Molecular Markers for Long-term Survival in Stage IIIA (N2) NSCLC Patients.

BACKGROUND: Survival rates among non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stage IIIA (N2) patients are generally low and depend on the treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We aimed to identify predictive markers for long term survival in responders and non-responders to chemotherapy, analyzing tumour and non-tumour samples by microarray (n=35) and whole exome sequencing (WES, n=25). RESULTS: WES data showed correlation of overall survival of all patients with rs9905892 in the SLFN12L gene. High frequency of mutations (4/6, 66.7%) was identified in members of SWI/SNF complex in responder patients and in patients that were alive after seven years. Microarray data for immune components showed that VISTA (VSIR) was down-regulated in tumoral tissue. CONCLUSION: Our research suggests that mutations in SWI/SNF complex associate with long term survival after multimodal treatment, while down-regulation of VISTA might indicate its immunomodulatory role in NSCLC stage III (N2) patients.

Pulmonary Hydatidosis - An Abandoned Surgical Approach.

Over the years, hydatidosis as a medical-surgical problem, has been researched by many surgeons, trying to find an optimal treatment method that produces as few as possible lung parenchyma lesions and that has as many benefits as possible for the patient. In this article, the authors are bringing to attention, an abandoned surgical method due to its possible complications but which has adapted perfectly to the case describe bellow. We present the case of a 59-year-old patient, with no significant personal pathological history for the underlying disease, who presented with minimal nonspecific symptomatology and with whom the surgical treatment performed was successful practicing the Perez-Fontana technique.

Analysis of Prognostic Factors in Complicated Colorectal Cancer Operated in Emergency.

Introduction: In 2018, the colon cancer was the 5th type of neoplasia regarding the cancer mortality and the rectal cancer was the 10th. The survival of patients with colorectal cancer operated in emergency still remains unsatisfactory, the death being due to local recurrences and to metastases. The aim of this study is to evaluate some correlations of overall survival with clinic and paraclinic features, tumor or treatment characteristics in order to identify prognostic factors, for cases with colorectal tumors that underwent emergency surgery. Material and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis on 431 patients with colorectal cancer operated in emergency between 2008-2017, excluding 40 patients with postoperative deaths, with a follow-up period of at least one year. There were correlations of some clinic and paraclinic features, tumor or treatment characteristics with the overall survival. Results: In the univariate statistical survival analysis, a statistically significant association was obtained with: the age 61 years (p_value = 0.000049), abdominal surgical history (p_value = 0.031725), heart disease (p_value = 0.000007), atrial fibrillation (p_value = 0.007496), preoperative diagnosis (p_value = 0.034352), cachexia (p_value = 0.000000), oliguria (p_value = 0.000000), anemia (p_value = 0.000006) hydro-electrolytic disorders (p_value = 0.000001), tumor localization (p_value = 0.000030), invasion into other organs (p_value = 0.000000), appearance of "frozen pelvis" (p_value = 0.000000), peritoneal carcinomatosis (p_value = 0.000000), liver metastases (p_value = 0.000000), type of surgery (p_value = 0.000000), lymph node dissection (p_value = 0.000001), liver biopsy (p_value = 0.043483), stoma reversal (p_value = 0.000000 ), serial interventions (p_value = 0.000000), pTNM (p_value = 0.000000), tumor grading (p_value = 0.007069). The Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that: the age 61 years - HR = 1,026, 95% CI (1,012, 1,039) (p value = 0.000139), cachexia - HR = 1,358, 95% CI (1,046, 1,764) (p value = 0.021617), peritoneal carcinomatosis - HR = 2.346, 95% CI (1.163, 4.732) (p_value = 0.017253), disease stage - HR = 36.745, 95% CI (14.778, 91.366) (p_ value = 0.000000), intervention type - HR = 0.187, 95% CI (0.045, 0.779) (p_ value = 0.021281) and serial interventions - HR = 0.282, 95% CI (0.144.0.551) (p_ value = 000213) are independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: The prognostic factors for patients with colorectal cancers operated in emergency are: the age 61, the presence of abdominal surgical history and associated cardiac conditions, especially atrial fibrillation, diagnosis of diastatic perforation imminence, cachexia, oliguria, hydro-electrolytic disorders at admission, rectal tumors, tumor invasion in other organs, the appearance of "frozen pelvis", the presence of liver metastases or peritoneal carcinomatosis, undifferentiated tumors, stage IV, practicing an internal derivation or not performing lymph node dissection. The age over 61, cachexia, as well as peritoneal carcinomatosis, stage III or IV are independent risk factors the Hartmann procedure and the serial interventions are independent protective factors.