Lung cancer-specific symptoms and fear of cancer recurrence among recurrence-free non-small cell lung cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: Lung cancer survivors have more psychosocial problems, including depression and anxiety disorder, than other cancer survivors. Lung cancer-specific symptoms, such as cough, dyspnea, or pain in chest, might increase FCR among survivors. We aimed to evaluate the association between lung cancer-specific symptoms and FCR among recurrence-free non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survivors. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Recurrence-free NSCLC survivors were recruited from January to October 2020 at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea. We measured FCR using the Korean version of FCRI-SF and categorized them into three groups: non-clinical FCR (nFCR, < 13), subclinical FCR (sFCR, 13 to 21), and clinical FCR (cFCR, ≥ 22). Lung cancer-specific symptoms were measured using the Korean version of EORTC QLQ-LC13 and EORTC QLQ-C30. RESULTS: A total of 727 survivors were enrolled. One-third (30.8%) of survivors reported sFCR, and 19.7% had cFCR. In a multivariate analysis, survivors with severe pain in chest were 4.7 times (95% CI: 2.4-9.0) more likely to experience cFCR compared to those without it. Mild dyspnea (OR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.7) and mild dysphagia (OR 2.4, 95% CI: 1.3-4.4) were associated with cFCR. Survivors with sFCR (Coef. - 6.3, 95% CI: - 9.8, - 2.8) and cFCR (Coef. - 11.3, 95% CI: - 15.5, - 7.2) had poorer quality of life compared to survivors with nFCR. CONCLUSION: NSCLC survivors were experiencing lung cancer-specific symptoms even a few years after treatment, which were associated with cFCR, resulting in poor HRQoL. It is necessary to develop a lung cancer-specific symptom checklist and use it during even long-term surveillance.

Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in Patients with Stage IIIA/N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Completely Resected after Neoadjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiation: A Prospective, Open-Label, Single-Arm, Phase 2 Trial.

Purpose: Optimal treatment for stage IIIA/N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is controversial. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of adjuvant pembrolizumab for stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC completely resected after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT). Materials and Methods: In this open-label, single-center, single-arm phase 2 trial, patients with stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC received adjuvant pembrolizumab for up to two years after complete resection following neoadjuvant CCRT. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety. As an exploratory biomarker analysis, we evaluated the proliferative response of blood CD39+PD-1+CD8+ T cells using fold changes in the percentage of proliferating Ki-67+ cells from days 1 to 7 of cycle 1 (Ki-67D7/D1). Results: Between October 2017 and October 2018, 37 patients were enrolled. Twelve (32%) and three (8%) patients harbored EGFR and ALK alterations, respectively. Of 34 patients with programmed cell death ligand 1 assessment, 21 (62%), 9 (26%), and 4 (12%) had a tumor proportion score of <1%, 1-50%, and ≥50%, respectively. The median follow-up was 71 months. The median DFS was 22.4 months in the overall population, with a five-year DFS rate of 29%. The OS rate was 86% at two years and 76% at five years. Patients with tumor recurrence within six months had a significantly lower Ki-67D7/D1 among CD39+PD-1+CD8+ T cells than those without (p=0.036). No new safety signals were identified. Conclusion: Adjuvant pembrolizumab may offer durable disease control in a subset of stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC patients after neoadjuvant CCRT and surgery.

Differentiation Between Invasive Adenocarcinoma and Focal Interstitial Fibrosis among Persistent Pulmonary Part-solid Nodules: With Emphasis on the CT Morphologic Analysis.

PURPOSE: Focal interstitial fibrosis (FIF) manifesting as a persistent part-solid nodule (PSN) has been mistakenly treated surgically due to similar imaging features to invasive adenocarcinoma (ADC). The purpose of this study was to observe predictive imaging features correlated with FIF through CT morphologic analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2009 to December 2020, 44 patients with surgically proven FIF in a single institution were enrolled and compared with 88 ADC patients through propensity score matching. Patient characteristics and CT morphologic analysis of persistent PSNs were used to identify predictive imaging features of FIF. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to quantify the performance of imaging features. RESULTS: A total of 132 patients with 132 PSNs (44 FIF, 88 ADC; mean age, 67.7±7.58; 75 females) were involved in our analysis. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that preserved peritumoral vascular margin (preserved vascular margin), preserved secondary pulmonary lobule margin (preserved lobular margin), and lower coronal to axial ratio (C/A ratio; cutoff: 1.005) were significant independent predictors of FIF (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis to evaluate the predictive value of the logistic model based on the imaging features of FIF, and the AUC value was 0.881. CONCLUSION: CT imaging features of preserved vascular margin, preserved lobular margin, and lower C/A ratio (cutoff, <1.005) might be helpful imaging features in discriminating FIF over ADC among persistent PSN in clinical practice.

