Patient-Reported Outcome-Based Prediction for Postdischarge Complications after Lung Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing lung tumor surgery may experience various complications after discharge from the hospital. Using patient-reported outcomes (PROs), this study attempted to identify relevant indicators of postdischarge complications after lung tumor surgery and develop a predictive nomogram model to evaluate the risk for individual patients. METHODS: Patients who underwent lung tumor surgery between December 2021 and June 2022 were included in this study. PROs were assessed using the Perioperative Symptom Assessment for Lung Surgery scale and were assessed preoperatively at baseline, on postoperative day 1 (POD1) 1 to POD4, and then weekly until the fourth week. A random forest machine learning prediction model was built to rank the importance of each PRO score of patients on POD1 to POD4. We then selected the top 10 variables in terms of importance for the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Finally, a nomogram was developed. RESULTS: PROs, including coughing (POD3 and POD4), daily activity (POD1), and pain (POD1 and POD2), were associated with postdischarge complications in patients undergoing lung tumor surgery. The predictive model showed good performance in estimating the risk of postdischarge complications, with an area under the curve of 0.833 (95% confidence interval: 0.753-0.912), while maintaining good calibration and clinical value. CONCLUSION: We found that PRO scores on POD1 to POD4 were associated with postdischarge complications after lung tumor surgery, and we developed a helpful nomogram model to predict the risk of postdischarge complications.

Long-Term Efficacy of T3 Versus T3+T4 Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy for Concurrent Palmar and Plantar Hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: More than 50% of patients with palmar hyperhidrosis (PAH) also have plantar hyperhidrosis (PLH). We compared the long-term results of T3 sympathectomy with those of combined T3+T4 sympathectomy among patients with concurrent PAH and PLH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of patients with concurrent PAH and PLH who underwent T3 alone or T3+T4 sympathectomy from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2017. Preoperative and postoperative sweating (hyperhidrosis index) was evaluated through questionnaires, physical examination, and outpatient follow-up. The relief rates and hyperhidrosis index were used as outcome measures to compare the efficacy of the two approaches. Patients' satisfaction and side effects were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 220 eligible patients, 60 underwent T3 sympathectomy (T3 group), and 160 underwent T3+T4 sympathectomy (T3+T4 group). Compared with the T3 group, the T3+T4 group showed higher symptom relief rates both for PAH (98.75% versus 93.33%, P = 0.048) and PLH (65.63% versus 46.67%, P = 0.01), and a greater postoperative decrease in both hyperhidrosis indices. The rate of severe compensatory hyperhidrosis also increased (10% versus 5%, P = 0.197), although the rates of overall satisfaction were comparable between the groups. The incidence of postoperative pneumothorax requiring chest tube placement and postoperative neuralgia was also similar. There were no cases of perioperative death, secondary operation, wound infection, or Horner syndrome in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with T3 alone, T3+T4 sympathectomy achieved a higher symptom relief rate and a lower hyperhidrosis index. T3+T4 sympathectomy may be a choice for the treatment of concurrent PAH and PLH; however, patients need to be informed that this kind of surgery may increase the risk of compensatory sweating.

[Comparison of the lymph node dissection and complications between video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) esophagectomy and conventional esophagectomy via right thoracotomic].

