Association between metastatic sites and first-line pembrolizumab treatment outcome for advanced non-small cell lung cancer with high PD-L1 expression: a retrospective multicenter cohort study.

Associations between treatment outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitors and metastatic sites in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are not well known. Therefore, this multicenter retrospective study aimed to investigate the predictive factors of metastatic sites after first-line pembrolizumab treatment for advanced NSCLC with a PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥50%. We retrospectively analyzed advanced NSCLC patients with a PD-L1 TPS ≥50% who underwent first-line pembrolizumab therapy at 11 institutions between February 2017 and April 2018. Clinical data collected from medical records included metastatic sites at the time of pembrolizumab treatment. Treatment outcomes of pembrolizumab were assessed according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1. In total, 213 patients were included in the study. The median age was 71 years (range 39-91 years). Of the 213 patients, 176 (83%) were men and 172 (81%) had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) score of 0-1. The most common metastases were thoracic lymph node metastasis (77%), intrapulmonary metastasis (31%), bone metastasis (28%), and malignant pleural effusion (26%). On multivariate analysis, a poor ECOG-PS score (hazard ratio: 1.95, 95.0% confidence interval: 1.25-3.04; P = 0.003) and malignant pleural effusion (hazard ratio: 1.52, 95.0% confidence interval: 1.01-2.29; P = 0.043) were independent predictors of shorter progression-free survival in patients treated with pembrolizumab. For NSCLC patients with malignant pleural effusion, pembrolizumab monotherapy is not a suitable first-line treatment because of its insufficient effectiveness, even though their PD-L1 TPS was high.

Improvement of Mycobacterium abscessus Pulmonary Disease after Nivolumab Administration in a Patient with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Nivolumab has become the standard second-line chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer. A 73-year-old man with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer received 6 cycles of chemotherapy with nab-paclitaxel/carboplatin/bevacizumab followed by 11 cycles of nab-paclitaxel/bevacizumab; however, treatment was stopped due to pneumothorax. One year after therapy started, a nodule appeared in the left upper lung and increased in size. Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. massiliense disease was diagnosed by a sputum analysis. After short antibiotic treatment, nivolumab was administered. Two months after nivolumab treatment, the nodule improved along with a good tumour response. The effectiveness of nivolumab for chronic infectious diseases, such as M. abscessus disease, should be investigated.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the lung indistinguishable from adenocarcinoma on imaging studies.

We present the case of a right lung nodule discovered on routine chest x-ray in an asymptomatic 62-year-old man. CT revealed a spiculated nodule in segment 1 of the right upper lobe, 2.2 cm in diameter and without calcification. The nodule showed high focal FDG uptake (SUVmax, 17.8) on PET. Right upper lobectomy was performed under the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma; however, the histopathologic findings were of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor.

Acute appendicitis with intestinal malrotation: the usefulness of coronal computed tomography.

We herein present a rare case of acute appendicitis with intestinal malrotation. Coronal images of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed the small intestine on the right side and the large intestine on the left side, thus indicating intestinal malrotation (non-rotation type). In addition, an enhanced, tubular, fluid-filled structure was detected attached to the cecum, which was located superior to the urinary bladder, suggesting acute appendicitis. The present study shows that coronal CT images provide important information for the diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis in patients with intestinal malrotation.

Pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung with intrapulmonary aerogenic metastases on FDG PET.

A 59-year-old man presented with hemoptysis. Chest x-ray and computed tomography showed a cavitating mass and ground glass opacities in the right lower lobe. Positron emission tomography showed large regions of markedly increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the right lower lobe consistent with primary cancer and intrapulmonary metastases, and several foci of high fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the mediastinum and left neck consistent with lymph node metastases. We concluded that ground glass opacities were not aspiration of blood but intrapulmonary aerogenic metastases. Continuous active bleeding from the right bronchus (B6) was confirmed by bronchoscopy, and the right lower lobe was resected to remove the bleeding source. Pathologic findings showed pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung with intrapulmonary aerogenic metastases.

Optimal covering material for stent-grafts placed in the portal vein in a canine model.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the suitability of Dacron, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and small intestinal submucosa (SIS) as a covering material for stent-grafts placed in the portal vein as compared with a bare stent. METHODS: Using 24 beagle dogs, either bare stents or stent-grafts covered with Dacron, PTFE, or SIS were placed in the main trunk of the portal vein in 6 animals each. Portography was performed immediately after stent placement, and at 2, 4, and 12 weeks thereafter. Next, the extracted stents or stent-grafts were examined histopathologically. Neointimal thickness adjacent to the stent wire and at the midportion between the stent wires was compared among the groups. Then, the neointimal thickness at the sub- and supragraft sites was compared between each stent-graft group. Serial changes in the histologic features of the thickened neointima were also investigated. RESULTS: No significant difference was noted in the mean stenotic ratio of the portal vein diameter between the bare stent and PTFE groups, whereas it was significantly higher in the Dacron and SIS groups compared with the bare stent group. In neither of the studies on neointimal thickness adjacent to the stent wire and at the midportion between the stent wires were any significant differences noted between the neointimal thickness of the bare stent group and the sum of the neointimal thickness of the PTFE group, whereas the sum of the neointimal thickness of the Dacron and SIS groups was significantly greater than that of the bare stent group at both sites. In the comparison of the supragraft neointimal thickness, the SIS group showed significantly greater thickness than the PTFE group, while the difference between the Dacron and PTFE groups was not significant. In the comparison of the subgraft neointimal thickness, the Dacron and SIS groups showed significantly greater thickness than the PTFE group. CONCLUSION: The present results indicate that of the three covering materials examined here, PTFE is the most suitable material for grafts placed in the portal vein.