Voriconazole for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis: a prospective multicenter trial.

Early evidence suggests the efficacy of voriconazole for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA). We conducted a prospective, open, multicenter trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of voriconazole for proven CPA in minimally or non-immunocompromised patients. Patients had CPA confirmed by chest computed tomography (CT) and/or endoscopy, positive Aspergillus culture from a respiratory sample, and positive serologic test for Aspergillus precipitins. Patients received voriconazole (200 mg twice daily) for a period of 6-12 months and were followed for 6 months after the end of therapy (EOT). The primary endpoint was global success at 6 months, defined as complete or partial (≥50 % improvement) radiological response and mycological eradication. Forty-one patients with confirmed CPA were enrolled. All patients had A. fumigatus as the etiologic agent. By EOT, five patients had died from comorbidities and seven had discontinued voriconazole due to toxicity. The global success rate at 6 months was 13/41 (32 %): 10/19 (53 %) for chronic necrotizing aspergillosis and 3/22 (14 %) for chronic cavitary aspergillosis (p = 0.01). The respective success rates at EOT were 58 and 32 %. Clinical symptoms and quality of life also improved during treatment. Voriconazole is effective for CPA, with acceptable toxicity. The response rate is higher and obtained more rapidly in necrotizing than cavitary forms.

[French practical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of IPF - 2021 update, short version]. / Recommandations pratiques pour le diagnostic et la prise en charge de la fibrose pulmonaire idiopathique ­ Actualisation 2021. Version courte.

BACKGROUND: Since the previous French guidelines were published in 2017, substantial additional knowledge about idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has accumulated. METHODS: Under the auspices of the French-speaking Learned Society of Pulmonology and at the initiative of the coordinating reference center, practical guidelines for treatment of rare pulmonary diseases have been established. They were elaborated by groups of writers, reviewers and coordinators with the help of the OrphaLung network, as well as pulmonologists with varying practice modalities, radiologists, pathologists, a general practitioner, a head nurse, and a patients' association. The method was developed according to rules entitled "Good clinical practice" in the overall framework of the "Guidelines for clinical practice" of the official French health authority (HAS), taking into account the results of an online vote using a Likert scale. RESULTS: After analysis of the literature, 54 recommendations were formulated, improved, and validated by the working groups. The recommendations covered a wide-ranging aspects of the disease and its treatment: epidemiology, diagnostic modalities, quality criteria and interpretation of chest CT, indication and modalities of lung biopsy, etiologic workup, approach to familial disease entailing indications and modalities of genetic testing, evaluation of possible functional impairments and prognosis, indications for and use of antifibrotic therapy, lung transplantation, symptom management, comorbidities and complications, treatment of chronic respiratory failure, diagnosis and management of acute exacerbations of fibrosis. CONCLUSION: These evidence-based guidelines are aimed at guiding the diagnosis and the management in clinical practice of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

[French practical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of IPF - 2021 update, full version]. / Recommandations pratiques pour le diagnostic et la prise en charge de la fibrose pulmonaire idiopathique ­ Actualisation 2021. Version intégrale.

BACKGROUND: Since the previous French guidelines were published in 2017, substantial additional knowledge about idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has accumulated. METHODS: Under the auspices of the French-speaking Learned Society of Pulmonology and at the initiative of the coordinating reference center, practical guidelines for treatment of rare pulmonary diseases have been established. They were elaborated by groups of writers, reviewers and coordinators with the help of the OrphaLung network, as well as pulmonologists with varying practice modalities, radiologists, pathologists, a general practitioner, a head nurse, and a patients' association. The method was developed according to rules entitled "Good clinical practice" in the overall framework of the "Guidelines for clinical practice" of the official French health authority (HAS), taking into account the results of an online vote using a Likert scale. RESULTS: After analysis of the literature, 54 recommendations were formulated, improved, and validated by the working groups. The recommendations covered a wide-ranging aspects of the disease and its treatment: epidemiology, diagnostic modalities, quality criteria and interpretation of chest CT, indication and modalities of lung biopsy, etiologic workup, approach to familial disease entailing indications and modalities of genetic testing, evaluation of possible functional impairments and prognosis, indications for and use of antifibrotic therapy, lung transplantation, symptom management, comorbidities and complications, treatment of chronic respiratory failure, diagnosis and management of acute exacerbations of fibrosis. CONCLUSION: These evidence-based guidelines are aimed at guiding the diagnosis and the management in clinical practice of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Expectations about treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Comparative survey of patients, carers and physicians (the RESPIR French survey).

