Unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer: Insights from a Portuguese expert panel.

INTRODUCTION: The management of unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is clinically challenging and there is no current consensus on optimal strategies. Herein, a panel of Portuguese experts aims to present practical recommendations for the global management of unresectable stage III NSCLC patients. METHODS: A group of Portuguese lung cancer experts debated aspects related to the diagnosis, staging and treatment of unresectable stage III NSCLC in light of current evidence. Recent breakthroughs in immunotherapy as part of a standard therapeutic approach were also discussed. This review exposes the major conclusions obtained. RESULTS: Practical recommendations for the management of unresectable stage III NSCLC were proposed, aiming to improve the pathways of diagnosis and treatment in the Portuguese healthcare system. Clinical heterogeneity of patients with stage III NSCLC hinders the development of single standardised algorithm where all fit. CONCLUSIONS: A timely diagnosis and a proper staging contribute to the best management of each patient, optimizing treatment tolerance and effectiveness. The expert panel considered chemoradiotherapy as the preferable approach when surgery is not possible. Management of adverse events and immunotherapy as a consolidation therapy are also essential steps for a successful strategy.

Inserción intrapleural involuntaria de un catéter epidural en cirugía torácica: ¿está fuera de juego la analgesia regional o existe otra salida? / Unintended intrapleural insertion of an epidural catheter in thoracic surgery: Regional analgesia game over, or is there another way out?

En cirugía torácica, el control optimizado del dolor es esencial para prevenir disfunciones de la mecánica cardiorrespiratoria. La anestesia epidural y el bloqueo paravertebral son las técnicas analgésicas más populares. La inserción intrapleural involuntaria de un catéter epidural es una complicación infrecuente. Nuestro informe presenta un caso de un paciente sometido a resección de tumor pulmonar mediante cirugía toracoscópica asistida por video. Existió dificultad para la inserción del catéter debido a la obesidad del paciente, pero tras la inducción de la anestesia no se necesitó analgesia intravenosa adicional tras la inyección epidural. Se requirió convertir la cirugía en toracotomía, con identificación intrapleural del catéter epidural. Al finalizar la cirugía los cirujanos reorientaron el catéter en el espacio paravertebral, con confirmación de ausencia de fuga tras la inyección de anestesia local a través del catéter. En el periodo postoperatorio el control del dolor fue eficaz y sin complicaciones. Se trata de un caso exitoso que muestra que cuando encontramos complicaciones imprevistas podemos buscar soluciones alternativas para proporcionar a nuestro paciente el mejor tratamiento.(AU)

In thoracic surgery, optimized pain control is crucial to prevent dysfunction in cardiorespiratory mechanics. Epidural anesthesia and paravertebral block are the most popular techniques for analgesia. Unintended intrapleural insertion of an epidural catheter is a rare complication. Our report presents a case of a patient submitted to pulmonary tumor resection by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. There was difficulty in epidural insertion related to patient's obesity, but after general anesthesia induction, no additional intravenous analgesia was needed after epidural injection. Surgery required conversion to thoracotomy, with intrapleural identification of epidural catheter. At the end of surgery, surgeons reoriented catheter to paravertebral space, with leak absence confirmation after local anesthetic injection through the catheter. In postoperative period, pain control was efficient, with no complications. It was a successful case that shows that when we find unexpected complications, we can look for alternative solutions to give our patient the best treatment.(AU)

Unintended intrapleural insertion of an epidural catheter in thoracic surgery: regional analgesia game over, or is there another way out?

In thoracic surgery, optimized pain control is crucial to prevent dysfunction in cardiorespiratory mechanics. Epidural anesthesia (EA) and paravertebral block (PVB) are the most popular techniques for analgesia. Unintended intrapleural insertion of an epidural catheter is a rare complication. Our report presents a case of a patient submitted to pulmonary tumor resection by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). There was difficulty in epidural insertion related to patient's obesity, but after general anesthesia induction, no additional intravenous analgesia was needed after epidural injection. Surgery required conversion to thoracotomy, with intrapleural identification of epidural catheter. At the end of surgery, surgeons reoriented catheter to paravertebral space, with leak absence confirmation after local anesthetic injection through the catheter. In postoperative period, pain control was efficient, with no complications. It was a successful case that shows that when we find unexpected complications, we can look for alternative solutions to give our patient the best treatment.