Risk Factor Analysis of Morbidity and 90-Day Mortality of Curative Resection in Patients with Stage IIIA-N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer after Induction Concurrent Chemoradiation Therapy.

Background: Major pulmonary resection after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy (nCCRT) is associated with a substantial risk of postoperative complications. This study investigated postoperative complications and associated risk factors to facilitate the selection of suitable surgical candidates following nCCRT in stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with clinical stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC who underwent surgical resection following nCCRT between 1997 and 2013. Perioperative characteristics and clinical factors associated with morbidity and mortality were analyzed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Results: A total of 574 patients underwent major lung resection after induction CCRT. Thirty-day and 90-day postoperative mortality occurred in 8 patients (1.4%) and 41 patients (7.1%), respectively. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (n=6, 4.5%) was the primary cause of in-hospital mortality. Morbidity occurred in 199 patients (34.7%). Multivariable analysis identified significant predictors of morbidity, including patient age exceeding 70 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.8; p=0.04), low body mass index (OR, 2.6; p=0.02), and pneumonectomy (OR, 1.8; p=0.03). Patient age over 70 years (OR, 1.8; p=0.02) and pneumonectomy (OR, 3.26; p<0.01) were independent predictors of mortality in the multivariable analysis. Conclusion: In conclusion, the surgical outcomes following nCCRT are less favorable for individuals aged over 70 years or those undergoing pneumonectomy. Special attention is warranted for these patients due to their heightened risks of respiratory complications. In high-risk patients, such as elderly patients with decreased lung function, alternative treatment options like definitive CCRT should be considered instead of surgical resection.

Prognostic impact of muscle mass loss in elderly patients with oesophageal cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to identify the impact of muscle mass on locally advanced oesophageal cancer (LAEC) in elderly patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NACRT). METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 345 patients diagnosed with LAEC who underwent NACRT and surgery. Physical variables, including height, weight, skeletal muscle mass, and laboratory values, were obtained before and after NACRT. Body mass index (BMI, kg/m2), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were calculated as height/(weight)2, ANC/ALC, platelet count/ALC, and (10 × albumin + 0.05 × ALC), respectively. The cutoff for low muscle mass was 43.0 cm2/m2 for BMI below 25 kg/m2 and 53.0 cm2/m2 for BMI 25 kg/m2 or higher. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was defined as skeletal muscle area/(height)2 (cm2/m2). The ΔSMI (%/50 days) was defined as (SMI after NACRT - SMI before NACRT)/interval (days) × 50 (days) to compare changes over the same period. The excessive muscle loss (EML) group was defined as patients with ΔSMI ≤-10% following NACRT. An elderly patient was defined as aged ≥65 years. The primary outcome measure was overall survival (OS). RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 32.8 months (range, 2.0-176.2), 192 patients died, with a median OS of 50.2 months. Elderly patients did not show inferior OS (young vs. elderly, 57.7% vs. 54.0% at 3 years, P = 0.247). 71.0% and 87.2% of all patients had low muscle mass before and after NACRT, respectively, which was not associated with OS (P = 0.270 and P = 0.509, respectively). Inflammatory (NLR and PLR) and nutritional index (PNI) values or their changes did not correlate with OS. However, the EML group had worse OS (41.6% vs. 63.2% at 3 years, P < 0.0001). In the multivariate analysis, EML was also a significant prognostic factor for OS. In the subgroup analysis by age, EML was a strong prognostic factor for OS in the elderly group. The 3-year OS was 36.8% in the EML group and 64.9% in the non-EML group (P < 0.0001) in elderly patients, and 47.4% and 62.1% (P = 0.063) in the young patients. In multivariate analysis of each subgroup, EML remained prognostic only in the elderly group (P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: EML may be strongly associated with a deteriorated OS in elderly patients undergoing NACRT, followed by surgery for LAEC. The strategies for decreasing muscle loss in these patients should be investigated.

