Diagnosis and management of intercostal intramuscular hemangioma: an updated review.

BACKGROUND: Intramuscular hemangioma (IMH) is an uncommon type of hemangioma, and primary IMH of the intercostal muscle is even rarer. Only a few reports describe IMH of the intercostal muscle, and there are no review articles on this topic. We report our experience with a younger female patient, who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery with tumor resection and review the previous literatures of intercostal IMH. CASE PRESENTATION: An asymptomatic 17-year-old woman showed a 29-mm, homogeneous, intrathoracic nodule in the left chest wall, attached to the second and third ribs on computed tomography. We performed exploratory thoracoscopic surgery and the tumor was excised without surrounding rib resection. Histopathologic examination of the surgical specimen revealed proliferation of small blood vessels within the surrounding striated muscle, leading to the diagnosis of intercostal IMH. The surgical margin was negative. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and there has been no evidence of recurrence for more than 18 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a case of intercostal IMH, who received tumor resection with clear excision margin without surrounding rib resection. Preoperative diagnosis is challenging due to its rarity, but intercostal IMH should be recalled as a differential diagnosis of chest wall tumor. Tumor excision without surrounding rib resection is acceptable for intercostal IMH, when there is a good possibility of achieving negative surgical margin.

The efficacy of transbronchial indocyanine green instillation for fluorescent-guided wedge resection.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of lung wedge resection by combining 3-dimensional (3D) image analysis with transbronchial indocyanine green (ICG) instillation, in order to delineate the intended area for resection. METHODS: From December 2017 to July 2020, 28 patients undergoing wedge resection (17 primary lung cancers, 11 metastatic lung tumours) were enrolled, and fluorescence-guided wedge resection was attempted. Virtual sublobar resections were created preoperatively for each patient using a 3D Image Analyzer. Surgical margins were measured in each sublobar resection simulation in order to select the most optimal surgical resection area. After transbronchial instillation of ICG, near-infrared thoracoscopic visualization allowed matching of the intended area for resection to the virtual sublobar resection area. To investigate the effectiveness of ICG instillation, the clarity of the ICG-florescent border was evaluated, and the distance from the true tumour to the surgical margins was compared to that of simulation. RESULTS: Mean tumour diameter was 12.4 ± 4.3 mm. The entire targeted tumour was included in resected specimens of all patients (100% success rate). The shortest distances to the surgical margin via 3D simulation and by actual measurement of the specimen were11.4 ± 5.4 and 12.2 ± 4.1 mm, respectively (P = 0.285) and were well correlated (R2 = 0.437). While all specimens had negative malignant cells at the surgical margins, one loco-regional recurrence was observed secondary to the dissemination of neuroendocrine carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: ICG-guided lung wedge resection after transbronchial ICG instillation and preoperative 3D image analysis allow for adequate negative surgical margins, providing decreased risk of local recurrence.

A phase I study of loco-regional immunotherapy by transbronchial injection of α-galactosylceramide-pulsed antigen presenting cells in patients with lung cancer.

We conducted a phase I study of the trans-bronchial injection of α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer)-pulsed antigen presenting cells (APCs) to evaluate their safety, immune responses, and anti-tumor activities. Patients with advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) refractory to standard treatments were eligible. αGalCer-pulsed APCs were administered intratumorally or intranodally by bronchoscopy. Twenty-one patients were enrolled in this study. No severe adverse events related to the cell therapy were observed during this study in any patient. After αGalCer-pulsed APCs were administrated, increased iNKT cell numbers were observed in PBMCs from eight cases, and IFN-γ producing cells were increased in the peripheral blood of 10 cases. Regarding clinical responses, one case exhibited a partial response and eight were classified as stable disease. In the tumor microenvironment, IFN-γ expression was upregulated after treatment in partial response or stable disease cases and TGF-ß was upregulated in progressive disease cases.

[Fluorescence Guided Sublobar Lung Resection by Using Three-dimensional Image Analysis and Transbronchial Instillation of Indocyanine Green].

