U-Shape Pillar Strip for 3D Cell-Lumped Organoid Model (3D-COM) Mimicking Lung Cancer Hypoxia Conditions in High-Throughput Screening (HTS).

Hypoxia is a representative tumor characteristic associated with malignant progression in clinical patients. Engineered in vitro models have led to significant advances in cancer research, allowing for the investigation of cells in physiological environments and the study of disease mechanisms and processes with enhanced relevance. In this study, we propose a U-shape pillar strip for a 3D cell-lumped organoid model (3D-COM) to study the effects of hypoxia on lung cancer in a high-throughput manner. We developed a U-pillar strip that facilitates the aggregation of PDCs mixed with an extracellular matrix to make the 3D-COM in 384-plate array form. The response to three hypoxia-activated prodrugs was higher in the 3D-COM than in the 2D culture model. The protein expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and HIF-2α, which are markers of hypoxia, was also higher in the 3D-COM than in the 2D culture. The results show that 3D-COM better recapitulated the hypoxic conditions of lung cancer tumors than the 2D culture. Therefore, the U-shape pillar strip for 3D-COM is a good tool to study the effects of hypoxia on lung cancer in a high-throughput manner, which can efficiently develop new drugs targeting hypoxic tumors.

Prognostic value of TLR from FDG PET/CT in patients with margin-negative stage IB and IIA non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognostic value of TLR from PET/CT in patients with resection margin-negative stage IB and IIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and compare high-risk factors necessitating adjuvant treatment (AT). METHODS: Consecutive FDG PET/CT scans performed for the initial staging of NSCLC stage IB and IIA were retrospectively reviewed. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the primary tumor and mean SUV of the liver were acquired. The tumor-to-liver SUV ratio (TLR) was also calculated. Charts were reviewed for basic patient characteristics and high-risk factors for considering AT (poor differentiation, visceral pleura invasion, vascular invasion, tumors > 4 cm, and wedge resection). Statistical analysis was performed using Cox regression analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Of the 112 patients included, 15 (13.4%) died, with a median overall survival (OS) of 43.8 months. Twenty-two patients (19.6%) exhibited recurrence, with median disease-free survival (DFS) of 36.0 months. In univariable analysis, pathology, poor differentiation, and TLR were associated with shorter DFS and OS. In multivariable analysis, TLR (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.263, p = 0.008) and differentiation (HR = 3.087, p = 0.012) were associated with shorter DFS. Also, TLR (HR = 1.422, p < 0.001) was associated with shorter OS. CONCLUSION: TLR from FDG PET/CT was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence and survival. PET parameters constitute risk factors for consideration in the decision-making for AT in margin-negative stage IB and IIA NSCLC. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: In this study, TLR from FDG PET/CT was an independent prognostic factor in stage IB-IIA non-small cell cancer patients. Although additional validation studies are warranted, TLR has the potential to be used to determine the need for adjuvant therapy. KEY POINTS: • High TLR is an independent poor prognostic factor in stage IB-IIA NSCLC. • Adjuvant treatment should be considered in patients with high TLR following complete tumor resection.

Control of intracranial disease is associated with improved survival in patients with brain metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Brain metastasis is a rare event in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This retrospective study aimed to identify the prognostic factors and determine the outcomes of patients with brain metastases from HCC. METHODS: About 86 patients with brain metastases (0.6%) from HCC were identified from two institutions; of them, 32 underwent tumor-removing surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with or without adjuvant whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) (group 1), 30 had WBRT alone (group 2), and 24 received conservative treatment (group 3). Estimates for overall survival (OS) after brain metastases were determined, and clinical prognostic factors were identified. RESULTS: The median OS after development of brain metastases was 50 days. About 75 (87.2%) patients had lung metastases at the time of brain metastasis diagnosis. Group 1 showed better OS, followed by group 2 and group 3, sequentially (p < 0.001). Univariate analyses showed that treatment with curative intent (surgery or SRS), Child-Pugh class A, alpha-fetoprotein level < 400 ng/ml, and recursive partitioning analysis classification I or II were associated with improved survival (p < 0.001, 0.002, 0.029, and 0.012, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment with curative intent and Child-Pugh class A was associated with improved OS (p < 0.001 and 0.009, respectively). CONCLUSION: Although the overall prognosis of patients with brain metastases from HCC is extremely poor, patients actively treated with surgery or radiosurgery have prolonged survival, suggesting that interventions to control intracranial disease are important in these patients.