CONTEXT: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe chronic disease during which anxiety and depression are frequent comorbidities. Better knowledge of patients' expectations is needed to inform an action plan to improve medical care. AIM: To describe feelings and expectations of patients suffering from IPF and of their carers about antifibrotic therapy and compare them to what is perceived by their pulmonologist. METHODS: National prospective study on practices and perceptions. Specific questionnaires were e-mailed to all 3276 pulmonologists in France who, in turn, invited patients and carers to participate in a survey. RESULTS: 147 pulmonologists, 161 patients and 144 carers participated in the survey. The role of the carer was evaluated as "important" or "very important" by more than 90% of participants, i.e. pulmonologists, patients or carers. Inconsistencies between how patients felt and how pulmonologists perceived them were identified: 88% of patients responded that they understood quite well what IPF is (vs. 75% of patients according to pulmonologists); 85.5% of patients said they were determined to fight the disease (vs. 68.0%); 61.7% of patients wanted to be kept informed of potential complications before they occurred (vs. 69.6%) and 81.2% wanted to be involved in therapeutic decisions (vs. 43.1%). Globally, patients had a more positive view of antifibrotic therapies than expected by pulmonologists: 41.5% evaluated their advantages superior to what they had expected (vs. 29.1% of patients according to pulmonologists) and 76.5% had a positive image of the benefits/disadvantages ratio (vs. 62.4%). Although pulmonologists had the impression that they were keeping their patients well-informed about exacerbations, hospital stays and the possible negative evolution of the disease despite antifibrotic therapies, 34.0%, 42.0% and 22.0% of patients respectively declared not being aware of these aspects. CONCLUSION: The feelings of patients suffering from IPF regarding their disease and treatment globally proved more positive compared with how pulmonologists perceived them. Taking into account the expectations and needs of patients may allow healthcare professionals to better address their needs and priorities.

[Lung involvement of pyoderma gangrenosum: Diagnostic and therapeutic discussion based on a case report and a targeted literature review]. / Atteinte pulmonaire de pyoderma gangrenosum : discussion diagnostique et thérapeutique à partir d'un cas et d'une revue ciblée de la littérature.

INTRODUCTION: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, mainly dermatological condition, whose unusual and little-known lung involvement presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. CASE REPORT: A 66-year-old man, followed for 6 years for an IgA monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and an initially cutaneous corticosteroid-dependent PG, received a pneumonectomy for a mass suspected of neoplasia, that turns out to be a PG pulmonary localisation. During successive pneumopathies, sometimes dyspneic and excavated, several hypotheses are discussed. Various infectious and immunological explorations, and various antibacterial/fungal or immunosuppressive therapies are conducted, to finally conclude to pulmonary and/or cutaneous recurrences of PG. The outcome at 14 months seems finally favourable with tofacitinib. CONCLUSION: The recognition of cutaneous involvement of PG, which is essential for the diagnosis of its lung involvement, is probably the mirror of its evolution under treatment. Only multidisciplinary confrontation of reported cases will allow the elaboration of diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations.

[D-CBP study: Evaluation of lung cancer management times]. / Étude D-CBP : Évaluation des délais de prise en charge du cancer broncho- pulmonaire au sein du service de Pneumologie et d'Oncologie Thoracique du CHU de Caen.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Delays may have an impact on patient survival. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic management times for patients admitted for lung cancer treatment in the Respiratory Department of CHU de Caen Normandie. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective, single-center and observational study, conducted on all patients treated for lung cancer from June 2017 to January 2018 in our department of pneumology in the Caen Normandie CHU. The main median times were investigated were: Global Time (abnormal imaging-treatment), Diagnosis time (abnormal imaging-diagnosis) and Treatment Time (diagnosis-treatment). RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-seven (127) patients were included. Median global time was 55.5 days [31,25; 393], median diagnosis time was 22 days [13; 49], and median treatment time was 24.5 days [12,25; 45]. DISCUSSION: Our treatment times are consistent with those previously published. Areas for improvement are being developed in accordance with the 2014-2019 cancer plan, in particularly the creation in our institution of a specific care pathway for patients with lung cancer.

[Stage IV NSCLC. Biological treatments of lung cancer in 2008... and in the near future]. / Les traitements biologiques du cancer bronchique en 2008... et dans un futur proche.