BACKGROUND: The confirmation of an appropriate resection margin from the tumor is crucial for reducing the risk of local recurrence after sublobar resection for pulmonary malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From October 2014 to April 2018, 66 operative cases in 64 patients( primary lung cancer 42, metastatic lung tumor 21, benign disease 3) were enrolled. In lung cancer, active limited resection was done in 29 and passive limited resection was done in 13. Preoperatively, each patient created several virtual sublobar resections by using 3-dimensional (3D) volume analyzer. We measured the surgical margin in each simulated sublobar resection and selected the most appropriate procedure. Surgical resection matched with virtual sublobar resection was done by using an infrared thoracoscopy with transbronchial indocyanine green (ICG) instillation. In lung cancer, we compared surgical outcomes between ICG cases and 47 historical segmentectomy cases. RESULTS: The types of sublobar resection were subsegmental resection in 5, simple segmentectomy in 15, complex segmentectomy in 16 and extended segmentectomy in 22 and anatomical super deep wedge resection in 8. The shortest distance of surgical margin by simulation and an actual measurement were 20.8±11.1 mm and 22.6±8.3 mm, respectively( p=0.186). Postoperative recurrence was found in 8 cases (distant in 7 and mediastinal lymph node in 1). No locoregional recurrence was found in all cases. Postoperative recurrence was similar between the 2 groups in active and passive limited resection, respectively. CONCLUSION: ICG-guided sublobar resection by transbronchial ICG instillation is applicable to any type of sublobar resection and can control local recurrence of lung neoplasms.

Surgical outcome of pulmonary artery reconstruction using the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patch in patients with lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Pulmonary artery reconstruction is sometimes utilized as an alternative to pneumonectomy in lung cancer surgery. We herein report our experience of pulmonary artery reconstruction using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) patch based on the surgical results and long-term outcome. METHODS: Clinical records of lung cancer patients who underwent patch plasty were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Between 2003 and 2017, pulmonary artery patch plasty were performed in 21 patients [18 males, 3 females; mean age 65 (range 47-79) years]. Induction chemoradiotherapy was performed in three patients. Bronchoplasty was performed in five patients. The pathologic stages were stage I in 3 patients, stage II in 6 and stage III in 12. Pneumonectomy, lobectomy and segmentectomy were performed in 2, 18 and 1 patient, respectively. The left upper lobe was the most frequent origin of lung cancer (15 patients). There was no reconstruction-related morbidity or mortality. The overall survival rate at 5 years was 64.1% with a mean follow-up of 39.5 months, and the survival rates for N0-1 and N2-3 were 80.8% and 28.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patch angioplasty using the ePTFE sheet is a reliable procedure in radical surgery for lung cancer.

Precise Anatomical Sublobar Resection Using a 3D Medical Image Analyzer and Fluorescence-Guided Surgery With Transbronchial Instillation of Indocyanine Green.

We developed a novel approach combined with 3D image analyzer and infrared thoracoscopy for pulmonary sublobar resection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of this procedure. From October 2014 to April 2018, 65 cases were enrolled, and 58 cases were evaluated. For each case, several virtual sublobar resections were created by 3D image analyzer preoperatively. The surgical margin was measured in each simulated sublobar resection and the most appropriate procedure was selected. Surgical resection with matching virtual sublobar resection was performed using infrared thoracoscopy with transbronchial indocyanine green (ICG) instillation. We evaluated the border clarity of ICG fluorescence to investigate success of ICG injection and compared pre- and postoperative CTs to determine whether the correct area could be removed according to the simulation. We also compared short-term surgical outcomes between the ICG cases and historical segmentectomy cases by propensity score matching. The success rate of transbronchial ICG injections was 89.2% (58/65). These 58 patients were eligible for evaluation of our procedure. Sublobar resection included subsegmental resection (5), simple segmentectomy (15), complex segmentectomy (16), and extended segmentectomy (22). The shortest distances to the surgical margin by simulation and by actual measurement were 21.5 ± 11.2 mm and 23.5 ± 8.3, respectively (P = 0.190). Fifty-four of 58 cases underwent sublobar resection matched with the simulation (93.1% concordance rate). Operative results and short-term outcomes were similar between the 2 groups by propensity score matching. ICG-guided sublobar resection by transbronchial ICG instillation is feasible and applicable to any type of sublobar resection.

