Endobronchial Ultrasound/Transbronchial Needle Aspiration-Biopsy for Systematic Mediastinal lymph Node Staging of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Patients Eligible for Surgery: A Prospective Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of lung cancer depends on histological and/or cytological evaluation of the mediastinal lymph nodes. Endobronchial ultrasound/transbronchial needle aspiration-biopsy (EBUS/TBNA-TBNB) is the only minimally invasive technique for a diagnostic exploration of the mediastinum. The aim of this study is to analyze the reliability of EBUS in the preoperative staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A prospective study was conducted from December 2019 to December 2022 on 217 NSCLC patients, who underwent preoperative mediastinal staging using EBUS/TBNA-TBNB according to the ACCP and ESTS guidelines. The following variables were analyzed in order to define the performance of the endoscopic technique-comparing the final staging of lung cancer after pulmonary resection with the operative histological findings: clinical characteristics, lymph nodes examined, number of samples, and likelihood ratio for positive and negative outcomes. RESULTS: No morbidity or mortality was noted. All patients were discharged from hospital on day one. In 201 patients (92.6%), the preoperative staging using EBUS and the definitive staging deriving from the evaluation of the operative specimen after lung resection were the same; the same number of patients were detected in downstaging and upstaging (8 and 8, 7.4%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy were 90%, 90%, 82%, 94%, and 90%, respectively. The likelihood ratio for positive and negative results was 9 and 0.9, respectively, confirming cancer when present and excluding it when absent. CONCLUSIONS: EBUS is the only low-invasive and easy procedure for mediastinal staging. The possibility to check the method in each of its phases-through direct visualization of the vessels regardless of their location in relation to the lymph nodes-makes it safe both for the endoscopist and for the patient. Certainly, the cytologist/histologist and/or operator must have adequate expertise in order not to negatively affect the outcome of the method, although three procedures appear to reduce the impact of the individual professional involved on performance.

Use of the hybrid room for thoracic surgery procedures: single-stage localization and removal of non-palpable nodules.

With the widespread availability of lung cancer screening programs, the number of small lung nodules requiring histological characterization has dramatically increased. Because computed tomography-guided fine-needle aspiration may frequently yield false-negative results, excisional biopsy using thoracoscopy is frequently required. Although thoracoscopic procedure has been known to be ideal for nodule resection, the identification of very small, subsolid and deep pulmonary nodules may still be challenging. Precise lesion localization is a key prerequisite to avoid conversion to an unplanned thoracotomy. In the traditional workflow, the localization procedure is performed in the radiology suite, after which the patient is moved to an operating room. With the availability of hybrid operating rooms, a new approach encompassing simultaneous localization and removal of non-palpable lung nodules has become feasible. In this article, we review the procedural workflow of this new technique and discuss its indications and results.

Role of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in staging of lung cancer: a thoracic surgeon's perspective.

In potentially resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accurate mediastinal staging is crucial not only to offer the optimal management but also to avoid unnecessary surgery. Mediastinal staging is generally performed by the use of imaging techniques (computed tomography and positron emission tomography). However, the accuracy of radiological imaging in mediastinal staging is suboptimal. Therefore, additional invasive mediastinal staging is frequently required to select patients who can benefit from a neoadjuvant treatment. In recent years, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has progressively replaced mediastinoscopy as a test for invasive mediastinal staging. The considerable potential of EBUS-TBNA as minimally invasive staging method has been understood by pulmonologists since the early 2000s but only recently by thoracic surgeons. The clinical impact of this diagnostic technology has been broadly highlighted in the literature and EBUS-TBNA is currently considered the test of first choice in preoperative nodal staging of NSCLC. We analyze the actual role of EBUS-TBNA in invasive mediastinal staging of NSCLC patients from the thoracic surgeon point of view, with particular emphasis on the performance characteristics of this endoscopic diagnostic method as well as its clinical use within the published guidelines.

Single-Stage Localization and Thoracoscopic Removal of Nonpalpable Pulmonary Nodules in a Hybrid Operating Room.

