Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment at a Japanese Hospital.

Background/Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced medical institutions to scale back their practice. Changes in patient behavior seemed to be having an impact. We conducted a survey with the aim of reviewing lung cancer treatment during the pandemic period and identifying problems. Patients and Methods: We examined the medical records of all patients pathologically diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in our hospital from 2017 to 2022. NSCLC patients were divided into two groups: those diagnosed between 2017 and 2019 (first period) and those diagnosed between 2020 and 2022 (second period). Results: Within the study period, 267 NSCLC patients (first period: 147 patients, second period: 121 patients) were diagnosed in our hospital. The patients in the two study periods did not differ significantly in age (p=0.613), ECOG performance status (p=0.125), and clinical stage (p=0.354). Tumor size was significantly larger in the second period with a mean of 5.88 cm ± 3.02, compared to 4.24 cm ± 1.76 in the first period (p<0.001). In the standard treatment group, the median survival time was 457 days in the first period and 313 days in the second period (p=0.063). In the best supportive care group, median survival time was 122 days in the first period and 57 days in the second period (p=0.004). Conclusion: Patients themselves refrained from seeking consultation for lung cancer treatment during the pandemic period. It is inconclusive how to reduce the delay due to the suppression of consultations, but this is an important issue for the future.

Characteristics of Cancers in Adolescents and Young Adults Compared with Those in Adults in Their 60s: A Single-Center Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer is one of the main causes of death among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) aged 15-39 years. The improvement in overall 5-year survival in AYA cancer patients was far below than that of adult cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to clarify the features of cancer in AYAs by comparing them with those of controls. METHODS: Patients in the cancer registry of the University of Tsukuba Hospital between 2007 and 2017 (median age, 65 years) were included in this study. We used patients between the ages of 64 and 66 years as controls. We then obtained the age at diagnosis, sex, primary site, and pathological type. RESULTS: Among 27,281 cancer patients in the registry between 2007 and 2017, 1,947 (7.1%) patients were categorized into the AYA group, and 2,354 into the control group. Among men in the AYA group, central nervous system (CNS) tumors accounted for 22.7% of all cancers, followed by germ cell tumors, 22.5%, and hematopoietic malignancies, 12.5%. Among women in the AYA group, cervical cancer accounted for 35.9% of all cancers, followed by breast cancer, 14.6%, and CNS tumors, 11.6%. The proportion of specific cancer types relative to all cancers in the CNS, thyroid, adrenal glands, germ cells, cervix uteri, hematopoietic tissues, and sarcomas was higher in the AYA group than that in the control group. CONCLUSION: The present results for AYAs were in sharp contrast to those for adult cancers and may be related to different modes of pathogenesis in AYAs. The identification of high-risk groups of these tumors in the AYA generation is crucial for prevention and early detection and will be a major topic for future research. While most of adult cancers are treated independently by each medical department, AYA cancers need to be treated in collaboration with experts from several departments. It is desirable to address the issues involved in applying treatments established for adult cancers to AYA cancers on a cancer-by-cancer basis.

The prevalence and clinical implications of pancreatic fat accumulation identified during a medical check-up.

ABSTRACT: Fatty pancreas (FP) is characterized by pancreatic fat accumulation and the subsequent development of pancreatic and metabolic complications. However, FP has not been categorized in the manual for abdominal ultrasound in cancer screening and health check-ups in Japan, and the pathology of FP has not been fully elucidated.Nine hundred and nineteen people who underwent a medical check-up had the severity of their pancreatic fat accumulation categorized after transabdominal ultrasonographic examination. The relationships between FP, lifestyle-related diseases, and fatty liver disease at this time were assessed using stratification analysis.The prevalence of FP was 46.8% (430/919). People with FP were more likely to be male and had higher prevalences of lifestyle-related diseases, including fatty liver disease. Men and women were similarly represented in each tertile of pancreas brightness. Older age; high waist circumference, triglyceride and glucose index, serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, hepatic steatosis index; and low serum amylase were associated with the presence of severe FP. Moreover, the group with severe liver steatosis had a higher prevalence of FP and a higher pancreatic brightness score. Logistic regression analysis showed that individuals with liver steatosis were more likely to have severe FP.The severity of FP is associated with features of lifestyle-related diseases and the severity of liver steatosis. These findings suggest that high visceral fat content is associated with more severe fatty pancreas as a phenotype of ectopic fat accumulation, as well as fatty liver disease.

Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Patients with Poor Performance Status.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is highly sensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy. However, its indication in patients with a poor performance status (PS) at initial diagnosis is controversial. We retrospectively reviewed all clinical courses of pathologically diagnosed SCLC patients with poor PS, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group PS 3 and 4. Among 18 patients, 12 were treated with chemotherapy and 6 with supportive care alone. During the chemotherapy courses, PS improved in 7 (58.3%, including the PS 4 cases), remained stable in 2 (16.7%), and deteriorated in 3 (25%) patients. Moreover, 5 patients showed partial responses to chemotherapy (response rate of 41.7%). Grade 3-4 neutropenia developed in 10 (83.3%) patients and grade 3 febrile neutropenia occurred in 5 (41.7%) patients, but no grade 4 non-hematological toxicity was noted. Mortality associated with lung toxicity (grade 5) due to treatment occurred in a 77-year-old-male patient with PS 3. No substantial difference in survival was observed between patients with PS 3 and 4, even when including those treated with supportive care alone. Treatment had a positive effect on survival: after chemotherapy, the 6-month survival rate of PS 3 and 4 patients was 66.7%. In contrast, all patients treated with supportive care alone died within 5 months. These findings suggest that chemotherapy is indicated in selected SCLC patients not only with PS 3, but also with PS 4.