Validation of EBUS-TBNA-integrated nodal staging in potentially node-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Nodal staging of lung cancer is important for selecting surgical candidates. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) was evaluated as a modality for nodal staging of patients with potentially node-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration was used for nodal staging of NSCLC patients with radiological N2/3 disease (short axis >10 mm on computed tomography and/or standardized positron emission uptake value >2.5 on 2-deoxy-2[F-18] fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography), T-stage ≥ T2, or positive serum carcinoembryonic antigen. Data on eligible patients were extracted from the database of our institution and analyzed for differences in nodal stages between radiological staging (RS) and EBUS-TBNA-integrated staging (ES), with validation by pathological staging of patients who had undergone surgery. RESULTS: Of 480 eligible patients, there were 135 N0/1 and 345 N2/3 patients according to RS. Out of the 345 patients staged as N2/3 by RS, 113 (33 %) were downgraded to N0/1 by ES. Out of the 135 patients staged as N0/1 by RS, 12 (9 %) were upgraded to N2/3 by ES. Patients were restaged as N0/1 in 236 cases and N2/3 in 244 cases by ES, and the distributions of nodal stage between RS and ES were significantly different (p < 0.001). Finally, 215 out of the 236 ES-N0/1 patients underwent lung resection, and 195 (90.7 %) and 20 patients were staged by pathology as N0/1 and N2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration is more accurate for lymph node staging compared to radiological staging. EBUS-TBNA can identify patients who are true candidates for surgery.

Surgical treatment for non-small cell lung cancer with ipsilateral pulmonary metastases.

PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the relevance of surgery in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with ipsilateral pulmonary metastases. METHODS: The clinical records of 1,623 consecutive NSCLC patients who underwent surgery between 1990 and 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Overall, 161 (9.9%) and 21 (1.3%) patients had additional nodules in the same lobe as the primary lesion (PM1) and additional nodules in the ipsilateral different lobe (PM2), respectively. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rate was 54.4 % in the PM1 patients and 19.3% in the PM2 patients (log-rank test: p = 0.001). Tumor size ≤3 cm, N0-1 status and surgical procedures less extensive than bilobectomy were identified as favorable prognostic factors in the PM1 patients. The 5-year survival rate in the PM1-N0-1 patients was 68.7%, while that in the PM1-N2-3 patients was 29.1% (p < 0.0001). Compared to the non-PM1 stage IIIA patients, the stage IIIA patients with PM1 disease (PM1-N1) tended to experience longer survival times (p = 0.06). Squamous cell types and bilobectomy or more extensive procedures were found to be unfavorable factors in the PM2 patients. The survival of the PM2 patients was significantly worse than that of the other T4 patients (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: PM1 patients with N0-1 disease are good candidates for surgery, whereas PM2 patients do not appear to benefit from surgery.

Accumulation of activated invariant natural killer T cells in the tumor microenvironment after α-galactosylceramide-pulsed antigen presenting cells.

PURPOSE: The intravenous administration of α-Galactosylceramide (α-GalCer)-pulsed antigen presenting cells (APCs) is well tolerated and the increased IFN-γ producing cells in the peripheral blood after the treatment appeared to be associated with prolonged survival. An exploratory study protocol was designed with the preoperative administration of α-GalCer-pulsed APCs to clarify the mechanisms of these findings, while especially focusing on the precise tumor site. METHODS: Patients with operable advanced lung cancer received an intravenous injection of α-GalCer-pulsed APCs before surgery. The resected lung and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as well as peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected and the invariant NKT (iNKT) cell-specific immune responses were analyzed. RESULTS: Four patients completed the study protocol. We observed a significant increase in iNKT cell numbers in the TILs and augmented IFN-γ production by the α-GalCer-stimulated TILs. CONCLUSION: The administration of α-GalCer-pulsed APCs successfully induced the dramatic infiltration and activation of iNKT cells in the tumor microenvironment.

Pulmonary resection for lung cancer with malignant pleural disease first detected at thoracotomy.

