Psychometric Validation of the Korean Version of the Cancer Survivors’ Unmet Needs (CaSUN) Scale among Korean Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Survivors / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#The purpose of the study was to validate the Korean version of Cancer Survivors’ Unmet Needs (CaSUN) scale among non–small cell lung cancer survivors. @*Materials and Methods@#Participants were recruited from outpatient clinics at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea, from January to October 2020. Participants completed a survey questionnaire that included the CaSUN. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and Pearson’s correlations were used to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the CaSUN (CaSUN-K). We also tested known-group validity using an independent t test or ANOVA. @*Results@#In total, 949 provided informed consent and all of which completed the questionnaire. Among the 949 patients, 529 (55.7%) were male; the mean age and median time since the end of active treatment (standard deviation) was 63.4±8.8 years and the median was 18 months. Although the factor loadings were different from those for the original scale, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the six domains in the CaSUN-K ranged from 0.68 to 0.95, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. In the CFA, the goodness-of-fit indices for the CaSUN-K were high. Moderate correlations demonstrated the convergent validity of CaSUN-K with the relevant questionnaire. More than 60% of the participants reported information-related unmet needs, and the CaSUN-K discriminated between the needs reported by the different subgroups that we analyzed. @*Conclusion@#The CaSUN-K is a reliable and valid measure for assessing the unmet needs in a cancer population, thus this tool help population to receive timely, targeted, and relevant care.

Conditional Survival of Surgically Treated Patients with Lung Cancer: A Comprehensive Analyses of Overall, Recurrence-free, and Relative Survival / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#Survival probability changes over time in cancer survivors. This study examined conditional survival in patients undergoing curative resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). @*Materials and Methods@#Five-year conditional recurrence-free survival (CRFS), conditional overall survival (COS), and conditional relative survival (CRS) up to 10 years after surgery were calculated in patients who underwent NSCLC resection from 1994 to 2016. These rates were stratified according to age, sex, year of diagnosis, pathological stage, tumor histology, smoking status, comorbidity, and lung function. @*Results@#Five-year CRFS increased from 65.6% at baseline to 90.9% at 10 years after surgery. Early differences in 5-year CRFS according to stratified patient characteristics disappeared, except for age: older patients exhibited persistently lower 5-year CRFS. Five-year COS increased from 72.7% to 78.3% at 8 years and then decreased to 75.4% at 10 years. Five-year CRS increased from 79.0% at baseline to 86.8% at 10 years. Older age and higher pathologic stage were associated with lower 5-year COS and CRS up to 10 years after surgery. Female patients, those with adenocarcinoma histology, non-smokers, patient without comorbidities and had good lung function showed higher COS and CRS. @*Conclusion@#CRFS improved over time, but significant risk remained after 5 years. CRS slightly improved over time but did not reach 90%, suggesting significant excess mortality compared to the general population. Age and stage remained significant predictors of conditional survival several years after surgery. Our conditional survival estimates should help clinicians and patients make informed treatment and personal life decisions based on survivorship status.

Primary Chest Wall Sarcoma: Surgical Outcomes and Prognostic Factors / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Primary chest wall sarcoma is a rare disease with limited reports of surgical resection. METHODS: This retrospective review included 41 patients with primary chest wall sarcoma who underwent chest wall resection and reconstruction from 2001 to 2015. The clinical, histologic, and surgical variables were collected and analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: The OS rates at 5 and 10 years were 73% and 61%, respectively. The RFS rate at 10 years was 57.1%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed old age (hazard ratio [HR], 5.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.71–15.48) as a significant risk factor for death. A surgical resection margin distance of less than 1.5 cm (HR, 15.759; 95% CI, 1.78–139.46) and histologic grade III (HR, 28.36; 95% CI, 2.76–290.87) were independent risk factors for recurrence. CONCLUSION: Long-term OS and RFS after the surgical resection of primary chest wall sarcoma were clinically acceptable.

