Challenges in sarcoidosis and sarcoid-like reactions associated to immune checkpoint inhibitors: A narrative review apropos of a case.

Sarcoidosis and sarcoid-like reactions (SLRs) may develop in association with various malignancies, as well as in association to certain oncologic drugs, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We aimed to perform a narrative review with regard to the development of ICIs-associated sarcoidosis or SLRs, and to discuss the corresponding diagnostic and therapeutic challenges raised in this scenario. Apropos of a melanoma patient developing SLRs while treated with ipilimumab and nivolumab, we searched for clinically evident, ICIs-associated sarcoidosis or SLRs in the English literature. We recorded the oncologic characteristics, including type of malignancy and type of ICI, the phenotypic characteristics of sarcoidosis/SLRs, as well as the impact on immunotherapy. Including our patient, we identified 80 ICIs-associated sarcoidosis or SLRs cases. Both sexes were equally affected (40 F/40 M) and the most common malignancy was melanoma (65/80, 81.3%). Concerning the oncologic treatment, there was a predilection for pembrolizumab (23/80, 28.7%), followed by the ipilimumab/nivolumab combination (21/80, 26.3%), ipilimumab (18/80, 22.5%), nivolumab (16/80, 20.0%). Although in the majority of the cases (52/80, 65.0%) there was no need for systemic prednisolone for the management of sarcoidosis, a significant proportion of patients finally discontinued ICIs treatment (44/80, 55.0%). Phenotypically, sarcoidosis and SLRs highly imitate oncologic progression posing diagnostic difficulties. A therapeutic dilemma is also raised when there is a need for systemic prednisolone, since the latter may jeopardize the therapeutic efficacy of immunotherapy. Sarcoidosis and SLRs, though rare, can present in oncologic patients treated with ICIs. Clinicians should be aware of this possibility and the related diagnostic and therapeutic challenges they have to face in this scenario.

Metastatic Tracheal Tumor of Thyroid Origin: Endoscopic Diode Laser Treatment Combined With Thyroidectomy, Radioactive Iodine, and Radiotherapy.

Tracheal metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is an unprecedented and rare entity. We present the case of a 65 year-old lady who suffered from dyspnea and a thyroid goiter that turned out to be PTC. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the lungs revealed a huge tracheal mass causing obstruction of the tracheal lumen. She underwent a surgical tracheostomy and diode laser debulking of the tumor. Following this, she had a total thyroidectomy and postoperative radioiodine ablation and radiotherapy. She remains well under close and regular follow-up. A secondary tracheal tumor usually comes from a lymphatic spread of the primary tumor, whereas the vascular route is rarely reported. Endoscopic minimally invasive laser tracheal surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy appears to be equally effective to more aggressive tracheal resections.

Bronchogenic cyst or lung cancer. Only biopsy can tell.

Bronchogenic cysts are rare congenital malformations which derive from primitive ventral foregut. They are usually observed in intrathoracically. A fifty year old male was admitted for the investigation of a three month chest pain. Computed tomography scan of the thorax revealed a lesion around the esophagus and left stem bronchus. Endobronchial ultrasound with convex probe and a 19G needle biopsy revealed a bronchogenic cystic which was removed with video assisted thoracic surgery. Initial radiologic assessment although was thought to be lung cancer because of the smoking habit it turned out to be benignancy. EBUS-TBNAB with 10G needle is safe and absolutely necessary for these lesions, as they take large samples.

Intratumoral Treatment with Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy for NSCLC with EBUS-TBNA 19G.

Introduction: Immunotherapy is being used for the past five years either as first line or second line treatment with great results. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been also used as combination to immunotherapy to further enhance this type of treatment. Intratumoral treatment has been previously proposed as a treatment option for certain non-small cell lung cancer patients. Patients and Methods: We recruited in total seventy four patients with non-small cell lung cancer in their second line treatment who received only chemotherapy in their first line treatment with programmed death-ligand-1 ≤ 50. Only adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, and all negative for epidermal growth factor receptor, anaplastic lymphoma kinase, proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase-1 and proto-oncogene B-Raf. Data were first examined with descriptive statistics choosing frequencies for categorical variables and histograms for the continuous ones. Twenty five received only intravenous immunotherapy and forty-nine intravenous cisplatin with immunotherapy. Data were first examined with descriptive statistics choosing frequencies for categorical variables and histograms for the continuous ones. Results: The relationships between changes of performance status and disease progression were examined via a single correspondence analysis. The two-dimensional scores (coordinates) derived from the correspondence analysis were then regressed against the predictors to form distinct splits and nodes obtaining quantitative results. The best fit is usually achieved by lowering exhaustively the AICc criterion and looking in parallel the change of R2 expecting improvements more than 5%. both types of therapy are capable of producing best ameliorative effects, when either the programmed death-ligand-1 expression or parenchymal site in joint with low pack years are present in the sampling data. Conclusions: Intratumoral treatment combination with cisplatin plus immunotherapy indifferent of nivolumab or pembrolizumab combination is an effective choice. In specific for those with endobronchial lesions. Moreover; patients with programmed death-ligand-1 ≥ 50 had their performance status and disease progression improved over the eight month observation.