OBJECTIVES: The prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with malignant pleural disease (MPD), characterized by malignant pleural effusion and/or malignant pleural nodules, is reported to be poor, and patients with MPD are generally not subjected to surgery. However, whether or not the primary tumor should be resected, when MPD is first detected at thoracotomy, is controversial. METHODS: The clinical records of 1623 consecutive NSCLC patients, who underwent surgery between 1990 and 2007, were retrospectively reviewed. A hundred patients (6.2%) were classified with pathological stage IV disease according to the seventh edition of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) staging system. There were 73 patients with MPD, which included 32 with effusion without nodules (MPE) and 41 with nodules with or without effusion (MPN). Intra- or postoperative pleural chemotherapy was administered to 37 MPD patients. RESULTS: The median survival time, the 3-year survival rate and the 5-year survival rate for MPD patients were 25.9 months, 41.4%, and 23.7%, respectively, which are better outcomes than those for M1b patients (8.7 months, 18% and 18%, respectively) (log-lank test: p=0.014). Among MPD patients, N0-1 disease was determined to be a favorable prognostic factor (p=0.01). MPD status (MPE or MPN) was not prognostically significant (p=0.40). MPE patients with N0-1 disease had a significantly better prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of 63.6% compared to MPE patients with N2-3 disease (p=0.003). Twenty-seven percent of MPN patients with N0-1 disease achieved 5-year survival, whereas none of the MPD patients with N2-3 disease survived longer than 5 years after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of patients with surgically detected MPD, who underwent resection, was better than that of M1b patients. MPE patients with N0-1 disease may be candidates for resection.

Prognostic impact of cell type under the seventh TNM staging system in resected non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: We retrospectively investigated whether histological cell type could affect patient prognosis for each stage according to the seventh edition of the TNM classification. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical records of 1623 consecutive non-small cell lung cancer patients who underwent surgery between 1990 and 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Over 92% of these patients had either adenocarcinoma (Ad; n = 1043, 64.3%) or squamous cell carcinoma (Sq; n = 452, 27.9%). RESULTS: The overall 5-year survival rates for patients of all stages with Ad, Sq, large cell carcinoma (La), and adenosquamous cell carcinoma (As) were 67%, 56%, 58%, and 41%, respectively. Ad patients experienced better survival than Sq, As, or La patients (HR: 0.66, P < 0.0001; HR: 0.38, P = 0.011; HR: 0.69, P = 0.057, respectively). Stage IA Ad patients experienced better survival than stage IA Sq patients (5-year survival; Ad/Sq = 91%/78%, log-rank test, P = 0.001). Such a difference was also observed among seventh-edition TNM stage IB patients (5-year survival; Ad/Sq = 78%/64%, log-rank test, P = 0.048), but not for sixth-edition stage IB patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that histological cell type is a significant prognostic factor among stage I ≥ T1b Ad and Sq patients. CONCLUSIONS: Survival after complete resection of new stage I ≥ T1b Sq patients is significantly worse than that of Ad patients, which could be partially attributed to stage migration effect in stage IB disease between the sixth and seventh editions of the TNM staging system.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery extended thymectomy for myasthenia gravis using manual manipulators: the radius surgical system.

A 32-year-old woman with ocular-typed myasthenia gravis (MG) without thymoma was admitted to the hospital to undergo surgical treatment. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) extended thymectomy was successfully performed with three small ports using manual manipulators, the Radius Surgical System (RSS). The device may facilitate many degrees of freedom to general thoracic surgery.

Pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung producing granulocyte colony-stimulating factor: report of a case.

We herein report a case of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that appeared to be related to a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-producing lung cancer. A 77-year-old man with arterial sclerotic obstruction (ASO) underwent reconstructive surgery of the left femoral artery. He developed ARDS on the 5th postoperative day, which resolved following mechanical ventilation with steroid pulse treatment. Four months later, he was admitted with a fever and right arm pain. Chest computed tomography showed a malignant lesion in the right apical lung, and percutaneous needle biopsy demonstrated adenocarcinoma. Laboratory data revealed neutrophilia with elevated serum G-CSF levels. He underwent a right upper lobectomy with chest wall resection, and administration of sivelestat sodium to treat his postoperative pre-acute lung injury state. Pathology revealed a G-CSF-producing pleomorphic carcinoma. Retrospectively, a tumor shadow was noted on chest X-ray at the time of ARDS just after ASO surgery. The relationship between an abnormal G-CSF level and ARDS was considered, and the implications are herein discussed.