Primary Chest Wall Sarcoma: Surgical Outcomes and Prognostic Factors

BACKGROUND@#Primary chest wall sarcoma is a rare disease with limited reports of surgical resection.@*METHODS@#This retrospective review included 41 patients with primary chest wall sarcoma who underwent chest wall resection and reconstruction from 2001 to 2015. The clinical, histologic, and surgical variables were collected and analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).@*RESULTS@#The OS rates at 5 and 10 years were 73% and 61%, respectively. The RFS rate at 10 years was 57.1%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed old age (hazard ratio [HR], 5.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.71–15.48) as a significant risk factor for death. A surgical resection margin distance of less than 1.5 cm (HR, 15.759; 95% CI, 1.78–139.46) and histologic grade III (HR, 28.36; 95% CI, 2.76–290.87) were independent risk factors for recurrence.@*CONCLUSION@#Long-term OS and RFS after the surgical resection of primary chest wall sarcoma were clinically acceptable.

Feasibility and Safety of a New Chest Drain Wound Closure Method with Knotless Sutures

BACKGROUND: A method of wound closure using knotless suture material in the chest tube site has been introduced at our center, and is now widely used as the primary method of closing chest tube wounds in video- assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) because it provides cosmetic benefits and causes less pain. METHODS: We included 109 patients who underwent VATS pulmonary resection at Samsung Medical Center from October 1 to October 31, 2016. Eighty-five patients underwent VATS pulmonary resection with chest drain wound closure utilizing knotless suture material, and 24 patients underwent VATS pulmonary resection with chest drain wound closure by the conventional method. Complications related to the chest drain wound were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: There were 2 cases of pneumothorax after chest tube removal in both groups (8.3% in the conventional group, 2.3% in the knotless suture group; p=0.172) and there was 1 case of wound discharge due to wound dehiscence in the knotless suture group (0% in the conventional group, 1.2% in the knotless suture group; p=0.453). There was no reported case of chest tube dislodgement in either group. The complication rates were non-significantly different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: The results for the complication rates of this new chest drain wound closure method suggest that this method is not inferior to the conventional method. Chest drain wound closure using knotless suture material is feasible based on the short-term results of the complication rate.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising from the Pleural Cavity After Pneumonectomy for Chronic Empyema

Malignant tumors associated with chronic empyema have been reported in the literature, and a majority of these tumors are lymphomas. Epithelial tumors originating from the post-pneumonectomy space in patients with chronic empyema are extremely rare. Here, we present the cases of 2 patients with squamous cell carcinoma arising from the pleural cavity after pneumonectomy for chronic empyema.

Surgical Treatment for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Patients on Hemodialysis due to Chronic Kidney Disease: Clinical Outcome and Intermediate-Term Results

BACKGROUND: Patients on dialysis undergoing surgery belong to a high-risk group. Only a few studies have evaluated the outcome of major thoracic surgical procedures in dialysis patients. We evaluated the outcomes of pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients on hemodialysis (HD). METHODS: Between 2008 and 2013, seven patients on HD underwent pulmonary resection for NSCLC at our institution. We retrospectively reviewed their surgical outcomes and prognoses. RESULTS: The median duration of HD before surgery was 55.0 months. Five patients underwent lobectomy and two patients underwent wedge resection. Postoperative morbidity occurred in three patients, including pulmonary edema combined with pneumonia, cerebral infarction, and delirium. There were no instances of in-hospital mortality, although one patient died of intracranial bleeding 15 days after discharge. During follow-up, three patients (one patient with pathologic stage IIB NSCLC and two patients with pathologic stage IIIA NSCLC) experienced recurrence and died as a result of the progression of the cancer, while the remaining three patients (with pathologic stage I NSCLC) are alive with no evidence of disease. CONCLUSION: Surgery for NSCLC in HD patients can be performed with acceptable perioperative morbidity. Good medium-term survival in patients with pathologic stage I NSCLC can also be expected. Pulmonary resection seems to be the proper treatment option for dialysis patients with stage I NSCLC.