Nowadays, biological cancer treatments represent the major advance in non-small cell lung cancer therapeutic strategies. During the last decade, more than 15 randomized trials associating chemo with biological treatments, in first line setting, have included more than 12,073 NSCLC patients, and as much in phase 2-3 trials in second and third line setting. Very few were positive, but currently anti-angiogenic strategy using the humanized monoclonal antibody bevacizumab has been approved in association with chemotherapy, in first line treatment of carefully selected NSCLC patients (with non proximal tumors, without cerebral metastasis, and of non-squamous histology). On the same way, monotherapy by the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib has been approved in second and third line setting, with comparable results as chemotherapy. 2008 was the year of new targeted therapies with cetuximab, the chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against EFGR, in association with chemotherapy in first line setting, whereas EGFR TKI are also tested in first line, in patients selected on the ground of the molecular properties of their tumors (with EGFR mutation or positive EGFR FISH). New generation EGFR TKI (more potent if not more selective) are developed in new settings (neo-adjuvant or adjuvant treatment), with promising results in phase 2 trials, whereas active immunotherapy directed toward MUC1 or MAGE-A3 are tested in large phase 3 randomized trials in adjuvant setting (post-surgery or post-radiotherapy), since phase 2 results were appealing. Therefore, during the last few years, targeted therapies quit science-fiction to enter in our current practice, leading clinicians to learn how to treat new kinds of toxicities and to select patients on molecular grounds.

[Near-drowning associated Aeromonas pneumonia]. / Pneumopathie à Aeromonas liée aux noyades.

INTRODUCTION: Aeromonas pneumonia associated with near-drowning, though uncommon, is serious and a major morbidity factor for patients. CLINICAL CASE: A healthy 30-year-old man nearly drowned in a pound. He was admitted to the medical intensive care unit and required intubation and mechanical ventilation. He was given antibiotic therapy in the form of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. After a brief stable period post immersion, he rapidly developed fever and respiratory failure. The thoracic scan revealed bilateral alveolar infiltrates and led to a fibreoptic bronchoscopy. Aeromonas veroniiandPseudomonas aeruginosa were found on culture of the bronchial aspirate. A change of antibiotic therapy appropriate to these bacteria led to clinical improvement and allowed complete withdrawal of ventilation. CONCLUSION: Rapid respiratory deterioration following near-drowning should raise the suspicion of pulmonary infection with the bacteria usually found in the respiratory tract during ventilation but without overlooking the possibility of unusual organisms, particularly Aeromonas.It is usuallysensitive to third generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Ideally, Aeromonas should be sought in pulmonary aspirates and samples of the water where immersion occurred.

[Mechanisms of action of targeted therapies... and mechanisms of resistance]. / Mécanismes d'action des thérapeutiques ciblées... et mécanismes de résistance.

EGFR is a tyrosine kinase (TK) receptor overexpressed in lung adenocarcinomas. EGF binding to EGFR leads to K-Ras activation, promoting signaling of division, survival, and cell invasion. Adenocarcinomas addicted to EGFR signaling pathway for proliferation (10%), exhibit mutations of EGFR tyrosine kinase domain. Inhibition of these mutated receptors favors apoptosis signaling, taking account for dramatic tumoral responses. On the other side, 30% of adenocarcinomas have K-Ras mutations making the cells resistant to EGFR TK inhibitors (TKI). Secondary resistances are induced in 50% of initially sensitive tumors by an additional EGFR mutation (T790M), lowering receptor affinity for the inhibitor. The use of high affinity inhibitors ("irreversible") is tested in those patients. In 30% of cases, secondary resistance to TKI is induced by amplification of C-Met gene that encodes for another TK receptor, stimulating cell survival by substitution to EGFR. The use of C-Met inhibitors could overcome this kind of resistance. Angiogenesis is an early event in lung cell cancerization of which main cell signaling uses TK receptors to VEGF. Inhibition of this pathway consists in a major therapeutic advance in solid tumors. Finally, stimulation of anti-tumoral immunological response using anti-tumoral "vaccination", or agonists of innate immunity receptors, has given encouraging therapeutic preliminary results in lung cancer but needs phase 3 validation trials.