Segmentectomy versus lobectomy in early non-small cell lung cancer of 2 cm or less in size: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Standard surgical management for early stage lung cancer is lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection. The feasibility of limited resection remains controversial; we retrospectively assessed lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) and overall survival (OS) in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to evaluate whether segmentectomy is comparable to standard lobectomy. METHODS: Patients with primary NSCLC of 20 mm or less who were diagnosed from 2000 to 2014 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. To compare the two surgical interventions, a propensity score analysis was performed between lobectomy and segmentectomy. RESULTS: Of the 15 358 patients analysed, there were 14 549 lobectomies and 809 segmentectomies. The 5-year OS was 76% for the lobectomy group and 74.4% for the segmentectomy group. There were no significant differences in OS or LCSS among patients who underwent lobectomy versus segmentectomy, as demonstrated by the propensity-matched hazard ratio (HR) for OS (HR: 1.195, 95% CI: 0.993-1.439) and LCSS (HR: 1.124, 95% CI: 0.860-1.469). The inverse propensity-weighted analysis also supported these results. Segmentectomy was more likely to be performed in elderly patients. In the subset of patients aged ≥75 years, the segmentectomy group demonstrated comparable OS (HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.87-1.58, P = 0.31) and LCSS (HR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.59-1.51, P = 0.81), compared with the lobectomy group. CONCLUSION: Equivalent OS and LCSS were demonstrated in patients with primary NSCLC of 20 mm or less without lymph node or distant metastasis.

Sublobar Resection Margin Width Does Not Affect Recurrence of Clinical N0 Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Presenting as GGO-Predominant Nodule of 3 cm or Less.

BACKGROUND: Sublobar resection of lung cancer may benefit patients with lung cancer presenting as ground-glass opacity (GGO) nodules. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of margin width on recurrence after sublobar resection in patients with clinical N0 non-small cell lung cancer presenting as GGO-predominant nodule. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 91 patients treated for clinical N0 non-small cell lung cancer ≤3 cm by sublobar resection with clear resection margins. We assigned them to two groups: GGO-predominant tumor and solid-predominant tumor. Each group was subdivided into two groups according to the margin width: resection margin ≤5 mm and resection margin >5 mm. We analyzed the clinicopathological findings and survival among these four groups. RESULTS: There was no recurrence in GGO-predominant tumors after sublobar resection. Margin width did not influence the recurrence in GGO-predominant tumors. In the cases of solid-predominant tumor, 5-year recurrence-free survival after sublobar resection according to margin width ≤5 and >5 mm was 24.2 and 79.6 %, respectively (p < 0.001). Therefore, narrow margin width (resection margin ≤5 mm) was a significant risk factor for recurrence of solid-predominant tumors (hazard ratio 3.868, 95 % confidence interval 1.177-12.714, p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: The width between the tumor and resection margin does not affect the recurrence after R0 sublobar resection in patients with clinical N0 GGO-predominant lung cancer ≤3 cm. By contrast, margin width is a significant risk factor for recurrence after sublobar resection in patients with clinical N0 solid-predominant lung cancer.

Recurrent intractable hiccups treated by cervical phrenic nerve block under electromyography: report of a case.

Intractable or persistent hiccups require intensive or invasive treatments. The use of a phrenic nerve block or destructive treatment for intractable hiccups has been reported to be a useful and discrete method that might be valuable to patients with this distressing problem and for whom diverse management efforts have failed. We herein report a successful treatment using a removable and adjustable ligature for the phrenic nerve in a patient with recurrent and intractable hiccups, which was employed under the guidance of electromyography.

Late-developing tongue adenoid cystic carcinoma after pulmonary metastasectomy: a case report.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a relatively rare epithelial tumor of the salivary glands that accounts for approximately 5 to 10% of all salivary gland neoplasms. The typical clinical and pathological findings of this tumor include slow indolent growth, common local recurrence, and late distant metastasis to lung, brain, bone, liver, thyroid, and spleen. We report a 52-year-old female patient who presented a tongue ACC, 27 months after successful pulmonary ACC resection.

Prognostic Analysis of Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Abutting Adjacent Structures on Preoperative Computed Tomography.

