Examination of Firefighting as an Occupational Exposure Criteria for Lung Cancer Screening.

PURPOSE: Firefighting is known to be carcinogenic to humans. However, current lung cancer screening guidelines do not account for occupational exposure. We hypothesize that firefighting is an independent risk factor associated with the development of high-risk lung nodules on low-dose CT (LDCT). METHODS: Members of a firefighter's union underwent LDCT at a single institution between April 2022 and June 2023 within a lung cancer screening program. Results were interpreted by designated chest radiologists and reported using the Lung-RADS scoring system. Demographic and radiographic data were recorded, and summary statistics are reported. RESULTS: 1347 individuals underwent lung cancer screening, with a median age of 51 years (IQR 42-58), including 56 (4.2%) females. Overall, 899 (66.7%) were never smokers, 345 (25.6%) were former smokers, and 103 (7.7%) were current smokers. There were 41 firefighters (3.0%) who had high-risk (Lung-RADS 3 or 4) nodules requiring intervention or surveillance, of which 21 (1.5%) were Lung-RADS 3 and 20 (1.5%) that were Lung-RADS 4. Of the firefighters with high-risk nodules, only 6 (14.6%) were eligible for LDCT based on current screening guidelines. There were 7 high-risk nodules (0.5%) that required procedural intervention, 6 (85.7%) of which were from the non-screening eligible cohort. There were also 20 never-smoking firefighters (57.1%) with high-risk nodules that were non-screening eligible. CONCLUSION: Firefighting, even in the absence of smoking history, may be associated with the development of high-risk lung nodules on LDCT. Carefully selected occupational exposures should be considered in the development of future lung cancer screening guidelines.

Women are Underrepresented in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: To perform a systematic review of clinical trials examining non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to better understand the equity afforded to women in the study of lung cancer. METHODS: An electronic search was conducted for all NSCLC clinical trials published between 2010 and 2020 with included words "carcinoma, non-small cell, lung" and "non-small cell lung cancer." Studies from PubMed, Cochrane, and SCOPUS were included and were uploaded into Covidence to assist with systematic review. All articles were screened by two separate individuals and reviewed for location, study type, cancer stage, field of study of the research team, and percentage of females included. Student's t-test was used to compare the means of males and females. RESULTS: Across the 269 studies that met inclusion criteria, fewer females than males were enrolled (38.7% vs. 61.1%; p < 0.0001). Compared with studies from 2010 to 2015, those from 2016 to 2020 had greater representation of females (36.7% vs. 41.4%, p = 0.0091, respectively). Both nonsurgical and surgical studies enrolled fewer female than male patients (38.1% vs. 61.7%, p < 0.0001; 43.1% vs. 57.2%, p = 0.0002, respectively). Clinical trials from the USA had the least difference between sexes with an average of 46.7% females enrolled. Less females compared with males were enrolled in early-stage NSCLC (37.6% female vs. 62.6% male, p < 0.0001) and late-stage NSCLC trials (37.6% female vs. 62.0% male, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite recent improvement, there continues to be significant underrepresentation of females compared with males in NSCLC clinical trials.

Predicting Non-home Discharge After Lung Surgery: Analysis of the General Thoracic Surgery Database.

BACKGROUND: Anticipating the need for non-home discharge (NHD) enables improved patient counseling and expedites placement, potentially reducing length of stay and hospital readmission. The objective of this study was to create a simple, preoperative, clinical prediction tool for NHD using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD). METHODS: The STS GTSD was queried for patients who underwent elective anatomic lung cancer resection between 2009 and 2019. Exclusion criteria included age <18 years, percentage predicted diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide <20% or >150%, N3 or M1 disease, incomplete datasets, and mortality. The primary outcome was defined as discharge to an extended care, transitional care, rehabilitation center, or another hospital. Multivariable logistic regression was used to select risk factors and a nomogram for predicting risk of NHD was developed. The approach was cross-validated in 100 replications of a training set consisting of randomly selected two-thirds of the cohort and a validation set of remaining patients. RESULTS: A total of 35 948 patients from the STS GTSD met inclusion criteria. Final model variables used to derive the nomogram for NHD risk prediction included age (P < .001), percentage predicted diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (P < .001), open surgery (P < .001), cerebrovascular history (P < .001), and Zubrod score (P < .001). The receiver operating characteristic curve, using sensitivities and specificities of the model, yielded area under the curve of 0.74. In 100 replicated cross-validations, out-of-sample area under the curve ranged from 0.72-0.76. CONCLUSIONS: Using readily available preoperative variables, our nomogram prognosticates the risk of NHD after anatomic lung resection with good discriminatory ability. Such risk stratification can enable improved patient counseling and facilitate better planning of patients' postoperative needs.