OBJECTIVE: We report our experience with simultaneous localization and thoracoscopic removal for nonpalpable undiagnosed pulmonary nodules. METHODS: All patients with nonpalpable lesions requiring video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) wedge resection underwent localization of the targets and surgical removal in a hybrid operating room. Lesions were considered nonpalpable if they were small (<1 cm), deep (>1 cm from the surface), subsolid, or located within a dystrophic area. In all cases, intraoperative cone-beam computed tomography was performed for nodule localization and targeting, metal hookwires, or coils were alternatively used for intraoperative marking. RESULTS: From April 2016 to November 2019, 39 image-guided VATS (iVATS) were performed. The mean lesion size was 12 ± 6 mm. The mean distance from the deep edge of the lesion to the pleural surface was 24 ± 9 mm. The localization was performed with 20 hookwires and 19 coils. iVATS localization was successful in 36 patients (92.3%). Thirty-seven wedge resections were completed by VATS, 2 (5%) required conversion to thoracotomy. In 9 patients with intraoperative diagnosis of lung cancer, a lobectomy was performed (7 VATS and 2 thoracotomies). Mean length of iVATS localization was 30 ± 13 minutes. Median postoperative length of stay was 4 days (IQR 3 to 5). CONCLUSIONS: iVATS seems to be a helpful tool for simultaneous localization and removal of nonpalpable nodules. A versatile approach using different devices seems advisable for the removal of targets in every clinical scenario reducing VATS conversion rate. Future research is required to compare iVATS with traditional preoperative localization techniques.

Enhanced recovery after surgery: adherence and outcomes in elderly patients undergoing VATS lobectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether ERAS is feasible and beneficial in elderly patients undergoing VATS lobectomy for lung cancer. METHODS: From February 2016 to March 2019, 182 patients were included into a 17-items ERAS pathway. Patients were divided into two groups according to age: Group A (< 75 years) 138 patients and Group B (≥ 75 years) 44 patients. End points were: length of stay (LoS), 30-day morbidity, 90-day mortality, 30-day re-admittance rate, and ERAS-score (number of ERAS objectives achieved). RESULTS: Elderly patients had significantly more chronic renal failure (p = 0.039) and a worse pulmonary function. Mean FEV1% was 101.6% (± 21.0% SD) and 90.8% (± 19.1% SD) and mean FEV1/FVC was 0.75 (± 0.10 SD) and 0.68 (± 0.12 SD) for group A and B, respectively (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01). Median LoS was longer in Group B (6 days) than in Group A (5 days; p = 0.006). Morbidity was higher for elderly patients (A 32.6% vs B 56.8%; p = 0.007), major complication rates were similar (p = 0.782). No post-operative mortality was observed, re-admittance rates were similar (A 7.8% vs B 11.5%; p = 0.548). Mean ERAS-scores were 13.8 (± 1.83 SD) for Group A and 13.4 (± 1.98 SD) for Group B (p = 0.240). Multivariable analysis showed previous major surgery (p = 0.028), COPD (p = 0.027), history of arrhythmic disease (p = 0.015), post-operative complications (p < 0.001), and ERAS-score (p < 0.001) as independent predictive factors of LoS, age did not significantly influence LoS. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients adhere to an ERAS protocol similarly to younger ones. ERAS pathway in VATS lobectomy patients seems to be beneficial regardless the age.

Pulmonary middle lobectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer: effectiveness and prognostic implications.

OBJECTIVES: The therapeutic value of pulmonary middle lobectomy (PML) has been questioned. PML is currently regarded as a standard form of lobectomy, even so it shares some surgical features with segmentectomies (SEG) more than with lobectomies. The present study's aim was to assess the therapeutic value of PML with respect to other lobectomies (LOBs) and SEGs. METHODS: A total of 902 consecutive patients who underwent lobectomy or SEG with mediastinal lymph node dissection for Stage I-IIIa non-small-cell lung cancer were analysed. Patients with pT4 tumours and/or pathologically incomplete resection were excluded. RESULTS: PML was performed in 50 patients, SEG in 44 and LOBs were performed in 808. The three study groups were homogeneous, except for gender, pT and grade: females, pT1 and G1 tumours were more frequent in the PML and SEG groups. The lymph node dissection yield was poorer in PML (P < 0.007) and SEG (P < 0.001) groups when compared with LOB group. Five-year overall survival (OS) was 45.3% for PML, 54.0% for SEG and 60.2% for LOB (P = 0.793). When limiting the analysis to G2-3 right-sided tumours, 5-year survival was lower in the PML group than in the LOB group: 41.3 vs 59.0% (P = 0.057). Similar results were found when analysing pT2-3 right-sided tumours: 27.3 vs 57.3% (P = 0.049). Multivariable analysis showed four independent prognostic factors: age (P = 0.001), pathological stage (P < 0.001), gender (P = 0.005) and the type of surgical resection (P = 0.029). PML (hazard ratio, HR = 1.63) and SEG (HR = 1.64) were detrimental in comparison with LOB. After adjusting for baseline differences between groups (propensity score), a trend towards a worse OS in PML group when compared with LOB group was observed (HR = 1.38, P = 0.150). CONCLUSIONS: Both the lymphadenectomy yield and prognosis make PML more similar to SEG than lobectomy, especially for pT2-3 or G2-3 tumours.