Background: Early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that abuts adjacent structures requires careful evaluation due to its potential impact on postoperative outcomes and prognosis. We examined stage I NSCLC with invasion into adjacent structures, focusing on the prognostic implications after curative surgical resection. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 796 patients who underwent curative surgical resection for pathologic stage IA/IB NSCLC (i.e., visceral pleural invasion only) at a single center from 2008 to 2017. Patients were classified based on tumor abutment and then reclassified by the presence of visceral pleural invasion. Clinical characteristics, pathological features, and survival rates were compared. Results: The study included 181 patients with abutting NSCLC (22.7% of all participants) and 615 with non-abutting tumors (77.3%). Those with tumor abutment exhibited higher rates of non-adenocarcinoma (26.5% vs. 9.9%, p<0.01) and visceral/lymphatic/vascular invasion (30.4%/33.1%/12.7% vs. 8.5%/22.4%/5.7%, respectively; p<0.01) compared to those without abutment. Multivariable analysis identified lymphatic invasion and male sex as risk factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in stage I NSCLC measuring 3 cm or smaller. Age, smoking history, vascular invasion, and recurrence emerged as risk factors for OS, whereas the presence of non-pure ground-glass opacity was a risk factor for DFS. Conclusion: NSCLC lesions 3 cm or smaller that abut adjacent structures present higher rates of various risk factors than non-abutting lesions, necessitating evaluation of tumor invasion into adjacent structures and lymph node metastasis. In isolation, however, the presence of tumor abutment without visceral pleural invasion does not constitute a risk factor.

Pleural Carcinoembryonic Antigen and Maximum Standardized Uptake Value as Predictive Indicators of Visceral Pleural Invasion in Clinical T1N0M0 Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Visceral pleural invasion (VPI) is a poor prognostic factor that contributes to the upstaging of early lung cancers. However, the preoperative assessment of VPI presents challenges. This study was conducted to examine intraoperative pleural carcinoembryonic antigen (pCEA) level and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) as predictive markers of VPI in patients with clinical T1N0M0 lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of the medical records of 613 patients who underwent intraoperative pCEA sampling and lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer. Of these, 390 individuals with clinical stage I adenocarcinoma and tumors ≤30 mm were included. Based on computed tomography findings, these patients were divided into pleural contact (n=186) and non-pleural contact (n=204) groups. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to analyze the association between pCEA and SUVmax in relation to VPI. Additionally, logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate risk factors for VPI in each group. Results: ROC curve analysis revealed that pCEA level greater than 2.565 ng/mL (area under the curve [AUC]=0.751) and SUVmax above 4.25 (AUC=0.801) were highly predictive of VPI in patients exhibiting pleural contact. Based on multivariable analysis, pCEA (odds ratio [OR], 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-7.87; p=0.026) and SUVmax (OR, 5.25; 95% CI, 1.90-14.50; p=0.001) were significant risk factors for VPI in the pleural contact group. Conclusion: In patients with clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma exhibiting pleural contact, pCEA and SUVmax are potential predictive indicators of VPI. These markers may be helpful in planning for lung cancer surgery.

Development of a Risk Scoring Model to Predict Unexpected Conversion to Thoracotomy during Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Lung Cancer.

Background: Unexpected conversion to thoracotomy during planned video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) can lead to poor outcomes and comparatively high morbidity. This study was conducted to assess preoperative risk factors associated with unexpected thoracotomy conversion and to develop a risk scoring model for preoperative use, aimed at identifying patients with an elevated risk of conversion. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 1,506 patients who underwent surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer. To evaluate the risk factors, univariate analysis and logistic regression were performed. A risk scoring model was established to predict unexpected thoracotomy conversion during VATS of the lung, based on preoperative factors. To validate the model, an additional cohort of 878 patients was analyzed. Results: Among the potentially significant clinical variables, male sex, previous ipsilateral lung surgery, preoperative detection of calcified lymph nodes, and clinical T stage were identified as independent risk factors for unplanned conversion to thoracotomy. A 6-point risk scoring model was developed to predict conversion based on the assessed risk, with patients categorized into 4 groups. The results indicated an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.747, with a sensitivity of 80.5%, specificity of 56.4%, positive predictive value of 1.8%, and negative predictive value of 91.0%. When applied to the validation cohort, the model exhibited good predictive accuracy. Conclusion: We successfully developed and validated a risk scoring model for preoperative use that can predict the likelihood of unplanned conversion to thoracotomy during VATS of the lung.