Surgical Treatment of Anastomotic Recurrence after Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of reoperation with curative intent for the treatment of anastomotic recurrent gastric cancer. METHODS: Ten patients with anastomotic recurrence of gastric cancer who underwent reoperation from November 1995 to February 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. The time interval between the first operation and reoperation, recurrence pattern, type of surgery, survival, and postoperative outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: The average time to recurrence after initial surgery was 48.8 months (median, 23.5 months). Of the ten patients, eight (80.0%) had recurrence at the esophagojejunostomy, one (10.0%) at the esophagogastrostomy, and two (20.0%) at the esophagus. Among these patients, five had combined metastasis or invasion to major organs in addition to anastomotic recurrence. Complete resection was achieved in five patients (50.0%), and incomplete resection or bypass surgery was performed in the remaining five patients (50.0%). The overall median survival time was 7.0 months (range, 2.2 to 105.5 months). The median survival time following complete resection and palliative surgery (incomplete resection or bypass surgery) was 28.1 months (range, 4.2 to 105.5 months) and 5.5 months (range, 2.2 to 7.5 months), respectively. CONCLUSION: Surgical resection of anastomotic recurrent gastric cancer should be implemented only in selected patients in whom complete resection is possible.

Thoracoscopic Removal of Ectopic Mediastinal Parathyroid Adenoma

Ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenomas or hyperplasias account for up to 25% of primary hyperparathyroidism cases. Most abnormal parathyroid glands are found in the superior mediastinum within the thymus and can be removed through a cervical incision; however, a few of these glands are not accessible using standard cervical surgical approaches. Surgical resection has traditionally been performed via median sternotomy or thoracotomy. However, recent advancement in video-assisted thoracic surgery techniques has decreased the need for sternotomy or thoracotomy to remove these ectopic parathyroid glands. Here, we report a successful case of video-assisted thoracoscopic removal of a mediastinal parathyroid adenoma.

Surgery for Pulmonary Sclerosing Hemangioma: Lobectomy versus Limited Resection

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma is a rare thoracic tumor, and pathophysiology or clinical course of this tumor is not yet fully described. Furthermore, there is no consensus on the standard operative procedure for this tumor. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records of thirty-two patients, who underwent surgical resection of pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma from 1996 to 2007, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Nineteen patients underwent lobectomy and thirteen patients underwent limited resection. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed in 9 patients in the latter group. Lymph node dissection was done in 21 patients, and one patient was found to have lymph node metastasis of the tumor. There was no postoperative complication, no early death and no tumor-related late mortality. The mean follow-up duration was 39.3 months (2 months~129 months), and all patients were free of local recurrence and distant metastasis during this period. There was no significant difference in patient's characteristics between the two groups, except that the mean hospital stay was shorter in limited resection group than in lobectomy group (p=0.0031). CONCLUSION: Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma usually requires surgical resection for both diagnosis and treatment. Limited resection can decrease hospital stay with a surgical outcome comparable to lobectomy, and may be preferred to lobectomy if sufficient resection margin can be achieved.

Mass Reduction and Functional Improvement of the Left Ventricle after Aortic Valve Replacement for Degenerative Aortic Stenosis

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy caused by aortic valve stenosis (AS) leads to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We sought to determine whether aortic valve replacement (AVR) decreases LV mass and improves LV function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review for 358 consecutive patients, who underwent aortic valve replacement for degenerative AS between January 1995 and December 2008, was performed. There were 230 men and 128 women, and their age at operation was 63.2+/-10 years (30~85 years). RESULTS: There was no in-hospital mortality, and mean follow-up duration after discharge was 48.9 months (2~167 months). Immediate postoperative echocardiography revealed that LV mass index and mean gradient across the aortic valve decreased significantly (p7) (p=0.045) were risk factors for late death. CONCLUSION: After AVR for degenerative AS, reduction of left ventricular mass and improvement of left ventricular function continue late after operation.

Synchronous Multiple Primary Cancers of the Esophagus, Stomach, Lung and Oral Cavity / 대한흉부외과학회지

A 65-year-old-male had a mass in the oral cavity, and this was ultimately determined to be squamous cell carcinoma and he underwent wide excision for it. Postoperatively, he underwent the staging work up; this showed that he had other cancers in the esophagus, stomach and lung. We performed a curative resection of all the lesions simultaneously. We report here on a case of synchronous multiple cancers of the esophagus, stomach, lung and oral cavity.