Preoperative DLco and FEV1 are correlated with postoperative pulmonary complications in patients after esophagectomy.

Limited information is available regarding the association between preoperative lung function and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in patients with esophageal cancer who undergo esophagectomy. This is a retrospective cohort study. Patients were classified into low and high lung function groups by the cutoff of the lowest fifth quintile of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) %predicted (%pred) and diffusing capacity of the carbon monoxide (DLco) %pred. The PPCs compromised of atelectasis requiring bronchoscopic intervention, pneumonia, and acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome. Modified multivariable-adjusted Poisson regression model using robust error variances and inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) were used to assess the relative risk (RR) for the PPCs. A joint effect model considered FEV1%pred and DLco %pred together for the estimation of RR for the PPCs. Of 810 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy, 159 (19.6%) developed PPCs. The adjusted RR for PPCs in the low FEV1 group relative to high FEV1 group was 1.48 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-2.00) and 1.98 (95% CI = 1.46-2.68) in the low DLco group relative to the high DLco group. A joint effect model showed adjusted RR of PPCs was highest in patients with low DLco and low FEV1 followed by low DLco and high FEV1, high DLco and low FEV1, and high DLco and high FEV1 (Reference). Results were consistent with the IPTW. Reduced preoperative lung function (FEV1 and DLco) is associated with post-esophagectomy PPCs. The risk was further strengthened when both values decreased together.

Comprehensive analysis of transcription factor-based molecular subtypes and their correlation to clinical outcomes in small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported the predictive and prognostic value of novel transcriptional factor-based molecular subtypes in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). We conducted an in-depth analysis pairing multi-omics data with immunohistochemistry (IHC) to elucidate the underlying characteristics associated with differences in clinical outcomes between subtypes. METHODS: IHC (n = 252), target exome sequencing (n = 422), and whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS, n = 189) data generated from 427 patients (86.4% males, 13.6% females) with SCLC were comprehensively analysed. The differences in the mutation profile, gene expression profile, and inflammed signatures were analysed according to the IHC-based molecular subtype. FINDINGS: IHC-based molecular subtyping, comprised of 90 limited-disease (35.7%) and 162 extensive-disease (64.3%), revealed a high incidence of ASCL1 subtype (IHC-A, 56.3%) followed by ASCL1/NEUROD1 co-expressed (IHC-AN, 17.9%), NEUROD1 (IHC-N, 12.3%), POU2F3 (IHC-P, 9.1%), triple-negative (IHC-TN, 4.4%) subtypes. IHC-based subtype showing high concordance with WTS-based subtyping and non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) clusterization method. IHC-AN subtype resembled IHC-A (rather than IHC-N) in terms of both gene expression profiles and clinical outcomes. Favourable median overall survival was observed in IHC-A (15.2 months) compared to IHC-N (8.0 months, adjusted HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.4-3.9, p = 0.002) and IHC-P (8.3 months, adjusted HR 1.7, 95% CI 0.9-3.2, p = 0.076). Inflamed tumours made up 25% of cases (including 53% of IHC-P, 26% of IHC-A, 17% of IHC-AN, but only 11% of IHC-N). Consistent with recent findings, inflamed tumours were more likely to benefit from first-line immunotherapy treatment than non-inflamed phenotype (p = 0.002). INTERPRETATION: This study provides fundamental data, including the incidence and basic demographics of molecular subtypes of SCLC using both IHC and WTS from a comparably large, real-world Asian/non-Western patient cohort, showing high concordance with the previous NMF-based SCLC model. In addition, we revealed underlying biological pathway activities, immunogenicity, and treatment outcomes based on molecular subtype, possibly related to the difference in clinical outcomes, including immunotherapy response. FUNDING: This work was supported by AstraZeneca, Future Medicine 2030 Project of the Samsung Medical Center [grant number SMX1240011], the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) [grant number 2020R1C1C1010626] and the 7th AstraZeneca-KHIDI (Korea Health Industry Development Institute) oncology research program.