OBJECTIVE: Video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) esophagectomy has been performed for more than 10 years in China. However, compared with the conventional esophagectomy via right thoracotomy, whether VATS esophagectomy has more advantages or not in the lymph node (LN) dissection and prevention of perioperative complications is still controversial and deserves to be further investigated. The aim of this study was to explore whether there are significant differences in this issue between the two surgical modalities or not. METHODS: The results of lymph node dissection and perioperative complications as well as other parameters in the patients treated by VATS esophagectomy and those by conventional esophagectomy via right thoracotomy at our department from May 1, 2009 to July 30, 2013 were compared using SPSS 16.0 in order to investigate whether there was any significant difference between these two treatment modalities in the learning curve stage of VATS esophagectomy. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-nine cases underwent VATS esophagectomy between May 1, 2009 and July 30, 2013, and another part 129 cases with the same preoperative cTNM stage treated by conventional esopahgectomy via right thoracotomy were selected in order to compare the results of lymph node dissection and perioperative complications as well as other parameters between those two groups of patients. There were no significant differences in the sex, age, lesion locations and cTNM stage between these two groups. The total LN metastatic rate in the VATS esophagectomy group was 35.7% and that of the conventional esophagectomy group was 37.2% (P > 0.05). The total average number of dissected lymph nodes was 12.1 vs. 16.2 (P < 0.001). The average dissected LN stations was 3.2 vs. 3.6 (P = 0.038). The total average number of dissected LN along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve was 2.0 vs. 3.7 (P = 0.012). The total average number of dissected LN along the right recurrent laryngeal nerve was 2.9 vs. 3.4 (P = 0.231). However, there was no significant difference in the total average number of dissected LN in the other thoracic LN stations, and in the perioperative complications between the two groups. The total postoperative complication rate was 41.1% in the VATS group versus 42.6% in the conventional group (P = 0.801). The cardiopulmonary complication rate was 25.6% vs. 27.1% (P = 0.777). The death rate was the same in the two groups (0.8%). The VATS group had less blood infusion (23.2% vs. 41.8%, P = 0.001) and shorter hospital stay (15.9 days vs. 19.2 days, P = 0.049) but longer operating time (161.3 min vs. 127.8 min, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In the learning curve stage of VATS esophagectomy, compared with the conventional esophagectomy, less LN number and stations can be dissected in the VATS group due to un-skillful VATS manipulation, especially it is more difficult in the LN dissection along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve. Therefore, it is more suitable to select patients with early esophageal cancer without obvious enlarged lymph nodes for VATS esophagectomy in the learning curve stage.

[Cavernous hemangioma of mediastinum: a report of 10 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of cavernous hemangioma of mediastinum (CHM). METHODS: Retrospective analyses were performed for the clinical data of 10 CHM patients at our hospital along with a literature review. RESULTS: The clinical symptoms and signs were nonspecific. Although computed tomography (CT) showed mediastinal cystic mass, a definite diagnosis could not be reached. Complete surgical excision was performed with a pathological confirmation of CHM. Neither recurrence nor mortality occurred during the postoperative follow-up up to 12 years. CONCLUSIONS: CHM is rare and frequently misdiagnosed. Hypodensity or calcification inside mass on CT is diagnostic. A definite diagnosis is dependent upon typical tumor appearances and pathological report of puncture biopsy. Excision is an effective cure with a fair prognosis.

[Exploration of lymph node metastasis and appropriate lymph node dissection modes in patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the pattern of lymph node metastasis and evaluate the modes and extent of mediastinal lymph node dissection in patients with ≤ 3 cm, clinical stage I primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Data of 270 eligible patients who underwent pulmonary resection with systematic lymph node dissection in our hospital between March 2012 and August 2013 were retrospectively analyzed in order to investigate the relationship between the clinicopathological features and lymph node metastatic patterns. Patients with multiple primary carcinomas or non-primary pulmonary malignancies and those who received any chemotherapy or radiotherapy or did not undergo systematic nodal dissection were excluded. The criteria of systematic nodal dissection included the removal of at least six lymph nodes from at least three mediastinal stations, one of which must be subcarinal. The data were analyzed and compared using Chi-square test. RESULTS: The postoperative morbidity rate was 14.8% and no death occurred in this series. The imaging findings showed 34 cases of pure ground glass opacity lesions, 47 partial solid nodules, and 189 solid nodules. Apart from 34 p-GGO lesions, among the other 236 cases, ≤ 1 cm lesions were in 22 cases, 1 cm- ≤ 2 cm lesions in 138 cases, and >2 cm- ≤ 3 cm lesions in 76 cases based on radiologic findings. The pathological types included adenocarcinoma (n = 245), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 18) and other rare types (n = 7). The overall lymph node metastasis rate was 18.9% (51/270), and the incidence of lymph node involvement was 0(0/34) in cancers with p-GGO, 2.1% (1/47) in mixed solid nodules, 26.5% (50/189) in solid nodules, 18.2% (4/22) in nodules ≤ 1 cm, 14.5% (20/138) in 1 cm < nodules ≤ 2 cm, and 35.5% (27/76) in 2 cm < nodules ≤ 3 cm. The metastasis rates of non-specific tumor-draining region lymph nodes detected in the patients with positive and negative lobe-specific lymph node involvement were 20.0%-50.0% vs. 0-2.9% (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Usually NSCLC with p-GGO nodules has no lymph node metastasis, therefore, systematic nodal dissection may be not necessary. The larger the tumor size is, the higher the lymph node metastatic rate is for mixed or solid nodules. Intraoperative frozen-section examination of the lobe-specific lymph nodes should be performed routinely in patients with ≤ 2 cm stage I NSCLC, and systematic nodal dissection should be done if positive, but it may be not necessary if negative. However, the effectiveness of the systematic selective lymph node dissection still needs to be further confirmed.

