Percepta Genomic Sequencing Classifier and decision-making in patients with high-risk lung nodules: a decision impact study.

BACKGROUND: Incidental and screening-identified lung nodules are common, and a bronchoscopic evaluation is frequently nondiagnostic. The Percepta Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC) is a genomic classifier developed in current and former smokers which can be used for further risk stratification in these patients. Percepta GSC has the capability of up-classifying patients with a pre-bronchoscopy risk that is high (> 60%) to "very high risk" with a positive predictive value of 91.5%. This prospective, randomized decision impact survey was designed to test the hypothesis that an up-classification of risk of malignancy from high to very high will increase the rate of referral for surgical or ablative therapy without additional intervening procedures while increasing physician confidence. METHODS: Data were collected from 37 cases from the Percepta GSC validation cohort in which the pre-bronchoscopy risk of malignancy was high (> 60%), the bronchoscopy was nondiagnostic, and the patient was up-classified to very high risk by Percepta GSC. The cases were randomly presented to U.S pulmonologists in three formats: a pre-post cohort where each case is presented initially without and then with a GSG result, and two independent cohorts where each case is presented either with or without with a GSC result. Physicians were surveyed with respect to subsequent management steps and confidence in that decision. RESULTS: One hundred and one survey takers provided a total of 1341 evaluations of the 37 patient cases across the three different cohorts. The rate of recommendation for surgical resection was significantly higher in the independent cohort with a GSC result compared to the independent cohort without a GSC result (45% vs. 17%, p < 0.001) In the pre-post cross-over cohort, the rate increased from 17 to 56% (p < 0.001) following the review of the GSC result. A GSC up-classification from high to very high risk of malignancy increased Pulmonologists' confidence in decision-making following a nondiagnostic bronchoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the Percepta GSC classifier will allow more patients with early lung cancer to proceed more rapidly to potentially curative therapy while decreasing unnecessary intervening diagnostic procedures following a nondiagnostic bronchoscopy.

Usefulness and safety of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy for reassessment of treatment in the clinical course of diffuse parenchymal lung disease.

BACKGROUND: The usefulness and safety of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) for reassessment of diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) with progression is still unknown. Our purpose was to clarify the usefulness and safety of TBLC for reassessment of DPLD with progression. METHODS: This retrospective study included 31 patients with DPLD diagnosed by surgical lung biopsy who progressed in the clinical course and underwent TBLC for reassessment between January 2017 and September 2019 at Kanagawa Cardiovascular & Respiratory Center. Two pulmonologists independently selected the clinical diagnosis, treatment strategy, and confidence level of the treatment strategy based on clinical and radiological information with and without pathological information from TBLC. A consensus was reached among the pulmonologists regarding the clinical diagnosis, treatment strategy, and confidence level of the treatment strategy. Complications of TBLC were also examined. RESULTS: Seven (22.6%), 5 (16.1%), and 6 (19.4%) of clinical diagnosis was changed after TBLC for Pulmonologist A, for Pulmonologist B, and for consensus, respectively. The treatment strategy was changed in 7 (22.6%), 8 (25.9%), and 6 (19.4%) cases after TBLC for Pulmonologist A, for Pulmonologist B and for consensus, respectively. The definite or high confidence level of the consensus treatment strategy was 54.8% (17/31) without TBLC and 83.9% (26/31) with TBLC. There were 6 cases of moderate bleeding, but no other complications were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Pathological information from TBLC may contribute to decision-making in treatment strategies for the progression of DPLD, and it may be safely performed.

Limitations and perceived delays for diagnosis and staging of lung cancer in Portugal: A nationwide survey analysis.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to identify the perception of physicians on the limitations and delays for diagnosing, staging and treatment of lung cancer in Portugal. METHODS: Portuguese physicians were invited to participate an electronic survey (Feb-Apr-2020). Descriptive statistical analyses were performed, with categorical variables reported as absolute and relative frequencies, and continuous variables with non-normal distribution as median and interquartile range (IQR). The association between categorical variables was assessed through Pearson's chi-square test. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare categorical and continuous variables (Stata v.15.0). RESULTS: Sixty-one physicians participated in the study (45 pulmonologists, 16 oncologists), with n = 26 exclusively assisting lung cancer patients. Most experts work in public hospitals (90.16%) in Lisbon (36.07%). During the last semester of 2019, responders performed a median of 85 (IQR 55-140) diagnoses of lung cancer. Factors preventing faster referral to the specialty included poor articulation between services (60.0%) and patients low economic/cultural level (44.26%). Obtaining National Drugs Authority authorization was one of the main reasons (75.41%) for delaying the begin of treatment. The cumulative lag-time from patients' admission until treatment ranged from 42-61 days. Experts believe that the time to diagnosis could be optimized in around 11.05 days [IQR 9.61-12.50]. Most physicians (88.52%) started treatment before biomarkers results motivated by performance status deterioration (65.57%) or high tumor burden (52.46%). Clinicians exclusively assisting lung cancer cases reported fewer delays for obtaining authorization for biomarkers analysis (p = 0.023). Higher waiting times for surgery (p = 0.001), radiotherapy (p = 0.004), immunotherapy (p = 0.003) were reported by professionals from public hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians believe that is possible to reduce delays in all stages of lung cancer diagnosis with further efforts from multidisciplinary teams and hospital administration.