Conditional survival analysis of patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Conditional survival (CS) analyses provide an estimate of survival accounting for years already survived after treatment. We aim to evaluate the difference between actuarial and conditional survival in patients following lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition, CS analyses are used to examine whether prognosticators of survival change over time following surgery. Methods: Patients who underwent anatomic lung resection at a single institution for pathologic stage I-IIIA NSCLC between 2010 and 2021 were identified; those who underwent wedge resection for node-negative tumors ≤2 cm were also included. CS estimates were calculated as the probability of remaining disease-free after x years of nonrecurrence (CSx). Kaplan-Meier, log-rank, and Cox proportional hazard methods for examining CS were used for subgroup comparisons and assessing associations with baseline covariates. Results: Overall, 863 patients met the study inclusion criteria, with a median follow-up of 44.1 months. Conditional overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were greater than actuarial rates at all time points after surgery. At the time of resection, male sex (hazard ratio [HR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 to 1.72; P = .032), tumor size >3 cm (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11-1.23; P < .001), node positivity (HR, 3.31; 95% CI, 2.52-4.33; P < .001), and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage (P < .001) were associated with DFS. However, if a patient lived 3 years without recurrence (CS3), these factors were no longer prognostic of DFS. Conclusions: Conditional survival analyses provide dynamic assessments of OS and DFS after NSCLC resection. After 3 years without recurrence, certain characteristics associated with DFS at the time of surgery no longer prognosticate recurrence.

The association between thoracic sarcopenia and survival is gender specific in early-stage lung cancer.

Background: Sarcopenia, as measured at the 3rd lumbar (L3) level, has been shown to prognosticate survival in cancer patients. However, many patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) do not undergo abdominal imaging. We hypothesized that preoperative thoracic sarcopenia is associated with survival in patients undergoing lung resection for early-stage NSCLC. Methods: Patients who underwent anatomic resection for NSCLC between 2010-2019 were retrospectively identified. Exclusion criteria included induction therapy, less than 90 days of follow-up, and absence of computed tomography (CT) imaging. Cross sectional skeletal muscle area was calculated at the fifth thoracic vertebra (T5), twelfth thoracic vertebra (T12), and L3 level. Gender-specific lowest quartile values and previously defined values were used to define sarcopenia. Overall survival and disease-free survival were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Overall, 221 patients met inclusion criteria with a median body mass index (BMI) of 26.5 kg/m2 [interquartile range (IQR), 23.3-29.9 kg/m2], age of 69 years (IQR, 62.4-74.9 years), and follow-up of 46.9 months (IQR, 25.0-70.7 months). At the T5 level, sarcopenic males demonstrated worse overall survival [median 41.0 (IQR, 13.8-53.7) vs. 42.0 (IQR, 23.1-55.1) months, P=0.023] and disease-free survival [median 15.8 (IQR, 8.4-30.78) vs. 34.8 (IQR, 20.1-50.5) months, P=0.007] when compared to non-sarcopenic males. There was no difference in survival between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic females when assessed at T5. Sarcopenia at T12 or L3 was associated with worse overall survival (P<0.05). Conclusions: Sarcopenia at T5 is associated with worse survival in males, but not females. When using upper thoracic vertebral levels to assess for sarcopenia, it is necessary to account for gender.