Surgical outcomes and survival following esophagectomy for squamous cell carcinoma with or without liver cirrhosis: retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) shares common risk factors with liver cirrhosis (LC). The influence of LC in patients with ESCC has not been fully investigated. This study aimed to investigate the postoperative and long-term survival outcomes of esophagectomy for ESCC according to LC presence. METHODS: Among patients who underwent curative-intent surgery for ESCC between 1994 and 2018, 121 patients with Child-Pugh class A LC and 2810 patients without LC were compared. RESULTS: Among the LC patients, 73 (60.3%) were diagnosed with LC before surgery and 48 (39.7%) were diagnosed intraoperatively. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between patients with LC and those without LC. However, intraoperative blood loss was higher, and operation time, hospital stay, and ICU stay were longer in patients with LC than in those without LC. Moreover, the reoperation, 30-day morbidity (60.6 vs. 73.6%, P =0.006) and 90-day mortality (2.2 vs. 4.9%, P =0.049) were significantly higher in patients with LC. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was significantly higher in patients without LC than in those with LC. After adjusting the confounding variables, LC was an adverse risk factor of OS (hazard ratio 1.402, P =0.004). Among patients with LC, the Model of End-Stage Liver Disease score was related to the development of complications of grade more than III (odds ratio 1.459, P =0.013). CONCLUSION: ESCC patients with Child-Pugh class A LC have high incidences of postoperative morbidity and mortality, and poor OS. Thus, careful patient selection, meticulous operation, and careful postoperative care are needed.

Role of invasive mediastinal nodal staging in survival outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer and without radiologic lymph node metastasis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Lung cancer diagnostic guidelines advocate for invasive mediastinal nodal staging (IMNS), but the survival benefits of this approach in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without radiologic evidence of lymph node metastasis (rN0) remain uncertain. We aimed to investigate the impact of IMNS in patients with rN0 NSCLC by comparing the long-term survival between patients who underwent IMNS and those who did not (non-IMNS). Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included patients with NSCLC but without radiologic evidence of lymph node metastasis from the Registry for Thoracic Cancer Surgery and the clinical data warehouse at the Samsung Medical Centre, Republic of Korea between January 2, 2008 and December 31, 2016. We compared the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate as the primary outcome after propensity score matching between the IMNS and non-IMNS groups. The age, sex, performance statue, tumor size, centrality, solidity, lung function, FDG uptake in PET-CT, and histological examination of the tumor before surgery were matched. Findings: A total of 4545 patients (887 in the IMNS group and 3658 in the non-IMNS group) who received curative treatment for NSCLC were included in this study. By the mediastinal node dissection, the overall incidence of unforeseen mediastinal node metastasis (N2) was 7.2% (317/4378 patients). Despite the IMNS, 67% of pathological N2 was missed (61/91 patients with unforeseen N2). Based on propensity score matching, 866 patients each for the IMNS and non-IMNS groups were assigned. There was no significant difference in 5-year OS and recurrence-free survival (RFS) between two groups: 5-year OS was 73.9% (95% confidence interval, CI: 71%-77%) for IMNS and 71.7% (95% CI: 68.6%-74.9%; p = 0.23), for non-IMNS (hazard ratio, HR 0.90, 95% CI: 0.77-1.07), while 5-year RFS was 64.7% (95% CI: 61.5%-68.2%) and 67.5% (95% CI: 64.3%-70.9%; p = 0.35 (HR 1.08, 95% CI: 0.92-1.27), respectively. Moreover, the timing and locations of recurrence were similar in both groups. Interpretation: IMNS might not be required before surgery for patients with NSCLC without LN suspicious of metastasis. Further randomised trials are required to validate the findings of the present study. Funding: None.

Contralateral Pulmonary Resection after Pneumonectomy.