[Pulmonologist perceptions and practices of palliative care for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. / Perceptions et pratiques pneumologiques des soins palliatifs chez les patients atteints de bronchopneumopathie chronique obstructive.

INTRODUCTION: Numerous studies about poor communication and altered quality of life of patients with chronic obstuctive pulmonary disease (COPD) lead to the conclusion that overall palliative management of COPD remains to be improved. The aim of this study was to describe pulmonologists' practice of palliative care for COPD patients in order to identify obstacles to it. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A survey was sent to all pulmonologists whose email appeared in the 2017 French-language Respiratory Medicine Society's directory. RESULTS: A total of 294 responses were obtained, among which 287 were analysed. Overall, 81.6% of the pulmonologists said that they identify a distinct palliative phase from "sometimes to often" in the care of COPD patients. When not identified, the most common reason given (68.8%) was the difficulty of defining when to start palliative care. Aspects of the palliative approach, which were considered the most problematic for pulmonologists, were the discussion of end of life care, and the impression that COPD patients have a low demand for information. 31% of pulmonologists reported that they gathered information about patients' wishes to undergo resuscitation and endotracheal intubation in 61 % to 100% of patients who they judged to have the most severe disease. CONCLUSION: Uncertainty as to when to begin a palliative approach for COPD patients and perceptions around communication in chronic diseases appear to be the main obstacles to a palliative approach.

Patient gender bias on the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Patient sex has clinical and prognostic implications in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). It is not known if sex-related and gender-related discrepancies exist when establishing a diagnosis of IPF. The aim was to determine how patient gender influences the diagnosis of IPF and the physician's diagnostic confidence. METHODS: This study was performed using clinical cases compiled from a single centre, then scored by respiratory physicians for a prior study. Using clinical information, physicians were asked to provide up to five diagnoses, together with their diagnostic confidence. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds of receiving a diagnosis of IPF based on patient gender. Prognostic discrimination between IPF and non-IPF was used to assess diagnostic accuracy with Cox proportional hazards modelling. RESULTS: Sixty cases were scored by 404 physicians. IPF was diagnosed more frequently in men compared with women (37.8% vs 10.6%; p<0.0001), and with greater mean diagnostic confidence (p<0.001). The odds of a male patient receiving an IPF diagnosis was greater than that of female patients, after adjusting for confounders (OR=3.05, 95% CI: 2.81 to 3.31), especially if the scan was not definite for the usual interstitial pneumonia pattern. Mortality was higher in women (HR=2.21, 95% CI: 2.02 to 2.41) than in men with an IPF diagnosis (HR=1.26, 95% CI: 1.20 to 1.33), suggesting that men were more often misclassified as having IPF. CONCLUSION: Patient gender influences diagnosis of IPF: women may be underdiagnosed and men overdiagnosed with IPF.

[Aspects of developing an education programme based on pulmonologists' appraisal related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. / Egy oktatóprogram fejlesztésének lehetoségei tüdogyógyász szakorvosok krónikus obstruktív tüdobetegséggel kapcsolatos megítélése alapján.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a health burden for the patient and the society. We have sought to find the optimal education content to alleviate this burden. Aim: (1) To create patient education content based on the pulmonologists' opinion; (2) to understand the pulmonologists' attitudes and perceptions; (3) to evaluate the options to improve patient adherence. Method: We have performed 20 interviews with pulmonologists working in inpatient, outpatient and rehabilitation settings. The structure of the interviews has been designed to determine the key elements of a patient education programme and to discover perception and therapeutic attitudes. Results: The average COPD patient is a smoker, male, under-socialized, coughs, has dyspnoea and is older than 40 years. He does not take his illness seriously, and seeks medical attention only in case of worsening of the disease, and improvement in adherence is only present in such cases. The latter phenomenon is frequently transient, and limited to worse periods. Three adherence groups can be defined: marginal good adherence (approx. 10%), the average is around 30-40%, and minimal adherence (60%). Correct inhaler use should be taught in maximum three steps, which should be easily reproduced and explained. Conclusion: The aspects defining the framework of the education programme are the adequate patient profile (tailor-making), on-the-spot education in the pulmonology centre, the relationship between the patient and the doctors, patient attitudes and lifestyle changes (smoking cessation), and choosing the adequate inhaler. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(3): 95-102.