Surgical Management of Bronchobiliary Fistula After Thoracoabdominal Trauma.

Bronchobiliary fistulas are exceedingly rare pathological connections between the biliary and the bronchial systems, which result from hepatobiliary neoplasms, abscesses, or thoracoabdominal trauma. Prompt recognition, diagnosis, and intervention is essential in order to prevent the high morbidity and mortality associated with this disease process. Multiple management strategies have been described in the literature; however, the optimal course has not been well defined. We present a case of a 31-year-old male who developed a bronchobiliary fistula 1 month after thoracoabdominal trauma. After conservative management with biliary stenting failed, he successfully underwent latissimus sparing right posterolateral thoracotomy, complete fistulectomy, right lower lobe wedge resection, and diaphragmatic reconstruction with subsequent resolution of his symptoms.

Cannabis Use Is Associated With Recurrence After Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax.

Purpose: Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is a frequently encountered entity that carries a high rate of recurrence. The current study aims to investigate if cannabis use at time of initial PSP is associated with disease recurrence. Methods: Patients presenting with PSP between 2010 and 2018 at a single institution were identified. Exclusion criteria included secondary pneumothorax, severe chronic lung disease, lung cancer, and lost to follow-up. Patients were compared relative to their cannabis usage with Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and logistic regression. Results: Overall, 67 patients (53 male) met inclusion criteria with a median body mass index (BMI) of 21.5 kg/m2 (IQR 19.1-25.2) and age of 34 years (IQR 22-53). Initial treatment consisted of chest tube in 42 patients (63%), video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery wedge resection in 19 patients (28%), and observation in 6 patients (9%). Cannabis users (n = 28; 42%) had a higher rate of tobacco use (79 vs. 38%; p = 0.005), lower BMI [21.0 kg/m2 (IQR 18.3-23.1) vs. 22.2 kg/m2 (IQR 19.9-28.6), p = 0.037], and were more likely to require intervention at first presentation compared with non-marijuana users. Cannabis use was associated with PSP recurrence when adjusting for tobacco use, BMI, and height (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.38-18.3, p = 0.014). Conclusion: There is a high rate of cannabis usage in patients presenting with PSP. Cannabis usage is associated with PSP recurrence and eventual need for operative intervention.

Redefining the Risk of Surgery for Clinical Stage IIIA (N2) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of the STS GTSD and ESTS Registry.

BACKGROUND: Management of clinical stage IIIA-N2 (cIIIA-N2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. We evaluated treatment strategies and outcomes in cIIIA-N2 NSCLC patients who underwent pulmonary resection in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD) and the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) Registry. METHODS: The STS GTSD and ESTS Registry were queried for patients who underwent pulmonary resection for cIIIA-N2 NSCLC between 2012 and 2016. Demographic variables, treatment strategies, and outcome measures were collected and analyzed. Significance of differences was determined using the χ2 test for categorical variables and the Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables. RESULTS: Pulmonary resection was performed in 4279 cIIIA-N2 NSCLC patients (2928 STS GTSD; 1351 ESTS). Induction therapy was administered to 49%. Lobectomy was performed in 67.1% and pneumonectomy in 13%. Lobectomy was associated with 19.2% major morbidity and 1.6% operative mortality, while pneumonectomy was associated with 34.1% and 5%, respectively. Induction therapy was associated with a higher rate of major morbidity or mortality than upfront surgery (23.2% vs 19.5%, p = 0.004), driven by pneumonectomy (40.7% vs 30.3%, p = 0.012) rather than lobectomy (20.3% vs 18.8%, p = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary resection for cIIIA-N2 NSCLC is associated with low rates of operative morbidity and mortality, with lobectomy having lower morbidity and mortality than pneumonectomy. Induction therapy, particularly chemoradiotherapy, is associated with a higher rate of composite morbidity or mortality than upfront surgery in pneumonectomy patients but not lobectomy patients.

