[Thoracic oncology in Archivos de Bronconeumología 2008]. / Oncología torácica en Archivos de Bronconeumología 2008.

The articles on thoracic oncology published in this journal during the year 2008 are briefly commented on. As regards the epidemiology, it is noted that the standardised incidence rate of lung cancer in males is starting to decline, and there is another study that analysed links between two common diseases, COPD and lung cancer. Other works have focused on aspects such as diagnosis, staging or prognosis, and analysing the value of positron emission tomography in the assessment of a solitary pulmonary nodule, the effectiveness of aspiration transbronchial needle aspiration in mediastinal staging, the prognostic significance of the over-expression and amplification of c-erbB-2 in patients with small cell carcinoma. As regards treatment, other authors analysed the survival of patients with N2 lung cancer detected during or after lung resection surgery. The new therapeutic technique of ablation of lung tumours by radiofrequency in the early stages is the subject of two publications that describe its basis, indications, contraindications and first results. Lastly, the communication skills needed to inform patients, surgery of lung metastases, and the presentation of an unusual case of carcinoid tumour were the subjects of other articles.

[Stage IIIA and IIIB non-small cell lung cancer: results of chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy and analysis of prognostic factors]. / Carcinoma de pulmón no microcítico. Estadios IIIA y B. Resultados del tratamiento combinado (quimioterapia y radioterapia) y análisis de factores pronósticos.

OBJECTIVE: Most patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are not candidates for surgery but can benefit from chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy. The objective of the present study was to analyze the results of sequential chemotherapy and radiation therapy and the prognostic value of initial clinical and laboratory variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We carried out a retrospective study of 92 patients with stage III NSCLC treated with a sequential regimen of chemotherapy (carboplatin-etoposide, carboplatin-gemcitabine, and carboplatin-paclitaxel), and radiation therapy (6000 cGy in daily doses of 200 cGy, 5 d/wk). Response to therapy, overall survival, and the prognostic value of epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory variables were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Median survival time was 14 months, with a 3-year survival rate of 16.1%. Poor performance status (score of 2 on the Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group [ECOG] scale), anemia, and elevated serum concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen were predictive of poorer survival in the multivariate analysis. In the univariate analysis, weight loss and diagnosis before the year 2000 were also associated with poorer prognosis (P<.01). TNM stage was not significantly correlated (P=.08). Toxicity was low, with 1 death and few cases of grade 3 or 4 toxicity according to World Health Organization criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The use of chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy should be considered contraindicated in cases of poor performance status (ECOG scale score of 2). Weight loss, an elevated serum concentration of carcinoembryonic antigen, and a hemoglobin concentration of 12 g/dL or less carry a poor prognosis.

[Silent brain metastasis in the initial staging of lung cancer: evaluation by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging]. / Metástasis encefálicas silentes en la estadificación inicial del cáncer de pulmón. Evaluación mediante tomografía computarizada y resonancia magnética.

OBJECTIVE: Brain metastases are common in patients with lung cancer and influence both prognosis and treatment decisions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of silent brain metastasis during the initial staging of lung cancer using cranial computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of lung cancer patients with no neurologic signs or symptoms who were evaluated by cranial CT, MRI, or both at the time of diagnosis. Results were checked using data obtained during systematic monitoring of progression. The incidence of brain metastasis was analyzed by sex, age, histology, and TNM stage. RESULTS: Silent brain metastasis was detected in 8.3% of the 169 patients with lung cancer. The detection rate was 7.9% in the cranial CT group and 11.3% in the cranial MRI group. The percentage of false positives and false negatives was 0% and 1.9%, respectively. Cranial MRI performed better than CT in detecting multiple brain metastases (72.8% vs 50%) and metastases smaller than 1 cm (36.3% vs 16.7%). The incidence of brain metastasis was lower in patients aged over 70 years and higher in patients with adenocarcinoma (20% compared to 5.3% to 5.9% for other histologic subtypes, P=.01). No association was found with TNM stage. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of silent brain metastasis is high in patients under 70 years of age, particularly in patients with adenocarcinomas, even in initial stages. This should be taken into consideration when planning staging procedures. Cranial MRI seems to be more accurate than cranial CT for detecting multiple metastases and small metastases.