The Attitudes of Pulmonologists Regarding Smoking Behavior of Their Patients with Advanced COPD: A Qualitative Research.

Background: Patients with diseases linked with smoking, such as COPD, report a health-related stigma on their smoking behavior, which is related to a poorer quality of life and psychological distress. According to patients with COPD, health-care professionals sometimes reinforce the sense of stigma. However, little is known about the physicians' attitudes on this topic towards the patient with COPD. Purpose: To explore attitudes of pulmonologists regarding the smoking behavior of their patients with COPD and if (and to what extent) a stigma is present in their attitudes towards their smoking patients. Patients and methods: Eighteen pulmonologists were interviewed using a semi-structured guide with prespecified topics. The interview transcripts were coded using Atlas.ti. Analysis of data from these interviews was performed using conventional content analysis. Results: We identified three themes: attitudes towards smoking in general, the interaction between patient and physician, and smoking cessation. All participants said patients are not fully responsible for their smoking behavior. Contrarily, smoking was also seen as a free choice by most physicians. Moreover, smoking cessation was mostly seen as the responsibility of the patient. Feelings of powerlessness, frustration and compassion were reported in the guidance of patients with COPD. Conclusion: The results of this study show an ambivalent attitude of pulmonologists regarding the smoking behavior of their patients with COPD. The outcomes of this study can form a base for further research and can be used as insights for interventions that aim to raise awareness of physicians' own attitudes and increase the quality of physician-patient communication.

Opinions and Practices of Lung Cancer Screening by Physician Specialty.

BACKGROUND In response to the National Lung Screening Trial, numerous professional organizations published guidelines recommending annual lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for high-risk patients. Prior studies found that physician attitudes and knowledge about lung cancer screening directly impacts the number of screening exams ordered.METHODS In 2015, we surveyed 34 pulmonologists and 186 primary care providers (PCPs) to evaluate opinions and practices of lung cancer screening in a large academic medical center. We compared PCP and pulmonologist responses using t-tests and χ2 tests.RESULTS The overall survey response rate was 40% (39% for PCPs and 50% for pulmonologists). Pulmonologists were more likely than PCPs to report lung cancer screening as beneficial for patients (88.2% versus 37.7%, P < .0001) and as being cost-effective (47.1% versus 14.3%, P = .02). More pulmonologists (76%) reported ordering a LDCT for screening in the past 12 months compared to PCPs (41%, P = .012). Pulmonologists and PCPs reported similar barriers to referring patients for lung cancer screening, including patient costs (82.4% versus 77.8%), potential for emotional harm (58.8% versus 58.3%), high false positive rate (47.1% versus 69.4%), and likelihood for medical complications (47.1% versus 59.7%).LIMITATIONS Our results are generalizable to academic medical centers and responses may be susceptible to recall bias, non-response bias, and social desirability bias.CONCLUSION We found significant differences in opinions and practices between PCPs and pulmonologists regarding lung cancer screening referrals and perceived benefits. As lung cancer screening continues to emerge in clinical practice, it is important to understand these differences across provider specialty to ensure screening is implemented and offered to patients appropriately.

Identifying Barriers to Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Treatment: A Survey of Patient and Physician Views.

BACKGROUND: Antifibrotics are recommended for the treatment of individuals with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but treatment use remains at ∼60%. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the views of individuals with IPF and pulmonologists on the diagnosis and management of IPF to understand treatment patterns. METHODS: Interviews and/or online surveys were completed by patients and pulmonologists from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Responses from physicians were analyzed by time between diagnosis and treatment initiation in the majority of patients with IPF (group A, > 4 months; group B, ≤4 months). Statistical comparisons between physicians were undertaken using z tests, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The physicians in group A saw fewer patients, were less comfortable discussing the IPF prognosis with patients, and had less belief in the benefits of antifibrotic treatments than the physicians in group B. These physicians' attitudes contrasted with those of the patients, who wanted more information about the IPF prognosis and pharmacological treatment options at diagnosis and were more concerned about preventing disease progression than avoiding medication side effects. Differences between countries were found regarding physicians' comfort in discussing the prognosis at diagnosis and access to care. CONCLUSIONS: Several barriers to antifibrotic treatment, principally reflecting the differing views and values of patients and physicians, were identified in this study, suggesting a need for better patient-physician communication about pharmacological therapy for IPF.

Ototoxicity monitoring through the eyes of the treating physician: Perspectives from pulmonology and medical oncology.