[Epidemiology, molecular biology, diagnostic and therapeutic strategy of malignant pleural mesothelioma in 2007 - an update]. / Prise en charge dignostique et thérapeutique du mésothéliome pleural malin en 2007.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare tumour due to occupational asbestos exposure. The incidence of MPM will continue to increase until 2020-2030. The incidence reaches 100 cases/million/year in occupationally exposed populations as opposed to 1 case/million/year in the general population, leading to 800 to 1,000 cases per year in France. The molecular carcinogenesis of MPM is incompletely understood but alterations to genes NF2, c-met, WT1 RASSF and p16 have been described. These genes are involved in cell invasion and motility, cell division and apoptosis control. Histological diagnosis remains difficult and depends on immunohistochemical analysis as described by the French Mesopath group. Clinical diagnosis relies on thoracoscopy and large pleural biopsies, with increasing use of CT-PET for the evaluation of disease extent. Therapeutic strategy includes prophylactic irradiation following drainage or thoracoscopy to prevent tumour nodule development along drainage channels and puncture sites. In selected patients, extensive extra-pleural pneumonectomy can be performed with curative intent. First line chemotherapy is based on a combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin that has demonstrated an improvement in overall survival and quality of life in phase 3 trials. Antiangiogenic agents such as bevacizumab (Avastatin) may be of interest but need to be tested in phase 3 trials. The Mesothelioma Avastatin Pemetrexed Study (MAPS) is ongoing, coordinated by the French Thoracic Cancer Intergroup (IFCT).

[Primitive metastasizing bronchial carcinoid with long survival]. / Carcinoïde bronchique d'emblée multimétastatique et survie prolongée. Une entité anatomo-clinique peu connue: place de l'imagerie fonctionnelle.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic bronchial carcinoid tumours are rare but some patients have a prolonged survival. A new functional imagery now makes it possible to supplement the assessment of the extent of disease. OBSERVATION: A 57 year old patient was referred for dyspnoea on exertion revealing an upper left lobar tumour, with carcinoid syndrome. The assessment enabled to find out a bronchial carcinoid tumour with liver and bone metastases, highlighted by positron-emission tomography and pentetreotide SPECT. A chemotherapy proved to be ineffective and upper left lobectomy was carried out because of the risk of pulmonary atelectasis. The patient was treated by somatostatin analogues then underwent liver transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization. The patient was alive 44 months after diagnosis (56 months after first computed tomography). CONCLUSION: Metastatic bronchial carcinoid tumours are rare. They keep a metastatic potential, the histological type remaining the major prognosis factor. Carcinoid syndrome is suggestive. The assessment of extra-thoracic disease extent benefits by contribution of new functional imagery techniques such as the pentetreotide SPECT and positron-emission tomography. The management is essentially symptomatic since there is no effective chemotherapy. However survival can be prolonged, even in multimetastatic patients.

[New biological treatments for lung cancer]. / Les nouvelles thérapeutiques biologiques du cancer bronchique.

Therapies targeted on cell signal pathways that control cell division and tumor angiogenesis have been developed over the last five years for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with some amazing results, in subgroups of selected patients, predicting more significant success in the upcoming years. Compounds targeted on EGF tyrosine kinase receptor have been tested in large clinical phase 2 and 3 trials including thousands of patients. Their efficacy has been proved, in second and third line trials, after first line cisplatin-based chemotherapy for non-mucinous adenocarcinoma in non-smokers, women and Asian patients. Response rates vary from 10% in non selected Caucasian patients to 40% in non-smoking Asian patients with long survivals. Therapeutic targeting improves success rates, either relying on EGFR gene amplification detection by FISH, or search for EGFR tyrosine kinase domain mutations. Commercial kits are available for routine molecular diagnosis of domain mutations potentially enabling molecular targeting in addition to clinical targeting. Angiogenesis inhibitors, especially monoclonal antibody to VEGF, bevacizumab, have also been developed in the last few years. Bevacizumab associated with classical cytotoxic chemotherapy led, in selected patients (with non squamous cell lung cancer and no past history of cardiovascular disease) to an increase of median survival to more than 12 months with tolerable toxicity. Other drugs that have both anti-EGFR activity and anti-angiogenic properties will be soon developed, since future bioactive anti-cancer drugs will probably be multi-targeted drugs.

[The place of targeted therapies in the management of non-small cell bronchial carcinoma. Biological mechanisms of bronchial carcinogenesis: towards a better understanding and the development of new therapies]. / La place des thérapeutiques ciblées dans la prise en charge des CBNPC. Mécanismes biologiques de la carcinogenèse bronchique: d'une meilleure compréhension naissent les nouvelles thérapeutiques.

