Lung metastasectomy after colorectal cancer: prognostic impact of resection margin on long term survival, a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary metastasectomy is considered a potentially curative treatment for selected patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Several prognostic factors have been analysed, but to date, it is still not well defined which is the optimal resection margin during lung metastasectomy (LM). This study analyses the long-term results and prognostic factors after LM in CRC patients with particular attention to the resection margins. Primary endpoint of this study is to assess the correlation between resection margins and long-term outcomes. METHODS: Observational cohort study on all proven cases of CRC lung metastases (2000-2016) resected with curative intent in a single centre. RESULTS: The series included 210 consecutive patients (M/F 133/77) with a mean age of 65.4 (± 9.96) years, 75% (159/210) of them with a solitary metastasis. Mean size of metastasis was 2.57 cm (± 1.45). One hundred sixty-eight patients underwent wedge resections (80%) and lymphadenectomy was carried out in 90 cases (42.9%). With a mean follow-up of 56 months (range 5-192), we observed a 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) of 95%, 74% and 54%, respectively. The patients were divided into three groups according to the resection margin distance from the tumour: (a) ≥ 2 cm (145 cases); (b) < 2, ≥ 1 cm (37 cases); and (c) < 1 cm (12 cases). The OS was significantly different between the three groups (p = 0,020); univariate and multivariate analyses showed that a narrow resection margin was an independent prognostic factor of worse survival (p = 0.006 and HR 3.4 p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term survival of patients after LM is strongly associated with a greater distance between the lesion and the resection margin.

Correction to: Lung metastasectomy after colorectal cancer: prognostic impact of resection margin on long term survival, a retrospective cohort study.

The original version of this article, unfortunately, contained an error. In Fig. 2 - panel d, incorrect image was published and this is now presented correctly in this article.

Intraoperative sentinel lymph node mapping in stage I non-small cell lung cancer: detection of micrometastases by polymerase chain reaction.

OBJECTIVE: We previously reported the results achieved in detecting sentinel lymph nodes (SLN). We applied the molecular techniques (RT-PCR) to improve the detection of micrometastasis in order to evaluate an improvement of staging in early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (pts). METHODS: This study was carried out on 22 consecutive NSCLC pts with stage I disease. A dose of 37MBq (1 ml (99m)Tc-nanocolloid suspension) was administered. The intralesional injection was performed under CT-guidance (7 pts), by using bronchoscopy (5 pts), VATS (2 pts) and at time of the thoracotomy (8 pts). RT-PCR analysis for cytokeratin 7 and 19 (CK7-CK19) was used to identify tumour-derived material in lymph nodes (LN). Each SLN was bisected: half was used for conventional examination (H&E staining/by immunohistochemistry (IHC), half was snap-frozen to -80 degrees C for RNA-detection of CK7 and CK19. RESULTS: SLN was detected in 16 out of 19 pts. In three pts SLN was not identified (due to an incorrect technique). Conventional pathologic examination showed stage I disease in 13 pts, T3N0 disease in 1 pt, N2 in 5 pts. The IHC analysis identified micrometastasis in seven pts (two evaluated N0 according to H&E staining). RT-PCR analysis, performed in 10/16 pts, identified micrometastasis in 6 pts (3 pts evaluated N0 disease by H&E ; 1 of these evaluated N0 even by IHC). All N2 patients relapsed. One patient (N0 pts after H&E and IHC analysis) with positive CK7 and CK19 expression by RT-PCR analysis relapsed (systemic relapse) 3 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: SLN technique could provide a subgroup of patients in which the use of RT-PCR could be applied on a well-focused target. This approach may be useful for stratifying histologically N0 patients into higher risk and lower risk groups.

Robotically assisted lobectomy: learning curve and complications.

The past two decades have witnessed a revolutionary transition in surgical technique and technology with the development of minimally invasive approaches. Many advantages were obtained by using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: less surgical trauma and pain, shorter hospital stay, and satisfactory cosmetic results. Limitations still remain, however, because of impaired vision, restricted instrument-maneuverability, unstable camera platform, and poor ergonomics for the surgeon. Some of the more prominent limitations involve the technical and mechanical nature of the equipment. This article describes technical aspects, learning curve, and complications in the field of robotic lobectomy.

Minimally invasive mediastinal surgery.