Background: Contralateral pulmonary resection after pneumonectomy presents considerable challenges, and few reports in the literature have described this procedure. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent contralateral lung resection following pneumonectomy for any reason at our institution between November 1994 and December 2020. Results: Thirteen patients (9 men and 4 women) were included in this study. The median age was 57 years (range, 35-77 years), and the median preoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second was 1.64 L (range, 1.17-2.12 L). Contralateral pulmonary resection was performed at a median interval of 44 months after pneumonectomy (range, 6-564 months). Surgical procedures varied among the patients: 10 underwent single wedge resection, 2 were treated with double wedge resection, and 1 underwent lobectomy. Diagnoses at the time of contralateral lung resection included lung cancer in 7 patients, lung metastasis from other cancers in 3 patients, and tuberculosis in 3 patients. Complications were observed in 4 patients (36%), including acute kidney injury, pneumothorax following chest tube removal, pneumonia, and prolonged air leak. No cases of operative mortality were noted. Conclusion: In carefully selected patients, contralateral pulmonary resection after pneumonectomy can be accomplished with acceptable operative morbidity and mortality.

Supporting Life Adjustment in Patients With Lung Cancer Through a Comprehensive Care Program: Protocol for a Controlled Before-and-After Trial.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer diagnosis affects an individual's quality of life as well as physical and emotional functioning. Information on survivorship care tends to be introduced at the end of treatment, but early intervention may affect posttreatment adjustment. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has explored the effect of early information intervention on the return to work, family, and societal roles of lung cancer survivors. OBJECTIVE: We report the study protocol of a comprehensive care prehabilitation intervention designed to facilitate lung cancer survivors' psychological adjustment after treatment. METHODS: A comprehensive care program was developed based on a literature review and a qualitative study of patients with lung cancer and health professionals. The Lung Cancer Comprehensive Care Program consists of educational videos and follow-up visits by a family medicine physician. To prevent contamination, the control group received routine education, whereas the intervention group received routine care and intervention. Both groups completed questionnaires before surgery (T0) and at 1-month (T1), 6-month (T2), and 1-year (T3) follow-up visits after surgery. The primary outcome was survivors' psychological adjustment to cancer 6 months after pulmonary resection. RESULTS: The historical control group (n=441) was recruited from September 8, 2021, to April 20, 2022, and the intervention group (n=350) was recruited from April 22, 2022, to October 17, 2022. All statistical analyses will be performed upon completion of the study. CONCLUSIONS: This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention that provided general and tailored informational support to lung cancer survivors, ranging from before to the end of treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05078918; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05078918. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/54707.

PD-L1 expression in resected lung adenocarcinoma: prevalence and prognostic significance in relation to the IASLC grading system.

AIMS: Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is a predictive biomarker for adjuvant immunotherapy and has been linked to poor differentiation in lung adenocarcinoma. However, its prevalence and prognostic role in the context of the novel histologic grade has not been evaluated. METHODS: We analysed a cohort of 1233 patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma where PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (22C3 assay) was reflexively tested. Tumour PD-L1 expression was correlated with the new standardized International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) histologic grading system (G1, G2, and G3). Clinicopathologic features including patient outcome were analysed. RESULTS: PD-L1 was positive (≥1%) in 7.0%, 23.5%, and 63.0% of G1, G2, and G3 tumours, respectively. PD-L1 positivity was significantly associated with male sex, smoking, and less sublobar resection among patients with G2 tumours, but this association was less pronounced in those with G3 tumours. PD-L1 was an independent risk factor for recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 3.25, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.93-5.48, P < 0.001) and death (adjusted HR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.13-6.40, P = 0.026) in the G2 group, but not in the G3 group (adjusted HR for recurrence = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.64-1.40, P = 0.778). CONCLUSION: PD-L1 expression differs substantially across IASLC grades and identifies aggressive tumours within the G2 subgroup. This knowledge may be used for both prognostication and designing future studies on adjuvant immunotherapy.