OBJECTIVES: Integrating audiological management into the care pathways of clinical specialties that prescribe ototoxic medications for essential, often life-preserving medical care that is critical for early hearing loss identification and remediation. Research shows that successful implementation of a new health service or intervention requires alignment of goals among provider groups, institutional leadership and patients. Thoughtful consideration of the physician's viewpoints about ototoxicity and its implications for treatment planning is, therefore, important for the implementation and enduring success of an ototoxicity monitoring programme (OMP). DESIGN: This discussion paper uses qualitative methods to explore the perspectives of four physicians on OMP provision in their patient populations. STUDY SAMPLE: Three pulmonologists and one oncologist completed the written survey or survey-based interview described in this report. RESULTS: Each physician indicated that (i) ototoxicity is a potential problem for their patients; (ii) monitoring hearing is important to ensure good quality of life among their patients and (iii) treatment modification would be considered if an alternative treatment option were available. The physicians differed in their approaches to ototoxicity monitoring, from routine referrals to audiology, to relying on patient self-referral. CONCLUSION: Physician provider input is needed to optimise monitoring schedules and OMP care coordination with audiology.

The view of pulmonologists on palliative care for patients with COPD: a survey study.

INTRODUCTION: Early palliative care is not a common practice for patients with COPD. Important barriers are the identification of patients for palliative care and the organization of such care in this patient group. OBJECTIVE: Pulmonologists have a central role in providing good quality palliative care for patients with COPD. To guide future research and develop services, their view on palliative care for these patients was explored. METHODS: A survey study was performed by the members of the Netherlands Association of Physicians for Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis. RESULTS: The 256 respondents (31.8%) covered 85.9% of the hospital organizations in the Netherlands. Most pulmonologists (92.2%) indicated to distinguish a palliative phase in the COPD trajectory, but there was no consensus about the different criteria used for its identification. Aspects of palliative care in COPD considered important were advance care planning conversation (82%), communication between pulmonologist and general practitioner (77%), and identification of the palliative phase (75.8%), while the latter was considered the most important aspect for improvement (67.6%). Pulmonologists indicated to prefer organizing palliative care for hospitalized patients with COPD themselves (55.5%), while 30.9% indicated to prefer cooperation with a specialized palliative care team (SPCT). In the ambulatory setting, a multidisciplinary cooperation between pulmonologist, general practitioner, and a respiratory nurse specialist was preferred (71.1%). CONCLUSION: To encourage pulmonologists to timely initiate palliative care in COPD, we recommend to conduct further research into more specific identification criteria. Furthermore, pulmonologists should improve their skills of palliative care, and the members of the SPCT should be better informed about the management of COPD to improve care during hospitalization. Communication between pulmonologist and general practitioner should be emphasized in training to improve palliative care in the ambulatory setting.

Lung cancer specialist physicians' attitudes towards e-cigarettes: A nationwide survey.

OBJECTIVES: Despite a sharp increase in e-cigarette use, there is debate about whether e-cigarettes are a viable alternative for harm reduction, and the forms that regulation should take. Healthcare providers can be effective in offering guidance to patients and their families and shaping regulatory policy. We described lung cancer specialists' attitudes toward e-cigarettes and its regulation. METHODS: We undertook a nationwide survey of pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, medical and radiological oncologists who are members of Korean Association for Lung Cancer. Survey items included beliefs and attitudes toward e-cigarettes, attitudes toward e-cigarette regulation and preparedness on discussing e-cigarettes with their patients. RESULTS: Most respondents believed that e-cigarettes are not safer than conventional tobacco cigarettes (75.7%) or smokeless tobacco (83.2%), and feared that discussing e-cigarettes with the patients would encourage use (65.4%). They did not consider it a smoking cessation treatment (78.3%), and thus would not recommend it to smokers who do not want to quit (82.2%) or who failed to quit with conventional smoking cessation treatment (74.1%). Most respondents supported all examples of e-cigarette regulations, including the safety and quality check (97.8%), warning label (97.8%), advertisement ban (95.1%), restriction of flavoring (78.4%), minimum purchasing age (99.5%), and restriction of indoor use (94.6%). Most learned about e-cigarettes from media and advertisements, or conversation with patients rather than through professional scientific resources, and reported discomfort when discussing e-cigarette with patients. CONCLUSION: Lung cancer specialist physicians in Korea doubt the safety of e-cigarette and use of e-cigarette as smoking cessation treatment, and supported strict regulation. However, only 20% reported that they obtained information on e-cigarettes from the scientific literature and many lacked adequate knowledge based on scientific evidence, suggesting the need for better preparedness. Nevertheless, the views of professionals revealed from our study could help to develop clinical guidelines and regulatory guidance.

Medical thoracoscopy: Survey of current practice-How successful are medical thoracoscopists at predicting malignancy?

Use of medical thoracoscopy by respiratory physicians is increasing. This survey of experienced thoracoscopists was conducted to establish current practice of medical thoracoscopy and physicians' opinion of theoretical cases using 20 video clips. Results suggest an increasing trend towards day-case thoracoscopy but that caution is required when making diagnosis on macroscopic appearance: malignant and benign disease could only be differentiated in 59% of cases, and trapped lung is difficult to predict at thoracoscopy.