesophageal fistula. The complications were acceptable in terms of safety.

Feasibility study of ultrasound video bronchoscopy for sampling endobronchial lesions.

INTRODUCTION: Endobronchial biopsy using forceps is generally performed with a standard bronchoscope, while a needle is used with an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) bronchoscope. An EBUS video bronchoscope, such as the EB-530US instrument (Fujifilm, Tokyo, Japan), provides good visibility and may, therefore, enable both forceps biopsies and needle aspirations to be performed. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of performing forceps biopsies and needle aspirations using the EBUS video bronchoscope for diagnosing endobronchial lesions. METHODS: Seventy patients with suspected endobronchial lesions based on a computed tomography scan were recruited and underwent forceps biopsy using the EB-530US EBUS bronchoscope. If the result of a rapid on-site cytological evaluation was negative, an additional needle aspiration of the same lesion or other target lesions was performed. The primary outcome was the completion rate of bronchoscopy, using only the EBUS bronchoscope without removal. RESULTS: In the 70 patients, forceps biopsies and/or needle aspirations using the EBUS video bronchoscope were performed and completed without removing the EBUS bronchoscope in 67 patients (95.7%). The remaining three patients required the removal of the EBUS bronchoscope from the trachea (blood clot obstruction of the working channel in one patient and change to a thin bronchoscope to sample an EBUS bronchoscope-inaccessible lesion in two others). The EBUS bronchoscope provided diagnostic material in 66 patients (94.3%). One case each of bleeding and pneumonia were observed (1.4%). CONCLUSION: Both forceps biopsy and needle aspiration are feasible using a Fujifilm EB-530US EBUS video bronchoscope.

Solvent-based paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel for heavily treated relapsed/refractory small cell lung cancer: Retrospective single-institution observational study.

Treatment options for patients with relapsed/refractory small cell lung cancer (R/R SCLC) are limited, and the efficacy of salvage therapies for heavily treated patients should be assessed. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of paclitaxel (PTX) in R/R SCLC patients.A single-institute retrospective chart review was conducted. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), whereas the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate, disease control rate (DCR), and safety.Thirty-one patients (median age, 69 [range, 56-80] years) were analyzed. The median follow-up period was 122 (range, 28-1121) days. The median OS and PFS were 4.4 and 2.2 months, respectively. Adverse events of grade 3 or higher, other than hematological toxicity, were febrile neutropenia and neuropathy. Multivariate analyses identified the following independent predictors of poor OS: performance status and lactate dehydrogenase at the upper limit of normal.PTX monotherapy showed moderate efficacy with acceptable toxicity in heavily treated patients with R/R SCLC patients.

T790M Correlates with Longer Progression-free Survival in Non-small Cell Lung Carcinomas Harboring EGFR Mutations.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between T790M status and the characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing rebiopsy after initial epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy and whether the site of rebiopsy has an effect on the detection rate for T790M in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data from stage IV or recurrent NSCLC patients who harbored EGFR mutations and who had initially received EGFR-TKI at our Center from January 2009 to December 2016. RESULTS: Overall, 129 patients were included. The median age at EGFR-TKI therapy initiation was 73 years and 110 showed progressive disease. The presence of T790M mutation was associated with significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) and EGFR mutation status. The participants' characteristics and rebiopsy site did not affect the T790M detection rate. CONCLUSION: It is highly recommended that patients with exon 19 deletions and long PFS undergo screening for T790M.