Proposal of New ypStage Grouping System for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients who Underwent Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy followed by Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To propose a new ypTNM grouping system to address these limitations and improve prognostic relevance. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The current 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) ypStage system shows unsatisfactory prognostic relevance in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by esophagectomy. METHODS: The study cohort included 501 ESCC patients who received nCRT followed by esophagectomy at the Samsung Medical Center in Korea between 1994 and 2018 (development cohort) and 422 patients treated at Asan Medical Center (validation cohort). Recursive partitioning with a tree-structured regression model was used to develop and validate a new ypStage grouping system. RESULTS: In the new ypStage grouping system, ypStage I includes ypT0N0 only; ypStage II includes ypTis-T2N0 or ypT0-T2N1; ypStage III includes ypT3N0-N1; and ypStage IV includes ypT4N0-N1 or ypTanyN2-3. This system adequately addressed the limitations of the existing AJCC classification system, including overlapping and reversal of survival rates. Moreover, the discrimination ability of the new system was higher than that of the existing system [concordance-index (C-index): 61.9%] in the development (C-index: 66.6%) and validation (C-index: 66.0%) cohorts. NRIe was 0.17 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09-0.26, P-<0.001) and 0.18 (95% CI: 0.10-0.27, P-<0.001)] in the development and validation cohorts, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The current study proposes a clear revised version of the 8th edition of the AJCC ypStage grouping system that exhibits superior prognostic stratification in patients with ESCC treated with nCRT followed by esophagectomy.

Surgical Outcomes of Cervical Esophageal Cancer: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: Cervical esophageal cancer is a rare malignancy that requires specialized care. While definitive chemoradiation is the standard treatment approach, surgery remains a valuable option for certain patients. This study examined the surgical outcomes of patients with cervical esophageal cancer. Methods: The study involved a retrospective review and analysis of 24 patients with cervical esophageal cancer. These patients underwent surgical resection between September 1994 and December 2018. Results: The mean age of the patients was 61.0±10.2 years, and 22 (91.7%) of them were male. Furthermore, 21 patients (87.5%) had T3 or T4 tumors, and 11 (45.8%) exhibited lymph node metastasis. Gastric pull-up with esophagectomy was performed for 19 patients (79.2%), while 5 (20.8%) underwent free jejunal graft with cervical esophagectomy. The 30-day operative mortality rate was 8.3%. During the follow-up period, complications included leakage at the anastomotic site in 9 cases (37.5%) and graft necrosis of the gastric conduit in 1 case. Progression to oral feeding was achieved in 20 patients (83.3%). Fifteen patients (62.5%) displayed tumor recurrence. The median time from surgery to recurrence was 10.5 months, and the 1-year recurrence rate was 73.3%. The 1-year and 3-year survival rates were 75% and 33.3%, respectively, with a median survival period of 17 months. Conclusion: Patients with cervical esophageal cancer who underwent surgical resection faced unfavorable outcomes and relatively poor survival. The selection of cases and decision to proceed with surgery should be made cautiously, considering the risk of severe complications.

Treatment Patterns and Outcomes of Anastomotic Leakage after Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer.

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) following esophagectomy represents a serious complication that often results in prolonged hospitalization and necessitates repeated interventions, including nothing-by-mouth (NPO) restriction, endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT), or surgical repair. In this study, we evaluated the patterns and outcomes of AL treatment. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer at a single center between 2003 and 2020. Of 3,096 examined cases, 181 patients (5.8%) with AL were included in the study: 114 patients (63%) with cervical anastomosis (CA) and 67 (37%) with intrathoracic anastomosis (TA). Results: The incidence of AL was 11.9% in the CA and 3.2% in the TA group (p<0.001). Among patients with CA who developed AL, 87 (76.3%) were managed with NPO, 15 (13.2%) with EVT, and 12 (10.5%) with surgical repair. Over 90% of patients with cervical AL resumed an oral diet by the time of discharge, regardless of treatment method. Among patients with TA and AL, 36 (53.7%) received NPO, 25 (37.7%) underwent EVT, and 6 (9%) required surgery. Of these, 34 patients who were managed with NPO and 19 with EVT could resume an oral diet. However, only 2 patients who underwent surgery resumed an oral diet, and 2 patients required additional EVT. Conclusion: Although patients with CA displayed a higher incidence of AL, their rate of successful oral intake exceeded that of those with TA, regardless of treatment method. Among patients exhibiting AL with TA, EVT was more commonly employed than in CA cases, and it appears effective.

