Clinical characteristics of patients with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma: a retrospective study of 44 cases.

BACKGROUND: Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) is considered a subtype of adenocarcinoma of the lung. Recently BAC has been variously termed adenocarcinoma in situ, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, lepidic predominant invasive adenocarcinoma, and invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma. The aim of the study was to analyze and detect prognostic factors of patients with BAC over a 7-year period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective single-center study included 44 patients with BAC. The impact on survival of fifteen variables (gender, age, smoking status, cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, fever, chest pain, sputum, metastasis number, Karnofsky performance status, pT, pN, TNM stage, cytotoxic chemoterapy) were assessed. RESULTS: Median age was 55 years (38-83). Most patients were male (63.6%) and stage IV (59.1%). Twenty-one patients (47.7%) received cytotoxic chemotherapy (platinum-based regimens) for metastatic disease. Objective response rate was 33.3% (4 partial, 3 complete responses). Stable disease was observed in nine in patients (42.8%). Disease progression was noted in 5 (23.8%). The median OS for all patients was 12 months (95%CI, 2.08-22.9 months). Independent predictors for overall survival were: Karnofsky performance status (HR:3.30, p 0.009), pN (HR:3.81, p 0.018), TNM stage (HR:6.49, p 0.012) and hemoptysis (HR:2.31, p 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Karnofsky performance status, pN, TNM stage and hemoptysis appear to have significant impact on predicting patient survival in cases of BAC.

Effectiveness of gemcitabine as second-line chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

The role of a second-line chemotherapy after an initial treatment with a platinum-based regimen remains largely undefined. In this retrospective clinical effectiveness study, gemcitabine as monotherapy was evaluated in the second-line chemotherapy in 34 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases that had been previously received chemotherapy and did not respond to the treatment or presented with relapses. Gemcitabine was given intravenous at a dose of 1250 mg/m2 on days one, eight every three weeks. Median age was 50 years and squamous cell carcinoma was the most common malignancy (44.1%). No patient had a complete response, 7 (20.6%) patients had a partial response. The median survival was 29 weeks. The 1-year survival probability was estimated at 26.5%. Median time to disease progression was 13 weeks. Gemcitabine was well tolerated in this patient population. Among totally 119 chemotherapy cycles, we observed grade 3 and 4 toxicities only in 2.5% of cycles. As a result of the study, single agent gemcitabine is found to be tolerable and to have moderate effectiveness in the second-line chemotherapy in NSCLC. It should be placed among treatment options.

[Comparing cisplatin plus etoposide with combination of mitomycin, ifosfamide and cisplatin in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients]. / Ileri evre küçük hücreli disi akciger karsinomunda sisplatin-etoposid ile mitomisin-ifosfamid-sisplatin kombinasyonlarinin karsilastirilmasi

Cisplatin-etoposide (CE) and mitomycin, ifosfamide and cisplatin (MIC) combinations are active conventional regimens in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this retrospective study, we compared response rates, survival, duration of response, time-to-progression and toxicity of CE with MIC regimens in treatment of previously untreated patients with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC. We first determined the patients with NSCLC who had stage IIIB or IV and received CE or MIC between January 1997 and December 2002 in our clinic. Out of the eligible patients, 45 received MIC, 167 received CE. In addition 45 MIC patients, we included 46 of the 167 CE patients in the study by selecting one patient of every three patient randomly. In CE protocol, cisplatin 80 mg/m(2) on day 1 and etoposide 100 mg/m(2) on days 1, 2, 3 (every three weeks); in MIC protocol, mitomycin 6 mg/m(2), ifosfamide 3 g/m(2), cisplatin 50 mg/m(2) on day 1 (every three weeks) were performed. For statistical analysis, chi-square, t-test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, Cox regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were used by SPSS 11.5 computer program. The overall response rate was 33.3% in the MIC arm and 34.8% in the CE arm. A respective median survival was 28 weeks for the MIC arm and 35 weeks for the CE arm. Median duration of response and time to progression in each groups were 23 and 14 weeks in MIC arm and 32 and 22 weeks respectively. There was no statistical difference for response rates, duration of survival and response, time top progression and toxicity between the two arms. We consider that the combinations of MIC and CE have similar activity and they can be used confidently in advanced NSCLC.

The effect of inhaled corticosteroids on bronchoalveolar lavage cells and IL-8 levels in stable COPD patients.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by a chronic inflammatory process in the large and small airways, as well as in the lung parenchyma. Although the role of oral corticosteroids in the management of acute exacerbations of COPD is well documented, its role in stable COPD is not clear. We examined the anti-inflammatory effect of inhaled budesonide on the percentage of neutrophils and on interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and their correlation with spirometry and symptom scores. Twenty-six patients with stable COPD were randomised, in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial with either 800 microg of inhaled budesonide or placebo for a 6-month period. The budesonide-treated subjects had significant reductions in IL-8 levels in the BAL after therapy (mean+/-sem, 1.53+/-0.72 at baseline vs. 0.70+/-0.48 ng/ml at 6 months, P=0.004) and a reduction in the mean percentages of neutrophils (17.16+/-2.67% vs. 13.25+/-2.28% P=0.002). The improvement in sputum production was of borderline (P=0.058) significance but there was no improvement in lung function. In stable patients with COPD, treatment with inhaled budesonide for a period of 6 months has a positive effect on markers of lung inflammation, as assessed by reduction in percentage neutrophils and IL-8 concentration in BAL.