Aberrant methylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor type 2B (NMDAR2B) in non-small cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) act as tumor suppressors of digestive malignancies. The expression and genetic methylation patterns of NMDAR2B in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are unknown. METHODS: The relationship between gene methylation and expression of NMDAR2B was analyzed in NSCLC cell lines (N = 9) and clinical tissues (N = 216). The cell lines were studied using RT-PCR and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment, while the clinical tissues were examined by methylation specific real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. Retrospective investigation of patient records was used to determine the clinical significance of NMDAR2B methylation. RESULTS: NMDAR2B was silenced in five of the nine cell lines; 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment restored expression, and was inversely correlated with methylation. Aberrant methylation of NMDAR2B, detected in 61% (131/216) of clinical NSCLC tissues, was inversely correlated with the status of protein expression in 20 randomly examined tumors. Aberrant methylation was not associated with clinical factors such as gender, age, histological type, or TNM stage. However, aberrant methylation was an independent prognostic factor in squamous cell carcinoma cases. CONCLUSIONS: Aberrant methylation of the NMDAR2B gene is a common event in NSCLC. The prognosis was significantly better for cases of squamous cell carcinoma in which NMDAR2B was methylated. It may have different roles in different histological types.

Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma with pleural dissemination: report of a case.

Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma is relatively rare and is usually considered a benign tumor. There have been no reports of pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma with pleural dissemination. This report presents an extremely rare case of pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma with pulmonary dissemination. A 57-year-old woman was found to have an abnormal shadow in the right lower lung field on chest X-ray. Chest computed tomography (CT) indicated a 2.5-cm mass in the right lower lobe. A bronchoscopic biopsy failed to identify malignant cells, which led to the patient undergoing an excisional lung biopsy. Intraoperative findings showed a tumor in the right lower lobe with multiple small nodules in the pleura. The pathological findings revealed that the tumor was sclerosing hemangioma with pleural dissemination. Annual follow-up CT showed irregular pleural thickness, which suggested progressive dissemination 3 years after the operation. Although pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma is regarded as a benign tumor, the potential for malignancy may be a consideration in this setting.

Single T factors predict survival of patients with resected stage-IIB non-small-cell lung cancers.

OBJECTIVE: In the seventh edition of TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours (TNM) staging, the stage-IIB category for lung cancer is comprised of four factors: lymph-node metastasis, chest-wall invasion, large tumor size (> 7 cm), and same-lobe nodules. Tumors are further classified into eight sub-categories based on each TN factor or factor combinations. This study evaluated the prognostic value of each TN factor or combinations for resected stage-IIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We retrospectively studied 186 consecutive patients who had resections for NSCLC at Chiba University Hospital and were diagnosed as stage IIB according to the seventh edition of TNM staging. RESULTS: Five-year survivals for each stage IIB were: T2bN1M0 = 47 ± 12% (± standard error); T3 (chest-wall invasion; N0M0) = 59 ± 7%; T3 (large tumor> 7 cm)=72 ± 11%; T3 (same-lobe nodules) = 78 ± 5%; T3 (invasion + > 7 cm)=44 ± 16%; T3 (invasion+same-lobe nodules) = 25 ± 22%; T3 (>7cm+same-lobe nodules) = 0%; and T3 (invasion + > 7 cm +same-lobe nodules)=0%. Among the four single factors, same-lobe nodules had the best prognoses, whereas T2bN1M0 had the worst prognoses. Comparing cases with single factors and multiple factors that decided stage IIB, cases with multiple factors had poorer prognoses (P=0.02). CONCLUSION: The stage-IIB category is comprised of eight sub-categories, with either single factors or factor combinations; these sub-categories have different prognoses. The worst survivals were for cases with T2bN1M0 as a single factor or for cases with multiple factors, although these represented a small proportion of resected stage-IIB NSCLC cases.

In vivo microscopic imaging of the bronchial mucosa using an endo-cytoscopy system.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the capabilities of an endo-cytoscopy system (ECS) that enables microscopic imaging of the tracheobronchial tree during bronchoscopy, including normal bronchial epithelium, dysplastic mucosa and squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: The newly developed ECS has a 3.2 mm diameter that can be passed through the 4.2 mm working channel of a mother endoscope for insertion of the ECS. It has a high magnification of 570× on a 17 in. video monitor. Twenty-two patients (7 squamous cell carcinoma, 11 squamous dysplasia and 4 after PDT therapies) were underwent white light, NBI light and AFI bronchoscopy. Both abnormal areas of interest and normal bronchial mucosa were stained with 0.5% methylene blue and examined with ECS at high magnification (570×). Histological examinations using haematoxylin and eosin staining were made of biopsied specimens. Analyzed ECS images were compared with the corresponding histological examinations. RESULTS: In normal bronchial mucosa, ciliated columnar epithelial cells were visible. In bronchial squamous dysplasia, superficial cells with abundant cytoplasm were arranged regularly. In squamous cell carcinoma, large, polymorphic tumor cells showed increased cellular densities with irregular stratified patterns. These ECS images corresponded well with the light-microscopic examination of conventional histology. CONCLUSION: ECS was useful for the discrimination between normal bronchial epithelial cells and dysplastic cells or malignant cells during bronchoscopy in real time. This novel technology has an excellent potential to provide in vivo diagnosis during bronchoscopic examinations.