[Surgical treatment and prognostic analyses of bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumors].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the surgical treatment and prognostic factors of bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumors (BPC). METHODS: The clinical data of 65 patients undergoing surgery for BPC from May 1999 to December 2007 were reviewed retrospectively. The predictors of univariate and multivariate analyses included gender, age, smoking history, pathological type and tumor stage. RESULTS: The procedures included segmentectomy (n = 1), lobectomy (n = 36), bilobectomy (n = 6), sleeve resection (n = 4), pneumonectomy (n = 11), carinal resection (n = 2), bronchoplastic resection (n = 4) and exploratory thoracotomy (n = 1). The 1- , 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 86.2%, 73.8% and 64.6% respectively. Univariate analysis showed that gender (P = 0.029), age (P = 0.003), smoking history (P = 0.039), pathological type (P < 0.01), tumor stage (P < 0.01), postoperative radiochemotherapy (P < 0.01), lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01) and surgical type (P = 0.042) were prognostic factors. And multivariate analysis revealed that pathological type (P = 0.019) and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01) were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Surgery remains a first-choice for BPC. The major resection procedure is anatomical lobectomy or pneumonectomy. Both pathological type and lymph node metastasis are independent prognostic factors.

[Preliminary experience of clinical applications of the 7th UICC-AJCC TNM staging system of esophageal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the instructive value of the 6th and 7th editions of the UICC-AJCC staging system in prognosis of esophageal cancer (EC) patients. METHODS: The staging and prognosis of 1397 esophageal carcinoma patients undergoing curative resection from Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2006 in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed according to the 6th AJCC staging system and the 7th UICC-AJCC staging system. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival (OS) of EC patients with curative resection was 38.5% (481/1250 cases), with a follow-up rate of 89.5% (1250/1397 case). In overall terms, both the editions were statistically significant discriminators of OS (P < 0.05). The 5-year OS of stages I, II and III patients were 64.9%, 43.5%, 25.2% according to the 6th edition, and 63.5%, 44.5%, 23.5% according to the 7th edition, respectively. Distinct differences in survival were present among patients categorized as stage Ia and Ib according to the 7th edition (P < 0.05), with a 5-year OS of 80.0% and 58.3%, respectively. Similarly, according to the 7th edition, the 5-year overall survivals (OS) of the stages IIIa, IIIb and IIIc patients were 28.2%, 18.4% and 16.7%, respectively, showing that the prognoses were significantly different (P < 0.05). In addition, according to the 7th edition, the prognoses of patients in stages N0, N1, N2 and N3 were also significantly different (P < 0.01), and the 5-year OS were 50.0%, 31.5%, 18.7% and 16.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Both the 6th and 7th editions of UICC-AJCC staging system are significant discriminators for survival of esophageal cancer patients. The 7th edition is proved to be more accurate in prognosis. The number of lymph node metastases is an important predictor of prognosis.

[Comparison of the short-term outcomes of surgical treatment for non-small cell lung cancer via video assisted thoracoscopic surgery and open thoracotomy].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term outcomes of surgical treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and open thoracotomy (OT). METHODS: Data of 737 consecutive NSCLC patients who underwent surgical treatment for non-small cell lung cancer by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and 630 patients who underwent pulmonary resection via open thoracotomy (as controls) in Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between January 2009 and August 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. The risk factors after lobectomy were also analyzed. RESULTS: In the 506 NSCLC patients who received VATS lobectomy, postoperative complications occurred in 13 patients (2.6%) and one patient died of acute respiratory distress syndrome (0.2%). In the 521 patients who received open thoracotomy (OT) lobectomy, postoperative complications occurred in 21 patients (4.0%) and one patient died of pulmonary infection (0.2%). There was no significant difference in the morbidity rate (P > 0.05) and mortality rate (P > 0.05) between the VATS group and OT group. In the 190 patients who received VATS wedge resections, postoperative complications occurred in 3 patients (1.6%). One hundred and nine patients received OT wedge resections. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 patients (3.7%). There were no significant differences for morbidity rate (P = 0.262) between these two groups, and there was no perioperative death in these two groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that age (OR = 1.047, 95%CI: 1.004 - 1.091), history of smoking (OR = 6.374, 95%CI: 2.588 - 15.695) and operation time (OR = 1.418, 95%CI: 1.075 - 1.871) were independent risk factors of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: To compare with the NSCLC patients who should undergo lobectomy or wedge resection via open thoracotomy, a similar short-term outcome can be achieved via VATS approach.

Postoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes after Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Using the Perioperative Symptom Assessment for Lung Surgery Scale.

This study aimed to use a new special inventory for lung surgery patients to evaluate postoperative symptoms and functional status and to identify factors that may affect these after uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). In this single-center longitudinal cohort observational study, we used a new scale, the perioperative symptom assessment for lung surgery (PSA-Lung), to evaluate the recovery from symptoms and the functional status of patients undergoing uniportal VATS. We divided patients into two groups, according to patients' symptom scores, and compared the clinical characteristics between the two groups under each item. Then, we conducted a qualitative interview regarding coughing in postoperative week 4. Exactly 104 patients were enrolled in this study. The two highest-scoring patient-reported outcome (PRO) items were "shortness of breath" and "coughing" in the fourth week after surgery. Thirty-one patients reported that "coughing" severely influenced their lives in postoperative week 4. Using the PSA-Lung inventory, we found that "shortness of breath" was the worst symptom in postoperative week 4. Although "coughing" was not the most important symptom in the early postoperative period, it affected some patients' lives in postoperative week 4. Therefore, further research is required to determine the optimal cut-off point for coughing.

Real-World Perspectives From Surgeons and Oncologists on Resectability Definition and Multidisciplinary Team Discussion of Stage III NSCLC in People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Macau: A Physician Survey.

Introduction: Decision-making in diagnosis and management of stage III NSCLC remains complex owing to disease heterogeneity and diverse treatment options, and often warrants multidisciplinary team discussion. Specifically, the selection of patients for multimodality approaches involving surgical resection presents notable challenges owing to heterogeneity in guideline definitions and the subjective, case-specific nature of evaluating resectability on the basis of preoperative assessments. Methods: An internet- and paper-based survey was conducted in 2020 among lung cancer specialists in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Macau. This survey captured perspectives on stage III NSCLC on real-world diagnosis/staging practice, definition and evaluation of resectability using case scenarios, and preferred treatment paradigms. Results: A total of 60 completed responses were obtained (60.0% surgeons; 40.0% oncologists). The surgeons' and oncologists' responses differed most in the assessment of resectability in specific case scenarios despite overall agreement on top factors determining resectability (T stage, lymph node size, and lymph node location). Of the 17 scenarios, specialists agreed (≥80%) on four "resectable" and six "unresectable" scenarios; of the seven scenarios with less than 80% agreement, surgeons and oncologists had diverging responses for six scenarios. Multidisciplinary team discussions were available in most of the respondents' institutions but usually covered only selected (<50%) stage III cases. Conclusions: This survey used a comprehensive set of stage III NSCLC case scenarios to understand how working definitions of resectability may differ between surgeons and oncologists, and thus, identify types of cases to prioritize for multidisciplinary discussions to maximize limited resources. In parallel, the development of a multidisciplinary expert consensus on treatment approaches could complement local institutional expertise as a reference for decision-making.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.

Background: Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a kind of rare lung cancer. We aim to analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of patients with PSC. Methods: From January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2015, 119 patients in the Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were diagnosed with PSC, and they received treatment. We retrospectively collected information on gender, age, body mass index (BMI), symptoms, family history, smoking history, tumor size, tumor location, tumor diameter, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM), pathological type, and other factors to analyze the relationship between these factors and 1-, 3-, 5-year, and overall survival (OS). Results: Male patients who had a smoking history (n=76) comprised the main group of PSC. Median patient age was 60.67±10.50 years (range, 26-89 years). The majority of these patients (n=82) presented with respiratory symptoms. The median survival of patients who died of PSC was 11.87 months (6.38-21.48 months). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 61.3%, 34.5%, and 31.9%, respectively. Patients with a lower T stage and without lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis had a better OS (P<0.05). Other clinical characteristics and the difference in treatments did not influence the prognosis significantly (P>0.05). Conclusions: PSC is a rare malignant neoplasm of the lung with poor prognosis. Surgery is a major therapeutic method for this disease entity. TNM-stage is the main factors affecting prognosis.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy for the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score-matched study from the National Cancer Center in China.