Sarcopenia after induction therapy is associated with reduced survival in patients undergoing esophagectomy for locally-advanced esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The impact of sarcopenia on the outcome of esophageal cancer patients remains unknown in North American populations. The current study aims to investigate if sarcopenia at the time of esophagectomy for locally-advanced esophageal cancer (LAEC) is associated with survival. METHODS: Patients who underwent induction therapy followed by esophagectomy for LAEC between 2010-2018 at a single institution were identified. Exclusion criteria included follow-up less than 90 days and distant metastatic disease at the time of surgery. Demographic, treatment, and outcome data were retrospectively collected. Computed tomography (CT) scans following induction therapy were analyzed to calculate skeletal muscle index (SMI). Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were examined using Kaplan-Meier and Cox Proportional Hazard regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 52 patients met inclusion criteria with a median BMI of 25 (IQR, 22.4-29.1) kg/m2 and age of 65 (IQR, 57-70) years. Sarcopenia was present in 75% (39/52) of patients at the time of surgery. Sarcopenic patients had a lower median BMI and higher median age when compared to non-sarcopenic patients. There was no difference in gender, race, stage, operative technique, post-operative complications, or hospital length of stay between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients. With a median follow-up of 24.9 months, patients with sarcopenia at the time of esophagectomy had worse OS [median 24.3 (IQR, 9.9-34.5) vs. 50.9 (IQR, 25.6-50.9) months, P=0.0292] and DFS [median 11.7 (IQR, 6.4-25.8) vs. 29.4 (IQR, 12.8-26.7) months, P=0.0387] compared to non-sarcopenic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is associated with reduced overall and DFS in patients undergoing esophagectomy for LAEC.

Analysis of the 30-Pack-Year Smoking Threshold in African Americans From an Underserved Lung Cancer Screening Program.

PURPOSE: African Americans were underrepresented in lung cancer screening (LCS) trials, despite having higher lung cancer incidence and worse outcomes compared with Caucasians. There is concern that the 30-pack-year threshold excludes some African Americans who may benefit from LCS. METHODS: LCS in an underserved health care system was reviewed. Providers attested that patients met LCS criteria, including 30-pack-year history, but patients also self-reported smoking histories. Self-reported data were used to identify patients with <30-pack-year histories. RESULTS: Over 2 years, 784 patients self-reported sufficient data to calculate pack-years. The majority were men (57.5%), and 66.2% were African Americans. Median total years smoked was 40 (interquartile range, 30-45 years), and median pack-years was 25 (interquartile range, 15-40 pack-years). African Americans were more likely to report <30 pack-years compared with other races (P < .001). The overall incidence of lung cancer was 2.0%, and incidence was similar for those with ≥30 or <30 pack-years (2.1% versus 2.0%; odds ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-2.53; P = .902). Race was not associated with lung cancer diagnosis, but African Americans were the only race to have lung cancer if pack-years were <30. The incidence of cancer in African Americans was similar in those who reported ≥30 or <30 pack-years (2.2% versus 2.7%; odds ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-3.75; P = .740), and the 30-pack-year threshold was not associated with lung cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first review of LCS in African Americans who self-reported <30 pack-years. Although retrospective, these data raise concern that the 30-pack-year threshold may not be an appropriate LCS criterion in African Americans.