In the past, mediastinal surgery was associated with the necessity of a maximum exposure, which was accomplished through various approaches. In the early 1990s, many surgical fields, including thoracic surgery, observed the development of minimally invasive techniques. These included video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), which confers clear advantages over an open approach, such as less trauma, short hospital stay, increased cosmetic results and preservation of lung function. However, VATS is associated with several disadvantages. For this reason, it is not routinely performed for resection of mediastinal mass lesions, especially those located in the anterior mediastinum, a tiny and remote space that contains vital structures at risk of injury. Robotic systems can overcome the limits of VATS, offering three-dimensional (3D) vision and wristed instrumentations, and are being increasingly used. With regards to thymectomy for myasthenia gravis (MG), unilateral and bilateral VATS approaches have demonstrated good long-term neurologic results with low complication rates. Nevertheless, some authors still advocate the necessity of maximum exposure, especially when considering the distribution of normal and ectopic thymic tissue. In recent studies, the robotic approach has shown to provide similar neurological outcomes when compared to transsternal and VATS approaches, and is associated with a low morbidity. Importantly, through a unilateral robotic technique, it is possible to dissect and remove at least the same amount of mediastinal fat tissue. Preliminary results on early-stage thymomatous disease indicated that minimally invasive approaches are safe and feasible, with a low rate of pleural recurrence, underlining the necessity of a "no-touch" technique. However, especially for thymomatous disease characterized by an indolent nature, further studies with long follow-up period are necessary in order to assess oncologic and neurologic results through minimally invasive approaches. Furthermore, increased robotic experience and studies, including randomized controlled trials, are needed to validate the findings of the current literature.

The management of malignant pericardial effusions using permanently implanted devices.

We present a new approach utilising VATS and a Port-system (Medi-Port MP-GS9; IAP-HMP) that allows home management of pericardial effusion in patients with advanced malignancy and recurrent effusion. All patients underwent thoracoscopic pericardial window under general anaesthesia. On completion of this procedure a Port-system was permanently implanted with the reservoir body placed in a subcutaneous pocket and the outlet catheter inserted into the pleural cavity which allows aspiration of the effusion at home, on becoming symptomatic.

Early experience with robotic technology for thoracoscopic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, robots have been introduced into surgical procedures in an attempt to facilitate surgical performance. The purpose of this study was to develop a technique to perform thoracoscopic lung resection using a telemanipulation system. METHODS: We have used a robotic system to perform thoracoscopic surgery in 12 cases: five lobectomies, three tumor enucleations, three excisions and one bulla stitching completed with fibrin glue for spontaneous pneumothorax. The operations were performed using the Intuitive Microsurgical system (Da Vinci System) through three ports and, a fourth space 'service entrance' incision, in the major lung resection. RESULTS: Three procedures begun with the robotic technique were completed by a minimal thoracotomy. No technical operative mishaps were associated with the manoeuvres of robotic arms. In all manoeuvres (up, down, insertion, extraction, etc.), the robotic arms moved appropriately in the favorable operative fields. All patients tolerated the procedure well and the post-operative course was satisfactory, requiring few analgesics. CONCLUSIONS: Although further studies on robotically assisted procedures are needed to clarify the clinical feasibility of this procedure, the results in our cases are encouraging. We believe that thoracoscopic procedures using a robotic manipulation system may be technically feasible in selected cases and in the hands of experienced thoracic surgeons.

Intraoperative radioguided sentinel lymph node biopsy in non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy and the role of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) technique in patients with early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: This study was carried out on 29 consecutive patients (M/F = 24:5, mean age 65.9 +/- 7.1 years) with resectable NSCLC (Stage IA-IB). Intraoperative injection with a (99m)Tc-nanocolloid suspension was performed in the first ten patients; the following patients were injected under computed tomography scan guidance. A total dose of 37 MBq (1 ml) was administered in two to four divided aliquots (depending on the size), injected in the periphery of the tumour. Intraoperative radioactivity counting started a mean of 1 h (range 50-70 min) after the injection. The SLN was defined as the node with the highest count rate using a handheld gamma probe counter. Resection with mediastinal node dissection was performed and findings were correlated with histologic and immunohistochemistry (IHC) examination. RESULTS: Three of the 29 patients did not have NSCLC (two benign lesions, and one metastatic breast tumour) and were excluded. The SLN was identified in 25/26 (96.1%) patients (a total of 31 SLNs); 7/31 (22.5%) of the SLNs were positive for metastatic involvement after histologic and IHC examination. One inaccurately identified SLN was encountered (3.8%). CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of this procedure in identifying the first site of potential nodal metastases of NSCLC. The actual clinical impact of this procedure remains to be elucidated by further investigation in larger groups of patients.

Robotic lobectomy: tips, pitfalls and troubleshooting.