Risk of lung cancer in patients with preinvasive bronchial lesions followed by autofluorescence bronchoscopy and chest computed tomography.

OBJECTIVES: To assess risk of lung cancer (LC) in patients with preinvasive bronchial lesions and to identify factors associated with higher risk. METHODS: 124 patients with one or more preinvasive bronchial lesions and normal chest computed tomography (CT) (mean age 66.7 years, 121 males and 3 females), followed-up by white light and autofluorescence bronchoscopy (AFB) every 4-6 mo and chest CT every 6-12 mo, end points were development of carcinoma in situ (CIS) or LC. RESULTS: Among 124 patients with 240 preinvasive bronchial lesions, 20 CIS or LC lesions were detected during follow-up in 20 (16%) patients, 7 were detected as new endobronchial lesions, 10 as new peripheral lesions and 3 as local progression from severe dysplasia to CIS. Median time to progression from the same site or development of CIS/LC elsewhere was 24 months (range: 6-54 mo). The Cumulative risk of development of CIS/LC was 7% at one year, 20% at three years and 44% at 5 years. Among detected lung cancers, 80% were stage 0 or stage I and underwent treatment with curative intent. Diagnosis of new SD during follow-up (p=0.0001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (p=0.001) or smoking index >52 pack-year (p=0.042) was associated with higher risk. Even after controlling for other risk factors, COPD was associated with risk for lung cancer. Baseline lesion grade was not predictive of patient outcome (p=0.146). CONCLUSION: Patients with preinvasive bronchial lesions, especially those with new SD during follow-up, COPD or smoking >52 pack-year are at high risk of LC, AFB and CT follow-up facilitated early detection and treatment with curative intent.

Favorable outcome using a maze procedure for left pneumonectomy combined with resection of the left atrium in stage IIIB lung cancer.

We report a case of a 67-year-old woman with stage IIIB locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer who had also suffered from hyperthyroidism with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Thiamazole provided euthyroid status, but medication failed to resolve AF. A computed tomography (CT)-scan revealed a 5×5-cm mass in the left hilar region that involved the left atrium (LA) and bifurcation of the pulmonary artery. Left pneumonectomy, LA partial resection and reconstruction of the bifurcation of the pulmonary artery were performed. In addition, a maze procedure was performed using cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac arrest. We present the first case report of advanced lung cancer surgery with a maze procedure. Follow-up by CT-scan 34 months later did not show any recurrence and attacks of AF (no medication after surgery) were completely resolved after the operation.

Surgical outcomes of newly categorized peripheral T3 non-small cell lung cancers: comparisons between chest wall invasion and large tumors (>7 cm).

The prognosis for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with chest wall invasion can vary due to the heterogeneous nature of the cell population. Because NSCLC with large tumors (>7 cm) have been reclassified as T3, the applicability of the new designation must be evaluated. We reviewed 140 patients with chest wall T3 and 28 patients with T3 NSCLC with large tumors, but no chest wall invasion who underwent resection at our institution. Among chest wall T3 patients, elderly T3 patients (≥80 years old) who died within 42 months, patients with either lymph node or pulmonary metastasis, or patients with a large tumor (>7 cm) had poorer prognoses than those who had not. The survival rates for cases with chest wall T3 and cases with a large tumor without chest wall invasion were not significantly different. NSCLC patients with chest wall T3 with lymph node, or pulmonary metastasis, or with a large tumor should be considered for further multimodal treatment with or without resection to enhance their survival time. Elderly patients with chest wall invasion may not be good candidates for resection. A large tumor is so aggressive that re-classification of large tumor cases as T3 is suitable.