Understanding barriers to lung cancer screening in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan for lung cancer screening is underutilized. Studies suggest that up to one-third of providers do not know the current lung cancer screening guidelines. Thus, identifying the barriers to utilization of LDCT scan is essential. METHODS: Primary care providers in three different healthcare settings in the United States were surveyed to assess provider knowledge of LDCT scan screening criteria, lung cancer screening practices, and barriers to the utilization of LDCT scan screening. Fisher's Exact, Chi-Squared, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare provider responses. Multivariable logistic regression was used to test the association between provider characteristics and the likelihood of utilizing LDCT scan for lung cancer screening. RESULTS: The survey was sent to 614 providers, with a 15.7% response rate. Overall, 29.2% of providers report never ordering LDCT scans for eligible patients. Providers practicing at a community or academic hospital more frequently order LDCT scans than those practicing at a safety net hospital. Academic- and community-based providers received a significantly higher mean knowledge score than safety net-based providers [academic 6.84 (SD 1.33), community 6.72 (SD 1.46), safety net 5.85 (SD 1.38); P<0.01]. Overall, only 6.2% of respondents correctly identified all six Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services eligibility criteria when challenged with three incorrect criteria. Common barriers to utilization of LDCT scan included failure of the electronic medical record (EMR) to notify providers of eligible patients (54.7%), patient refusal (37%), perceived high false-positive rate leading to unnecessary procedures (18.9%), provider time constraints (16.8%), and lack of insurance coverage (13.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Provider knowledge of lung cancer screening guidelines varies, perhaps contributing to underutilization of LDCT scan for lung cancer screening. Improved provider education at safety net hospitals and improving EMR-based best practice alerts may improve the rate of lung cancer screening.

Improved False-Positive Rates and the Overestimation of Unintended Harm from Lung Cancer Screening.

BACKGROUND: Concern over high false-positive rates and the potential for unintended harm to patients is a critical component of the lack of widespread adoption of lung cancer screening. METHODS: An institutional database was used to identify patients who underwent lung cancer screening between 2/2015 and 2/2018 at Rush University Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital. Reads were executed by dedicated thoracic radiologists and communicated using the Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS V.1). RESULTS: Six hundred and four patients were screened over the study period. We identified 21 primary lung cancers and 8 incidental cancers. We identified a false-positive rate of 17.5%. Only 9 patients underwent further investigative workup for benign disease (5.3%); however, only 4 (2.9%) of those patients were found to have inflammatory or infectious lesions, which are common mimickers of lung cancer. Excluding Lung-RADS category 3 for the purpose of quantifying risk of unintended harm from unnecessary procedures, we found a 6.9% false-positive rate, while diagnosing 25% of all Lung-RADS category 4 patients with primary lung cancer. CONCLUSION: False-positive rates in lung cancer screening programs continue to decline with improved radiologic expertise. Additionally, false-positive reporting overestimates the risk of unintended harm from further investigative procedures as only a percentage of positive findings are generally considered for tissue diagnosis (i.e., Lung-RADS category 4).

Number of Ribs Resected is Associated with Respiratory Complications Following Lobectomy with en bloc Chest Wall Resection.

PURPOSE: Pulmonary lobectomy with en bloc chest wall resection is a common strategy for treating lung cancers invading the chest wall. We hypothesized a direct relationship exists between number of ribs resected and postoperative respiratory complications. METHODS: An institutional database was queried for patients with non-small cell lung cancer that underwent lobectomy with en bloc chest wall resection between 2003 and 2014. Propensity matching was used to identify a cohort of patients who underwent lobectomy via thoracotomy without chest wall resection. Patients were propensity matched on age, gender, smoking history, FEV1, and DLCO. The relationship between number of ribs resected and postoperative respiratory complications (bronchoscopy, re-intubation, pneumonia, or tracheostomy) was examined. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients (34 chest wall resections; 34 without chest wall resection) were divided into 3 cohorts: cohort A = 0 ribs resected (n = 34), cohort B = 1-3 ribs resected (n = 24), and cohort C = 4-6 ribs resected (n = 10). Patient demographics were similar between cohorts. The 90-day mortality rate was 2.9 % (2/68) and did not vary between cohorts. On multivariate analysis, having 1-3 ribs resected (OR 19.29, 95 % CI (1.33, 280.72); p = 0.03), 4-6 ribs resected [OR 26.66, (1.48, 481.86); p = 0.03), and a lower DLCO (OR 0.91, (0.84, 0.99); p = 0.02) were associated with postoperative respiratory complications. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing lobectomy with en bloc chest wall resection for non-small cell lung cancer, the number of ribs resected is directly associated with incidence of postoperative respiratory complications.