Hormonal therapy after the operation for catamenial pneumothorax - is it always necessary?

BACKGROUND: Our recent clinical observations put into question the routine hormonal therapy for pneumothorax recurrence prevention, in patients operated for catamenial pneumothorax (CP). METHODS: Retrospective review of the treatment of four women operated for CP in a recent 32-months period. RESULTS: The four presented patients with CP represent 4.8 % of the overall number of patients operated for spontaneous pneumothorax and 19 % of women operated for pneumothorax in the same period. In all patients, typical multiple diaphragm holes existed. The involved part of the diaphragm was removed with diaphragm suture in three patients, whilst in one patient, a diaphragm placation was done. Endometriosis was histologically confirmed in two patients. During the follow-up period of 6-43 months, none of the patients underwent a postoperative hormonal therapy for different reasons, and in none of them the pneumothorax recurrence occurred. CONCLUSION: The clinical course of these patients, with the absence of the pneumothorax recurrence despite the omission of the hormonal treatment, suggests that the appropriateness of the routine hormonal treatment with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogues for 6-12 months, should be reconsidered and re-evaluated in further studies.

Sleeve pneumonectomy for lung cancer--survival and complications (single-center experience with 42 patients).

BACKGROUND: Sleeve pneumonectomy is challenging both from the technical and oncological standpoint. The benefit of induction treatment is still under investigation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 42 patients with sleeve pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer in an eight-year period. Right sleeve pneumonectomy was performed in 39 patients. Squamous cell and adenocarcinoma were found in 33 (78.5%) and 5 (11.9%) patients, respectively. Overall stage was IIIa for 25 (59.5%) and IIIb for 17 (40.5%) patients, respectively. RESULTS: Perioperative mortality and morbidity were 16.6% and 35.7%. Leading cause of death was bronchopleural fistula. Five-year survival was 35%. The survival difference between patients with NO+N1 versus N2 lesions was statistically significant (p = 0.01). There were no two-year survivors among patients with N2 lesions. Survival difference between T3 and T4 patients was also significant (p = 0.04). In a multivariate analysis, only T and N components were found significant in terms of prognosis. CONCLUSION: Sleeve pneumonectomy should be avoided in patients with N2 lesions confirmed preoperatively. A safe operation can be performed if the surgeon restricts airway resection to a maximum length of 4 cm.

[Prognostic factors in resectable non-small-cell bronchial carcinoma]. / Prognosticki faktori resektabilnog primarnog nemikrocelularnog karcinoma bronha.

This study represents the univariate and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors of resectable non small cell-lung cancer (NSCLC) that included 360 patients who underwent a surgical treatment because of primary (NSCLC) in the aforementioned institution in a period between 1985 and 1992. Patients with incomplete resection were rejected, perioperative deaths were not included in the analysis. In the analysed group there were 2931 (81.38%) males and 67(18.62%) females--M:F ratio 4.37:1. Age of the operated patients was 36-75 years with the mean age of 55.15 years. Right-sided tumours existed in 197(54.72%) patients, left-sided tumours in 163(45.28%) patients. Based on pTNM, 157, 65, 114, 18 and 6 patients were classified into stages I, II, IIIA, IIIB and IV respectively. In the univariate analysis, survival curves were obtained using the life table method, with the statistical analysis of the obtained data using the Gehan-Wilcoxon method. In the multivariate analysis--Cox regression analysis was performed. Multivariate analysis found only T-stage, N-stage and the stage of the disease as significant independent prognostic factors. Mode of influence of factors that were found significant in the univariate analysis (age 60 years, tumour diameter 60 mm, involvement of the visceral pleura, indirect tumour signs) is discussed and compared with literature data. Survival differences depending on other factors (tumour location, bronchoscopic aspect, extent of the resection), although without statistical significance, can be useful for the clinician, in the same time contributing to the better comprehension of informations obtained by basical investigations, especially of lymphatic spread of the disease and tumour pathology.