PURPOSE: The optimal mode of neoadjuvant treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been well characterized. Our study compared neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) for patients with ESCC. METHODS: Data from ESCC patients receiving NCRT or NCT combined with esophagectomy between 2010 and 2018 from the National Cancer Center in China were retrospectively collected. Long-term survival, pathological response, and perioperative mortality and morbidity were compared between the NCRT and NCT groups. A Cox proportional hazards model and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to minimize bias due to potential confounding. RESULTS: Out of 327 eligible patients with ESCC in our study, 90 patients were identified in each group by PSM. The complete pathologic response (pCR) rate in the NCRT group was markedly higher than that in the NCT group (before PSM: 35.1% vs. 6.0%; after PSM: 38.9% vs. 5.6%; both P < 0.001). The rates of 30-day or 90-day mortality were comparable between the two groups, but the NCRT group had a longer postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.001 before PSM and P = 0.012 after PSM) and more postoperative complications (P < 0.001 before PSM and P = 0.014 after PSM), especially, anastomotic leaks (P = 0.001 before PSM and P = 0.013 after PSM). No significant differences in 5-year overall survival (OS) (P = 0.439) or 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) (P = 0.611) were noted between unmatched groups, but the trend favored NCRT in the propensity score-matched group (77.3% vs. 61.3%; hazard ratio [HR] 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86-2.87; P = 0.141 for OS, and 77.8% vs. 60.5%; HR 1.72; 95% CI 0.95-3.11; P = 0.073 for RFS). Multivariate analysis showed that only ypT and ypN stages were independent predictors of OS before and after PSM (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was no difference in survival between the NCT and NCRT groups, although a trend favored NCRT related to the significantly higher pCR rates. Prospective head-to-head clinical trials to compare these two types of neoadjuvant therapies in ESCC are warranted.

Clinical characteristics, surgical treatments, prognosis, and prognostic factors of primary tracheal cancer patients: 20-year data of the National Cancer Center, China.

Background: Tracheal cancer is a rare malignancy of which previous reports are mostly case reports or small series. Herein, we sought to evaluate the clinical characteristics, surgical treatments, and prognosis of surgically treated primary tracheal cancer patients. Methods: Patients with primary tracheal cancer who had received surgery in our center between January 2000 and December 2020 were enrolled. Clinical and surgical features were collected by retrospective review of medical records and follow-up was done by telephone interview. The statistical tests were two-sided. Results: A total of 128 patients were included in the study, 49.2% of whom were male, and the average age was 49.4±13.6 years. The most common histological subtype was adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC; 78/128, 60.9%) followed by squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; 24/128, 18.8%). The percentage of tumors located in the cervical trachea, thoracic trachea, and carina were 50%, 41.4%, and 8.6%, respectively. Among those analyzed, 32.0% of the primary tumors had invaded adjacent organs (E2 disease) and 7.8% of patients had lymph node involvement. Tracheal resection plus reconstruction (with or without thyroidectomy) was the predominant surgical procedure, followed by carinal resection with neocarina. Radical resection (R0) was performed on 61.7% of patients and 63 (49.2%) patients received adjuvant therapy. Compared to ACC, SCC patients had significantly higher risk of tumor of the carina, nodal metastasis, and complications. The 5-year overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort was 84.5% and factors associated with poor prognosis included carinal tumor [hazard ratio (HR) =10.206; P<0.001], E2 disease (HR =8.870; P=0.001), lymph node metastasis (HR =15.197; P<0.001), and postoperative complications (HR =12.497; P=0.001). Conclusions: The two major subtypes of tracheal cancer are ACC and SCC. Tumor location, extension, lymph node metastasis and complication are survival related factors for surgically treated patients.

Preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index predicts survival and recurrence in patients with resected primary pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a rare lung cancer subtype. Studies concerning PSC are limited and controversial; therefore, we analyzed the treatment and outcomes of PSC utilizing a relatively large single-institution database. METHODS: From January 2003 to December 2018, 262 consecutive PSC patients treated at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The median survival time (MST) was 22.0 months, with 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of 59.9%, 40.1%, and 36.1%, respectively. Patients who underwent surgery had a significantly better prognosis than patients who received nonsurgical treatment (MST, 23.0 vs. 11.0 months, P=0.016). The use of surgery followed by adjuvant therapy significantly prolonged survival in stage III patients (MST, 17.0 vs. 8.0 months, P=0.003) but not in stage I and II patients. Multivariate analysis showed that a systemic inflammation-immune index (SII) value >430.8, TNM stage and necrosis were independent prognostic predictors of OS and disease-free survival (DFS) in radically resected PSC patients (P<0.05). In addition, SII and necrosis were independent risk factors for recurrence after the radical resection of PSC (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PSC is aggressive and has a poor prognosis. Surgery should be the mainstay treatment for operable cases, and adjuvant therapy is recommended for locally advanced disease. A novel potential biomarker, SII, which is an integrated parameter based on preoperative lymphocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts, may be useful for prognostic prediction and the identification of resected PSC patients at high risk for recurrence.

Liquid biopsy for esophageal cancer: Is detection of circulating cell-free DNA as a biomarker feasible?

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a common cancer and is histopathologically classified into esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma. EC is a worldwide public health issue because of late diagnosis and lack of effective therapy. In contrast to standard tumor biopsies, liquid biopsies are emerging as a tool which is minimally invasive that can complement or even substitute more classical approaches. Specifically, cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has shown promise in cancer-related clinical applications. Indeed, cfDNA has been shown to be an effective circulating biomarker for non-invasive cancer diagnosis and monitoring of cancer patients. Although the clinical application of cfDNA has been reported on other cancers, few studies have evaluated its use in EC. Here, we review this relevant literature and discuss limitations and advantages of its application in the diagnosis and monitoring of EC.

Therapeutic options for resectable second lung tumor after previous pneumonectomy: a SEER database analysis.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic options for patients with second lung tumor (SLT) after previous pneumonectomy for lung cancer are sparsely reported and controversial. This study aims to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of different treatment patterns in patient with resectable postpneumonectomy SLT. METHODS: Patients received previous pneumonectomy and subsequently occurred resectable SLT were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database [1998-2016]. Treatment related mortality was compared using the Pearson chi-square test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the independent prognostic factors for cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients met the selection criteria with 5-year CSS and OS rates of 60.8% and 53.7%, respectively: 23 patients received no lung resection (nLR) and 76 patients received lung resection (LR). There was no statistically significant difference between nLR group and LR group in both treatment related mortality (0.0% vs. 2.6%, P=0.432), CSS (58.3% vs. 61.7%, P=0.633) and OS (55.3% vs. 53.3%, P=0.635). Patients with subsequent adenocarcinoma (P=0.001) and smaller tumor size of SLT (P<0.001) were more likely to receive LR treatment. In the LR subgroup analysis, patients received sublobar resection (SLR) had better CSS [hazard ratio (HR): 0.381, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.176-0.827, P=0.030] and OS (HR: 0.562, 95% CI: 0.287-1.100, P=0.051) than those received lobectomy. CONCLUSIONS: SLR or non-surgical resection is reasonable therapeutic option for patients with resectable SLT after previous pneumonectomy to achieve long-term survival, with acceptable treatment related mortality.

A rare case of primary pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumor-like follicular dendritic cell sarcoma successfully treated by lobectomy.

Primary pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumor-like follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (IPT-like FDCS) is extremely rare. Here, we report a case of a 64-year-old female with primary pulmonary IPT-like FDCS. The patient was found to have a solid nodule in the right lower lobe (RLL) of the lung incidentally without any symptoms or signs of discomfort. The chest computed tomography (CT) showed that there was an irregular nodule in the basal segment of the RLL, approximately 2.0 cm × 1.1 cm × 1.0 cm in size, of 15 HU in CT value. While the result of the fiberoptic bronchoscope-guided biopsy of the mass showed that there was inflammatory cell infiltration, no evidence of malignancy was found. After a thorough discussion of the multidisciplinary team, lobectomy of the RLL and systematic lymph node dissection were performed for the patient. Histologic analysis of the resected mass revealed infiltration of a large number of lymphocytes and plasma cells with the expression of CD21, CD23, CD35 were positive. In addition, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) probe in situ hybridization were positive. As a result, the diagnosis of EBV-positive IPT-like FDCS was strongly supported. No recurrence or any signs of metastasis were found during a 10-month follow-up time. As we have reported in this rare case, the diagnosis of primary pulmonary IPT-like FDCS should be considered even when there is only lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and no evidence of malignant tumor cells in the lung.

Log odds of positive lymph nodes is a better prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma than N stage.