Prediction of TKI response in EGFR-mutant lung cancer patients-derived organoids using malignant pleural effusion.

Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) are valuable in predicting response to cancer therapy. PDOs are ideal models for precision oncologists. However, their practical application in guiding timely clinical decisions remains challenging. This study focused on patients with advanced EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer and employed a cancer organoid-based diagnosis reactivity prediction (CODRP)-based precision oncology platform to assess the efficacy of EGFR inhibitor treatments. CODRP was employed to evaluate EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) drug sensitivity. The results were compared to those obtained using area under the curve index. This study validated this index by testing lung cancer-derived organoids in 14 patients with lung cancer. The CODRP index-based drug sensitivity test reliably classified patient responses to EGFR-TKI treatment within a clinically suitable 10-day timeline, which aligned with clinical drug treatment responses. This approach is promising for predicting and analyzing the efficacy of anticancer, ultimately contributing to the development of a precision medicine platform.

A new surgical technique for spontaneous esophagopleural fistula after pneumonectomy: cervical esophagogastrostomy via presternal and subcutaneous route, using a thoracic esophageal mucosal stripping.

We report a new surgical technique for spontaneous esophagopleural fistula after pneumonectomy. A 67-year-old man underwent right pneumonectomy for tuberculosis-destroyed lung 30 years previously and a right Eloesser window for empyema without any evidence of fistula 4 years previously. He presented to our hospital for food material spillage out of the Eloesser window when he was eating. The esophagopleural fistula was observed from the upper thoracic esophagus to the right postpneumonectomy dead space. He underwent left cervical esophagogastrostomy via a presternal subcutaneous route, using thoracic esophageal mucosal stripping. He was discharged without complications on postoperative day 12.

Occlusive vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome accompanying a congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung: report of a case.

An 8-year-old male presented with a cystic lung lesion in the left lower lobe, which was initially detected during surgery for a spontaneous rupture of the sigmoid colon at the age of 6 years. Tissue fragility and a tendency to bleed easily were noted during the surgery, which strongly suggested vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Although there was no abnormality in the hemostasis screening test, or any suspicious hereditary problem in his pedigree, genetic gene testing for vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was recommended, and showed a de novo mutation in the COL3A1 gene. This report presents the case of patient with occlusive vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome accompanying a congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of lung, in addition to a duplicated infrarenal vena cava.

Long-term clinical outcomes after initial secondary pneumothorax surgery.

Background: Given the heterogeneity of underlying lung disease and the higher morbidity and mortality associated with surgery for secondary pneumothorax (SP), treatment standardization and evidence-based early surgical management are challenging pursuits. Our aim was to document the clinical course of SP after initial surgical intervention and analyse related recurrence risk. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 160 patients, each with SP, using clinical records housed in an institutional database. Clinical, imaging, and operative data were retrieved, and Cox proportional hazards (PH) analysis was undertaken to identify risk factors for recurrence. Results: During a mean follow-up of 58.7 months, the overall recurrence rate in this cohort was 18.75% (ipsilateral, 14; contralateral, 16). A total of 24 patients had ≥3 ipsilateral episodes <6 months prior to surgery, marked by initial index episodes. In multivariate Cox PH analysis, the strongest risk factor for recurrence was underlying lung pathology other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD: hazard ratio (HR) =5.3; P<0.001]. Conclusions: In this setting, underlying lung disease of a non-COPD nature is a proven risk factor for postsurgical recurrence. There is also a tendency in some patients for multiple episodes of pneumothorax within short periods of time, especially in the absence of COPD. Underlying disease processes may thus merit consideration in treatment planning.

Metabolic profiles of lung adenocarcinoma via peripheral blood and diagnostic model construction.

The metabolic profile of cancerous cells is shifted to meet the cellular demand required for proliferation and growth. Here we show the features of cancer metabolic profiles using peripheral blood of healthy control subjects (n = 78) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients (n = 64). Among 121 detected metabolites, diagnosis of LUAD is based on arginine, lysophosphatidylcholine-acyl (Lyso.PC.a) C16:0, and PC-diacyl (PC.aa) C38:3. Network analysis revealed that network heterogeneity, diameter, and shortest path were decreased in LUAD. On the contrary, these parameters were increased in advanced-stage compared to early-stage LUAD. Clustering coefficient, network density, and average degree were increased in LUAD compared to the healthy control, whereas these topologic parameters were decreased in advanced-stage compared to early-stage LUAD. Public LUAD data verified that the genes encoding enzymes for arginine (NOS, ARG, AZIN) and for Lyso.PC and PC (CHK, PCYT, LPCAT) were related with overall survival. Further studies are required to verify these results with larger samples and other histologic types of lung cancer.

