Diagnosis and management of patients with stage III non­small cell lung cancer: A joint statement by the Lebanese Society of Medical Oncology and the Lebanese Pulmonary Society (Review).

Proper management of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) might result in a cure or patient long-term survival. Management should therefore be preceded by adequate and accurate diagnosis and staging, which will inform therapeutic decisions. A panel of oncologists, surgeons and pulmonologists in Lebanon convened to establish a set of recommendations to guide and unify clinical practice, in alignment with international standards of care. Whilst chest computerized tomography (CT) scanning remains a cornerstone in the discovery of a lung lesion, a positron-emission tomography (PET)/CT scan and a tumor biopsy allows for staging of the cancer and defining the resectability of the tumor(s). A multidisciplinary discussion meeting is currently widely advised for evaluating patients on a case-by-case basis, and should include at least the treating oncologist, a thoracic surgeon, a radiation oncologist and a pulmonologist, in addition to physicians from other specialties as needed. The standard of care for unresectable stage III NSCLC is concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, followed by consolidation therapy with durvalumab, which should be initiated within 42 days of the last radiation dose; for resectable tumors, neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgical resection is recommended. This joint statement is based on the expertise of the physician panel, available literature and evidence governing the treatment, management and follow-up of patients with stage III NSCLC.

Linezolid Toxicity and Mitochondrial Susceptibility: A Novel Neurological Complication in a Lebanese Patient.

The recent rise in the use of linezolid to treat a variety of resistant pathogens has uncovered many side effects. Some patients develop lactic acidosis, myelosuppression, optic or peripheral neuropathies, and myopathies. We evaluated an elderly patient who presented to the Emergency Room with linezolid toxicity and a novel neurologic complication characterized by bilateral globi pallidi necrosis. Mitochondrial ribosome inhibition was described to be the predisposing factor. The patient belongs to the mitochondrial J1 haplotype known to be associated with side effects of the drug. We recommend based on the molecular profile of the illness pretreatment considerations and complication management.