Lung cancer biopsies: Comparison between simple 22G, 22G upgraded and 21G needle for EBUS-TBNA.

Introduction: Novel technologies are currently used for lung cancer diagnosis. EBUS-TBNA 22G is considered one of the most important tools. However; there are still issues with the sample size.Patients and Methods: 223 patients underwent EBUS-TBNA with a 21G Olympus needle, 22GUS Mediglobe and 22GUB Mediglobe. In order to evaluate the efficiency of 22GUB novel needle design. In order to evaluate the sample size of each needle, we constructed cell blocks and measured the different number of slices from each biopsy site. Results: The 22GUB novel needle had similar and larger number of slices from each biopsy site compared to 21G needle. Discussion: Firstly as a novel methodology we used the number of slices from the constructed cell blocks in order to evaluate the sample size. Secondly, we should seek novel needle designs and not only concentrate on the volume of the sample size.

A rare tumoral combination, synchronous lung adenocarcinoma and mantle cell lymphoma of the pleura.

BACKGROUND: Coexistence of adenocarcinoma and mantle cell lymphoma in the same or different anatomical sites is extremely rare. We present a case of incidental discovery of primary lung adenocarcinoma and mantle cell lymphoma involving the pleura, during an axillary thoracotomy performed for a benign condition. CASE PRESENTATION: A 73-year old male underwent bullectomy and apical pleurectomy for persistent pneumothorax. A bulla of the lung apex was resected en bloc with a scar-like lesion of the lung, which was located in proximity with the bulla origin, by a wide wedge resection. Histologic examination of the stripped-off parietal pleura and of the bullectomy specimen revealed the synchronous occurrence of two distinct neoplasms, a lymphoma infiltrating the pleura and a primary, early lung adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical and fluorescence in situ hybridization assays were performed. The morphologic, immunophenotypic and genetic findings supported the diagnosis of primary lung adenocarcinoma (papillary subtype) coexisting with a non-Hodgkin, B-cell lineage, mantle cell lymphoma involving both, visceral and parietal pleura and without mediastinal lymph node involvement. The neoplastic lymphoid cells showed the characteristic immunophenotype of mantle cell lymphoma and the translocation t(11;14). The patient received 6 cycles of chemotherapy, while pulmonary function tests precluded further pulmonary parenchyma resection (lobectomy) for his adenocarcinoma. The patient is alive and without clinical and radiological findings of local recurrence or distant relapse from both tumors 14 months later. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported case of a rare tumoral combination involving simultaneously lung and pleura, emphasizing at the incidental discovery of the two coexisting neoplasms during a procedure performed for a benign condition. Any tissue specimen resected during operations performed for non-tumoral conditions should be routinely sent for pathologic examination.

Immunotherapy "Shock" a case series of PD-L1 100% and pembrolizumab first-line treatment.

In this decade a "bloom" of novel therapies has been observed for non-small cell lung cancer. We have new tools for the diagnosis of lung cancer and also we can re-biospy easier than before in different lesions and obtain tissue samples in order to investigate whether a patient can receive new targeted therapies. Immunotherapy has been well established previously for other forms of cancer, and nowadays it is also available for lung cancer. There are two immunotherapies for now nivolumab and pembrolizumab which can be administered as second line treatment, the second can also be administered as first-line if there is a programmed death-ligand 1 ≥50% expression.

Immunotherapy "Shock" with vitiligo due to nivolumab administration as third line therapy in lung adenocarcinoma.

Non-small cell lung cancer is still diagnosed at late stage due to the lack of early symptoms and methods of diagnostic prevention. In the past ten years several targeted therapies have been introduced or explored. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy are currently considered the most effective and safe therapies in comparison to the non-specific cytotoxic agents. Regarding tyrosine kinase inhibitors the adverse effects have been fully explored, however; on the other hand for immunotherapy there are still several issues to be clarified. We report a rare case of a patient with lung cancer adenocarcinoma who developed vitiligo throughout his body after nivolumab administration.