Cancer organoid-based diagnosis reactivity prediction (CODRP) index-based anticancer drug sensitivity test in ALK-rearrangement positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

BACKGROUND: Recently, cancer organoid-based drug sensitivity tests have been studied to predict patient responses to anticancer drugs. The area under curve (AUC) or IC50 value of the dose-response curve (DRC) is used to differentiate between sensitive and resistant patient's groups. This study proposes a multi-parameter analysis method (cancer organoid-based diagnosis reactivity prediction, CODRP) that considers the cancer stage and cancer cell growth rate, which represent the severity of cancer patients, in the sensitivity test. METHODS: On the CODRP platform, patient-derived organoids (PDOs) that recapitulate patients with lung cancer were implemented by applying a mechanical dissociation method capable of high yields and proliferation rates. A disposable nozzle-type cell spotter with efficient high-throughput screening (HTS) has also been developed to dispense a very small number of cells due to limited patient cells. A drug sensitivity test was performed using PDO from the patient tissue and the primary cancer characteristics of PDOs were confirmed by pathological comparision with tissue slides. RESULTS: The conventional index of drug sensitivity is the AUC of the DRC. In this study, the CODRP index for drug sensitivity test was proposed through multi-parameter analyses considering cancer cell proliferation rate, the cancer diagnosis stage, and AUC values. We tested PDOs from eight patients with lung cancer to verify the CODRP index. According to the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement status, the conventional AUC index for the three ALK-targeted drugs (crizotinib, alectinib, and brigatinib) did not classify into sensitive and resistant groups. The proposed CODRP index-based drug sensitivity test classified ALK-targeted drug responses according to ALK rearrangement status and was verified to be consistent with the clinical drug treatment response. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the PDO-based HTS and CODRP index drug sensitivity tests described in this paper may be useful for predicting and analyzing promising anticancer drug efficacy for patients with lung cancer and can be applied to a precision medicine platform.

Fluoroscopy-assisted thoracoscopic resection for small intrapulmonary lesions after preoperative computed tomography-guided localization using fragmented platinum microcoils.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative localization is frequently necessary to perform thoracoscopic resection of a small and/or deeply located intrapulmonary lesion. We developed a new method that uses a fragmented platinum microcoil, and retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of our technique. METHODS: Between January 2006 and May 2010, self-made microcoils (Easimarker) were used to localize total 32 lesions (21 solid nodules, and 11 ground glass opacities) in 30 patients. Computed tomography-guided localization was performed into, or just around the lesions. Localized lesions were resected using fluoroscopy-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (FATS), and the histopathologic diagnosis was confirmed. The accuracy and complications of the localization procedure, and operative results of FATS were observed. RESULTS: Mean size and depth of all lesions were 11.8 ± 5.1 mm (range: 3 to 22) and 12.2 ± 7.1 mm (range: 2 to 30). CT-guided localizations were successfully performed in all lesions. Four minimal pneumothorax and one parenchymal hematoma related with localization procedure occurred. There were three repeated procedures, which resulted from pleural rebounding of the microcoils. There were two microcoil detecting failures due to intrathoracic displacement during FATS. All 32 resected lesions were histopathologically diagnosed. CONCLUSION: CT-guided localization using the fragmented microcoil combined with FATS of small intrapulmonary lesions is a safe, effective, and a diagnostically accurate procedure.