An increasing knowledge of cell signal transduction pathways has led to a better understanding of multi-step bronchial carcinogenesis. This new data has been used to design new drugs targeting specific proteins involved in epithelial cell transformation. New biotherapies are a major part of the evolving strategies to fight lung cancer and actually represent a true revolution for subsets of patients. Future treatments in lung cancer patients will be tailored on the basis of routine molecular analysis of surgical and bronchoscopic biopsy specimens. Tyrosine-kinase EGFR inhibitors and VEGF inhibitors are the first molecules in this new class of therapies for lung cancer. Their mechanism of action and the resistance mechanisms that occur with these new drugs continue to be analysed, and this knowledge will help to improve the targeting of therapeutic regimes. In the same way, a better knowledge of the molecular resistance mechanisms to classical chemotherapy agents (platinum compounds, anti-metabolite agents or tubulin-interacting agents) will lead to a tailored use of these drugs, based again on the molecular characteristics of tumor specimens. The surprisingly long survivals observed among subsets of 'molecular-selected' patients, treated with frontline EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in still limited prospective clinical trials, could herald significant improvement in the global efficacy of lung cancer therapeutics.

Pulmonary complications of type 1 neurofibromatosis.

INTRODUCTION: Type 1 neurofibromatosis is one of the most common genetic diseases, with an incidence of 1/3500 live births. Its diagnosis primarily relies on the clinical features of the condition. CURRENT KNOWLEDGE: The life expectancy of these patients is reduced by 10 years, on average, compared to the general population. Type 1 neurofibromatosis has been shown to increase the risk of various types of neoplasia, primarily those affecting the neural crest. In addition, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, and pulmonary hypertension have been observed during the third or the fourth decade of an adult's life. PERSPECTIVES: There are only few case reports available that address the pulmonary complications of neurofibromatosis type 1. It is thus crucial to fully understand this rare disease and its potential complications in order to allow for early diagnosis so we are able to improve the quality of life and survival of those suffering from the condition. CONCLUSIONS: The pulmonary complications of type 1 neurofibromatosis can be severe and life-threatening. Patients with this condition should thus undergo regular clinical visits and examinations to allow pulmonary complications to be detected and treatment to be initiated as early as possible.

[Tuberculosis in 2015: From diagnosis to the detection of multiresistant cases]. / La tuberculose en 2015 : du diagnostic à la détection des formes résistantes.

Incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis, a contagious infectious disease, decreases in France with 4934 reported cases in 2013. Tuberculosis remains a global health problem as smear is positive in only 50% cases and culture methods require time. In such a context, genotypic diagnostic tools such as Xpert® MTB/RIF gained interest. This rapid and simple-to-use nucleic acid amplification test allows a diagnosis in two hours and prevents further invasive investigations in pulmonary and mediastinal tuberculosis. Because of its low sensitivity, it cannot be used in pleural fluid. Indirect immunologic tests are of no use to diagnose active tuberculosis disease. Another current area of interest is the emergence of resistant tuberculosis. In France, approximately 100 cases of multidrug resistant tuberculosis and a few extensively drug resistant tuberculosis have been reported in 2014. Even though these forms of tuberculosis are imported, it is crucial to identify hazardous situations and to optimize care of these patients. Xpert® MTB/RIF is again of marked interest here as it detects rifampin resistance with a 95% sensitivity and a 98% specificity. Interpretation of genotypic tests such as Genotype® MTBDR or Xpert® MTB/RIF depends on known detected mutations, although they do not always have a clinical or phenotypic expression. In multidrug resistant tuberculosis, the new drug bedaquiline obtained approval for temporarily use in combination with other molecules when there is no other treatment option. Results of bedaquiline are encouraging but adverse events like QT prolongation or the development of new specific drug resistance should convince clinicians to use it with caution.

[Interest of collapse therapy in pulmonary extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis]. / Intérêt de la collapsothérapie dans la tuberculose pulmonaire ultra-résistante.

Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis is rare in France. Treatment of XDR tuberculosis is difficult and therapeutic failures are frequent. Surgery is considered as one of the therapeutic options, but is of little use regarding its high morbi-mortality. We report successful treatment of a XDR tuberculosis case with a 21-month antibiotic regimen followed by a surgical collapse therapy because of persistence of a large cavity. No relapse was observed after five years. Surgery in the XDR tuberculosis treatment is discussed.