The robotic approach in thoracic surgery has rapidly gained popularity in recent years. As with the introduction of any new technology, this warrants not only adaptation of the operative technique itself, but also the evolution of appropriate troubleshooting strategies. A selected number of helpful tips and technical procedural manoeuvres have been compiled to prevent intraoperative problems, as well as to overcome challenging situations that can arise during robotic lobectomies. In robotic surgery, as opposed to open surgery or video-assisted thoracic surgery, these tips serve an important purpose for the operating surgeon, as well as the entire surgical team involved in the procedure. All the assembled recommendations have proved their effectiveness and have been successfully used by the authors in many procedures. Furthermore, these manoeuvres have been found to be of great importance in the training and proctoring of thoracic surgeons, fellows and residents (bed-side assistants). This guide of clearly arranged tips and troubleshooting strategies offers surgeons a useful tool to overcome difficult situations in robotic lobectomy and preferably improve the reproducibility and safety of their procedures.

VATS-based approach for robotic lobectomy.

Lobectomy with systematic lymph node sampling or dissection remains the mainstay of treatment of early stage non-small cell lung cancer. The use of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) to perform lobectomy was first reported in 1992. Advantages of VATS include less trauma and pain, shorter chest drainage duration, decreased hospital stay, and preservation of short-term pulmonary function. However, VATS is characterized by loss of binocular vision and a limited maneuverability of thoracoscopic instruments, an unstable camera platform, and poor ergonomics for the surgeon. To overcome these limitations, robotic systems were developed during the last decades. This article reviews the technical aspects of robotic lobectomy using a VATS-based approach.

Robotic lobectomy for lung cancer: evolution in technique and technology.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyse the results of robotic lobectomy for lung cancer. The evolution of technique and technology was evaluated. METHODS: During the period 2004-12, all patients who underwent robotic lobectomy for clinical early-stage lung cancer were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 included 69 patients operated by the first generation of surgical robotic system. Group 2 included 160 patients treated with the latest generation of surgical robotic system. Age, gender, comorbidities, operative time, docking time, conversion rate, morbidity, mortality and length of postoperative stay were compared in both groups. RESULTS: The two groups were homogeneous in terms of age, gender and comorbidities. Histopathological analysis showed 41 and 107 adenocarcinomas, 27 and 37 squamous cell carcinomas, 1 and 7 large cell carcinomas, in Groups 1 and 2, respectively, and 5 sarcomatoid carcinomas and 4 carcinoids in Group 2. The pathological stage for Group 1 was Stage I (48 cases), Stage II (17 cases) and Stage III (4 cases). For Group 2, Stage I was found in 115 cases, Stage II in 30 cases and Stage III in 15 cases. The mean operative time was 237 (standard deviation (SD) + 66.9) and 172 (SD ± 39.6) min for Groups 1 and 2 (P = 0.002), respectively. The conversion rates were, respectively, 10.1 and 5.6% (P = 0.21), mortality rates 1.4 and 0% (P = 0.30) and morbidity rates 22 and 15% (P = 0.12). The mean length of postoperative stay was 4.4 (SD ± 3.1) and 3.8 days (SD ± 2.2) (P = 0.26), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests a positive trend in the outcomes for patients who underwent the upgraded robotic system surgery compared with those treated by the standard system.

Sentinel lymph node in lung cancer surgery.

The greatest utility of sentinel lymph node (SLN) assessment is the avoidance of lymph node dissection and related morbidity. Another potential utility is the ability to direct pathologic examination and more sensitive techniques to detect occult micrometastatic disease. New pathologic methods can identify single tumor cells or even genetic material within a single lymph node station, bringing the concept of ultrastaging and micrometastasis in the field on staging. This article describes the SLN technique in patients with early non-small-cell lung cancer, as unique and useful targeting enables pathologists to localize micrometastatic foci within an otherwise normal lymph node.

Robot-assisted resection of pulmonary sequestrations.

Pulmonary sequestration is a rare congenital malformation and may cause recurrent infections and hemoptysis. Although video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is feasible, some drawbacks remain, mainly dealing the managing of anomalous vessels. We describe the use of a robotic system (da Vinci Robotic System, Surgical Intuitive, Mountain View, CA, USA) in the treatment of four consecutive cases of pulmonary sequestration.

Video robotic lobectomy.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is beneficial to the patient but challenging for the surgeon. Recently, robots have been introduced into surgical procedures in an attempt to facilitate surgical performance. The da Vinci™ Robotic System (Intuitive Surgical, Inc, CA, USA) is one of these robots. It consists of a console and a surgical cart supporting three articulated robotic arms. The surgeon sits at the console where he manipulates the joystick handles while observing the operating field through binoculars that provide a three-dimensional image. Improved ergonomic conditions and instrument mobility at the level of distal articulation seem beneficial in thoracic procedures. After a period of technical development and training we used the robotic systems to treat patients with various thoracic diseases. We focused our efforts on the development of this technique in thoracic surgery particularly to perform video robotic lobectomy (VRL).