Clinical significance of tumor necrosis and viability in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: We included tumor necrosis (TN) and tumor viability (TV) in our prognostic assessment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and investigated their clinical significance. Methods: Medical records of all consecutive subjects who underwent a lobectomy with standard mediastinal lymph node dissection for NSCLC between 2015 to 2016, were reviewed retrospectively. We analyzed the associations of TN and TV with various parameters associated with prognosis as well as survival in NSCLC patients. All analyses were performed regarding neoadjuvant therapy status [the group without neoadjuvant therapy (WON) vs. the group with neoadjuvant therapy (WN)]. Results: A consecutive 154 patients (mean age: 65.0±10.1 years) were included into the present study. Fifteen patients underwent neoadjuvant therapy. Final pathologic stages were IA1 (n=13), IA2 (n=30), IA3 (n=32), IB (n=40), IIA (n=9), IIB (n=18), and IIIA (n=12). WN significantly showed higher TN (P=0.005) and lower TV (P<0.001) than WON. Tumors with vascular, lymphatic, and perineural invasion showed significantly lower TV and higher TN than cases without these features (P=0.014, P=0.019, and P=0.012 for TV; P=0.001, P<0.001, and P<0.001 for TN, respectively). Tumors with poorer differentiation had lower TV (P<0.001) and higher TN (P<0.001) than more differentiated tumors. There was a positive correlation between TN and tumor size (P<0.001) and a negative correlation between TV and tumor size (P=0.031). TN significantly increased as pathologic stage increased (P=0.001), and TV significantly decreased as pathologic stage increased (P=0.038). The group without TN survived significantly longer than the group with TN (P=0.016) in N0 disease and presence of TN and pT stage were independent prognostic factors for survival in N0 disease (P=0.037 and P=0.021, respectively). There was a positive correlation between TN and Ki-67 level (P=0.027). In WN, TN was significantly associated with differentiation (P=0.035), tumor size (P=0.008), and pT stage (P=0.031) but not overall pathologic stage or survival. Conclusions: Presence of histological TN was associated with prognosis of NSCLC, especially in N0 disease, and its usage as a diagnostic or prognostic tool and determination of resection extent could potentially provide prognostic information that can facilitate better management of NSCLC.

Thoracic Chordoma Misdiagnosed as Primary Adenocarcinoma of the Mediastinum.

Chordoma is a rare malignant bone tumor originating from the embryonic notochord. Herein, we present a case of thoracic chordoma located at T3-T5 that was misdiagnosed as primary mediastinal adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation and the disease showed little response. Due to vertebral body invasion, we performed en bloc mass removal and partial corpectomy (T4-5) in collaboration with orthopedic surgeons.

Effects of lower thoracic sympathicotomy on plantar hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether performing lower thoracic sympathicotomy (LTS) from T10 to T12 affects plantar hyperhidrosis in patients with palmo-plantar (PP) or palmo-axillary-plantar (PAP) hyperhidrosis. METHODS: Between January 2015 and January 2020, all consecutive patients with primary hyperhidrosis who underwent bilateral thoracoscopic sympathicotomy and met the inclusion criteria were included. Sympathicotomy was performed using one of the following two methods: the conventional upper thoracic vs. expanded thoracic sympathicotomy. In the expanded thoracic sympathicotomy, we expanded the level of sympathicotomy ranging from R5 to R12 in addition to the conventional upper thoracic sympathicotomy (R3 or R4). In cases of the expanded thoracic sympathicotomy, we defined the LTS as a sympathicotomy of the levels ranging from R10 to R12, which are related to plantar hyperhidrosis. RESULTS: A total of 103 subjects with PP (71 cases) or PAP (32 cases) hyperhidrosis were included. Palmar or axillary hyperhidrosis in all patients were alleviated after sympathicotomy. There was no difference in sweating decrease or CH according to the hyperhidrosis types or sympathicotomy techniques. In addition, no-LTS was performed in 77 cases and LTS was performed in 26 cases. In the no-LTS group, there were 65 and 12 cases of low and high degrees of CH, respectively. In the LTS group, there were 22 and four cases of low and high degrees of CH, respectively. There was no significant difference in CH between the no-LTS and LTS groups (P=0.981). Improvement in plantar hyperhidrosis in the no-LTS group was observed in 29 of 77 cases, while improvement in plantar hyperhidrosis in the LTS group was observed in 16 of 26 cases. The addition of LTS lead to significant improvement in plantar hyperhidrosis (P=0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Performing LTS is a safe and feasible procedure that improved plantar sweating more so than it did in cases that did not undergo LTS. Therefore, we cautiously suggest that adding LTS helps in the treatment of plantar hyperhidrosis combined with palmar hyperhidrosis. Further studies on LTS are needed to validate these findings and will be helpful in establishing management guidelines.