Outcomes of Completion Lobectomy for Locoregional Recurrence after Sublobar Resection in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: This retrospective study aimed to determine the treatment patterns and the surgical and oncologic outcomes after completion lobectomy (CL) in patients with locoregionally recurrent stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who previously underwent sublobar resection. Methods: Data from 36 patients who initially underwent sublobar resection for clinical, pathological stage IA NSCLC and experienced locoregional recurrence between 2008 and 2016 were analyzed. Results: Thirty-six (3.6%) of 1,003 patients who underwent sublobar resection for NSCLC experienced locoregional recurrence. The patients' median age was 66.5 (range, 44-77) years at the initial operation, and 28 (77.8%) patients were men. Six (16.7%) patients underwent segmentectomy and 30 (83.3%) underwent wedge resection as the initial operation. The median follow-up from the initial operation was 56 (range, 9-150) months. Ten (27.8%) patients underwent CL, 22 (61.1%) underwent non-surgical treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, concurrent chemoradiation therapy), and 4 (11.1%) did not receive treatment or were lost to follow-up after recurrence. Patients who underwent CL experienced no significant complications or deaths. The median follow-up time after CL was 64.5 (range, 19-93) months. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and post-recurrence survival (PRS) were higher in the surgical group than in the non-surgical (p<0.001) and no-treatment groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: CL is a technically demanding but safe procedure for locoregionally recurrent stage I NSCLC after sublobar resection. Patients who underwent CL had better OS and PRS than patients who underwent non-surgical treatments or no treatments; however, a larger cohort study and long-term surveillance are necessary.

Importance of Lymph Node Evaluation in ≤2-cm Pure-Solid Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of lymph node (LN) metastasis in small-sized lung cancer varies depending on the tumor size and proportion of ground-glass opacity. We investigated occult LN metastasis and prognosis in patients with small-sized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), mainly focusing on the pure-solid tumor. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with ≤2-cm clinical N0 NSCLC who underwent lung resection with curative intent from 2003 to 2017. Among them we analyzed patients who also underwent adequate complete systematic LN dissection. Pathologic results and disease-free survival of the radiologically mixed ground-glass nodule (mGGN) and pure-solid nodule (PSN) groups were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 1329 patients analyzed, 591 had mGGNs and PSNs. As tumor size increased, patients in the mGGN group showed no difference in LN metastasis: ≤1 cm, 2.27%; 1.0 to 1.5 cm, 2.19%; and 1.5 to 2.0 cm, 2.18% (P = .999). However the PSN group showed a significant difference in LN metastasis as the tumor size increased: ≤1 cm, 2.67%; 1.0 to 1.5 cm, 12.46%; and 1.5 to 2.0 cm, 21.31% (P < .001). In the multivariate analysis tumor size was a significant predictor of nodal metastasis in the PSN group but not in the mGGN group. In terms of 5-year disease-free survival, the mGGN group showed a better prognosis than the PSN group (94.4% vs 71.2%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: We need to conduct a thorough LN dissection during surgery for small-sized NSCLC, especially for pure-solid tumors ≥ 1 cm.

Clinical Effect of Endosonography on Overall Survival in Patients with Radiological N1 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: It is unclear whether performing endosonography first in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with radiological N1 (rN1) has any advantages over surgery without nodal staging. We aimed to compare surgery without endosonography to performing endosonography first in rN1 on the overall survival (OS) of patients with NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of patients with rN1 NSCLC between 2013 and 2019. Patients were divided into 'no endosonography' and 'endosonography first' groups. We investigated the effect of nodal staging through endosonography on OS using propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. RESULTS: In the no endosonography group, pathologic N2 occurred in 23.0% of patients. In the endosonography first group, endosonographic N2 and N3 occurred in 8.6% and 1.6% of patients, respectively. Additionally, 51 patients were pathologic N2 among 249 patients who underwent surgery and mediastinal lymph node dissection (MLND) in endosonography first group. After PSM, the 5-year OSs were 68.1% and 70.6% in the no endosonography and endosonography first groups, respectively. However, the 5-year OS was 80.2% in the subgroup who underwent surgery and MLND of the endosonography first group. Moreover, in patients receiving surgical resection with MLND, the endosonography first group tended to have a better OS than the no endosonography group in adjusted analysis using various models. CONCLUSION: In rN1 NSCLC, preoperative endosonography shows better OS than surgery without endosonography. For patients with rN1 NSCLC who are candidates for surgery, preoperative endosonography may help improve survival through patient selection.