Pasteurella multocida pneumonia with hemoptysis: A case report.

Pasteurella multocida, which colonizes upper respiratory and digestive tracts, is a leading cause of respiratory diseases in many host species. Here, we describe a case of P. multocida pneumonia with hemoptysis. A 72-year-old female diagnosed with bronchiectasis with a 36-year history presented with a worsened infiltrative and granular shadow in the lower right lobe and lingular segment. Bronchial lavage fluid culturing suggested Pasteurella pneumonia. P. multocida was confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing. The patient was readmitted to our hospital because of hemoptysis, and she was treated successfully with antibiotic therapy. The possibility of P. multocida infection must be considered in patients who own pets.

Rechallenge with First-Line Platinum Chemotherapy for Sensitive-Relapsed Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Sensitive-relapsed small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is thought to be sensitive to chemotherapy; therefore, second-line chemotherapy is recommended. Although platinum rechallenge is performed in the second-line chemotherapy for sensitive-relapsed SCLC, it remains unclear whether such a strategy is effective. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of rechallenge chemotherapy for sensitive-relapsed SCLC. The endpoints of this study were progression-free survival from the time of relapse (PFS-Re) and overall survival from the time of relapse (OS-Re). We also compared the toxicity profile of rechallenge chemotherapy to that of first-line chemotherapy. RESULTS: Of the 133 SCLC patients who received first-line treatment, 20 patients satisfied the definition of sensitive relapse and received rechallenge chemotherapy. Combined carboplatin and etoposide was the most commonly used rechallenge regimen, and 17 (85%) received it at a reduced dose due to hematological toxicity during the first-line treatment. Median PFS-Re and OS-Re were 4.5 months (95% CI: 3.5-5.4) and 10.5 months (95% CI: 7.9-13.0), respectively. There was no association between dose adjustment and survival. The frequency of hematologic toxicity tended to be lower with rechallenge than first-line treatment. The incidence of grade 3 febrile neutropenia decreased from 40% in first-line treatment to 15% in rechallenge. CONCLUSION: Platinum rechallenge could be a useful second-line option for sensitive-relapsed SCLC, having favorable efficacy and safety. Dose adjustment at rechallenge based on the toxicity profile during the first-line chemotherapy could reduce toxicity without weakening efficacy.

Bone marrow metastasis of rhabdomyosarcoma mimicking acute leukemia: a case report and review of the literature.

Bone marrow metastasis of rhabdomyosarcoma has been reported to be difficult to distinguish from acute leukemia. We herein describe a case of rhabdomyosarcoma with bone marrow metastasis mimicking acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A 29-year-old woman was admitted with thrombocytopenia, blast-like cells in the peripheral blood and a coagulation disorder. Bone marrow aspirates showed 94.8% blast-like cell infiltration (CD45(-), myeloperoxidase(-), and CD56(+)), and CT scan revealed the presence of an infiltrating mass in the nasal cavity. Based on a biopsy of the nasal cavity, the patient was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma exhibiting bone marrow metastasis. She received chemotherapy, followed by radiation therapy, and has since remained alive for 26 months, as of the last follow-up.

A Fatal Case of Relapsing Pneumonia Caused by Legionella pneumophila in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis After Two Injections of Adalimumab.

We present a rare fatal case of relapsing pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis after only two injections of adalimumab. A 78-year-old Japanese woman with a 14-year history of rheumatoid arthritis was prescribed adalimumab because her disease activity remained high. However, 8 days after her second injection of adalimumab, she was admitted to our hospital and diagnosed with pneumonia caused by L. pneumophila. Following intravenous antibiotic therapy, she recovered completely from pneumonia and was discharged on day 10, but pneumonia relapsed, resulting in death 79 days after the first episode of pneumonia. L. pneumophila can lead to recurrence of pneumonia that can ultimately prove fatal, similar to the present case. A review of the pertinent literature is also presented.

[A case of Streptococcus suis endocarditis, probably bovine-transmitted, complicated by pulmonary embolism and spondylitis].

Streptococcus suis, a major global porcine pathogen, is an emerging zoonosis in Southeast Asia that triggered a 2005 outbreak in China. S. suis causes meningitis, sepsis, and endocarditis in both pigs and humans and involves significant mortality. We report the case of a previously healthy 50-year-old dairy farmer who developed S. suis type 2 endocarditis complicated by pulmonary embolism and spondylitis. He experienced a high fever, chills, fatigue, and worsening low back pain in the 6 weeks prior to admission. On physical examination, he had lumbar spine tenderness and weakness of the left leg. Blood culture identified penicillin-sensitive S. suis type 2. Echocardiography showed vegetation on the tricuspid valve, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed signs of spondylitis. The man reported sudden chest pain several days after admission, which computed tomography (CT) showed what was diagnosed as a septic pulmonary embolism. He was treated with penicillin G for 4 weeks and gentamicin for the first 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of oral amoxicillin, after which his symptoms gradually improved. The infection source was probably his dairy herd, since calves often bit his fingers while feeding and S. suis was found in their oral mucus. Over 400 cases of human S. suis infection have been reported globally, but this is, to our knowledge, the first known case of bovine transmission. All of Japan's 8 other cases involved occupational swine exposure, 5 of whom had injuries to their fingers. This emerging situation should be made known to all possibly involved in unprotected direct contact with swine and cattle, particularly when the skin could be compromised by cuts or abrasions.