BACKGROUND: Signet ring cell carcinoma is a rare type of oesophageal cancer, and we hypothesized that log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) is a better prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma. AIM: To explore a novel prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma by comparing two lymph node-related prognostic factors, log odds of positive LODDS and N stage. METHODS: A total of 259 cases of oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma after oesopha-gectomy were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 2006 and 2016. The prognostic value of LODDS and N stage for oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. The Akaike information criterion and Harrell's C-index were used to assess the value of two prediction models based on lymph nodes. External validation was performed to further confirm the conclusion. RESULTS: The 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of all the cases were 41.3% and 27.0%, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier method showed that LODDS had a higher score of log rank chi-squared (OS: 46.162, CSS: 41.178) than N stage (OS: 36.215, CSS: 31.583). Univariate analyses showed that insurance, race, T stage, M stage, TNM stage, radiation therapy, N stage, and LODDS were potential prognostic factors for OS (P < 0.1). The multivariate Cox regression model showed that LODDS was an significant independent prognostic factor for oesophageal signet ring carcinoma patients after surgical resection (P < 0.05), while N stage was not considered to be a significant prognostic factor (P = 0.122). Model 2 (LODDS) had a higher degree of discrimination and fit than Model 1 (N stage) (LODDS vs N stage, Harell's C-index 0.673 vs 0.656, P < 0.001; Akaike information criterion 1688.824 vs 1697.519, P < 0.001). The results of external validation were consistent with those in the study cohort. CONCLUSION: LODDS is a superior prognostic factor to N stage for patients with oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma after oesophagectomy.

Development of a nomogram for predicting the operative mortality of patients who underwent pneumonectomy for lung cancer: a population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although many studies have reported that patients have undergone entire lung removal for lung cancer along with high operative mortality, the trends in the incidence and associated risk factors for operative death have not been explored in a national population-based study. In addition, a clinical decision-making nomogram for predicting postpneumonectomy mortality remains lacking. METHODS: A total of 10,337 patients diagnosed with lung cancer who underwent pneumonectomy between 1998 and 2016 were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for predicting operative mortality. Thereafter, these independent predictors were integrated into a nomogram, and bootstrap validation was applied to assess the discrimination and calibration. Additionally, decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to calculate the net benefit of this forecast model. RESULTS: The overall postpneumonectomy mortality between 1998 and 2016 was 10.3%, including a 30-day mortality of 4.2%; however, there were statistically significant decreases in the operative death rates from 8.8% in 1998 to 6.7% in 2016 (P=0.009). Higher operative mortality was associated with advanced patients (P<0.001), male sex (P<0.001), right-sided pneumonectomy (P<0.001), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (P=0.008), number of positive lymph nodes (npLNs) 5 or greater (P=0.010), and distant metastasis (P<0.001). However, induction radiotherapy (RT) was a protective factor (P<0.001). The nomogram integrating all of the above independent predictors was well calibrated and had a relatively good discriminative ability, with a C-statistic of 0.687 and an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.682; moreover, DCA demonstrated that our model was clinically useful. CONCLUSIONS: If pneumonectomy was considered inevitable, clinical decision-making based on this simple but efficient predictive nomogram could help minimize the risk of operative death and maximize the survival benefit.

Nomogram for predicting the overall survival of the patients with oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore the prognostic factors of oesophageal signet ring cell (SRC) carcinoma and to construct a nomogram for predicting the outcome of SRC carcinoma of oesophagus. METHODS: A total of 968 cases of oesophageal SRC carcinoma were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2004 and 2016. Cases were divided into training cohort and validation cohort. Univariate and multivariable Cox analyses was performed to select the predictors of overall survival (OS for the nomogram. The performance of nomogram was validated with Harrell's concordance index (C-index), calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: The 1- and 5-year OS in the training cohort were 0.446 and 0.146, respectively, and the 1- and 5-year OS in the validation cohort were 0.459 and 0.138. The independent prognostic factors for establishing the nomogram were marital status, invasion of the surrounding tissue, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, surgery and chemotherapy. The Harrell's c-index value of the training cohort and validation cohort were 0.723 and 0.708. In the calibration curves, the predicted survival probability and the actual survival probability have a considerable consistency. DCA indicated the favourable potential clinical utility of the nomogram. CONCLUSIONS: A nomogram to predict the OS of patients with oesophageal SRC carcinoma was established. The validation of the nomogram fully demonstrates its great performance.