Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration of an intravascular sarcoma metastasis.

The role of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the diagnosis of endovascular lesions has rarely been described. We report a case of EBUS-TBNA of a solid mass in the left pulmonary artery in a patient with synovial sarcoma of the kidney, which was performed without complications and led to the diagnosis of metastatic disease. EBUS-TBNA seems to be a rapid, minimally invasive, safe and effective diagnostic procedure in selected cases of endovascular lesions.

Early assessment of circulating tumor DNA after curative-intent resection predicts tumor recurrence in early-stage and locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has demonstrated great potential as a noninvasive biomarker to assess minimal residual disease (MRD) and profile tumor genotypes in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, little is known about its dynamics during and after tumor resection, or its potential for predicting clinical outcomes. Here, we applied a targeted-capture high-throughput sequencing approach to profile ctDNA at various disease milestones and assessed its predictive value in patients with early-stage and locally advanced NSCLC. We prospectively enrolled 33 consecutive patients with stage IA to IIIB NSCLC undergoing curative-intent tumor resection (median follow-up: 26.2 months). From 21 patients, we serially collected 96 plasma samples before surgery, during surgery, 1-2 weeks postsurgery, and during follow-up. Deep next-generation sequencing using unique molecular identifiers was performed to identify and quantify tumor-specific mutations in ctDNA. Twelve patients (57%) had detectable mutations in ctDNA before tumor resection. Both ctDNA detection rates and ctDNA concentrations were significantly higher in plasma obtained during surgery compared with presurgical specimens (57% versus 19% ctDNA detection rate, and 12.47 versus 6.64 ng·mL-1 , respectively). Four patients (19%) remained ctDNA-positive at 1-2 weeks after surgery, with all of them (100%) experiencing disease progression at later time points. In contrast, only 4 out of 12 ctDNA-negative patients (33%) after surgery experienced relapse during follow-up. Positive ctDNA in early postoperative plasma samples was associated with shorter progression-free survival (P = 0.013) and overall survival (P = 0.004). Our findings suggest that, in early-stage and locally advanced NSCLC, intraoperative plasma sampling results in high ctDNA detection rates and that ctDNA positivity early after resection identifies patients at risk for relapse.

Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma arising from mucinous cystadenoma of the lung: case report and review of the literature.

Mucinous cystadenoma is a benign tumor commonly found in the pancreas, the ovaries or the appendix. Only very few cases of these tumors originating from the lungs have been reported worldwide, with even less cases describing malignant transformation. We present the case of a 58-year-old woman with a history of recurrent pulmonary infections who underwent left upper lobectomy for lung abscess and was initially diagnosed with pulmonary mucinous cystadenoma (PMCA). Upon thorough immunohistochemical workup, especially due to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) positivity, intramucinous singlet cells were eventually diagnostic for invasive carcinoma, in this case a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma arising from a PCMA. PMCA is a rare benign tumor whose potential for malignant transformation has not yet been fully understood. Due to the low number of cases further studies are needed to evaluate if there is a benefit of complete oncologic resection, provided the general condition of the patient allows it. A review of the currently available literature serves to better understand the clinical, radiological and histological features of this rare tumor.

Pulmonary metastasectomy in sarcoma-experiences with laser-assisted resection.

BACKGROUND: Previous data suggest a survival benefit in well selected patients with extrathoracic sarcoma after pulmonary metastasectomy. Different techniques have been described for pulmonary metastasectomy; however laser-assisted surgery (LAS) was suggested to provide the best outcome in patients with higher numbers of metastases. METHODS: Data were extracted from a prospectively maintained institutional database and a total of 83 patients who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy at our clinic in the last 11 years were identified. RESULTS: We analyzed a total of 106 operations of which LAS was performed in 46 and conventional resection in 60 cases. Significantly more metastases were resected in the LAS group compared to the conventional group [median, interquartile range (IQR): 6.5 (2.0-11.0) vs. 1.0 (1.0-3.5); P<0.0001]. Despite this difference the number of tumor recurrences was similar in both groups [64% tumor recurrences in the LAS group and 58% in the conventional group, odds ratio (OR) =1.3, P=0.6]. Furthermore, overall survival (OS) was comparable with a median survival of 77.6 and 29.0 months and 2- and 5-year survival rates of 71% and 63% as well as 53% and 36% in the respective cohorts [hazard ratio (HR) =0.74, P=0.43]. CONCLUSIONS: Using LAS a significantly higher number of metastases were removed while producing similar long-term results as compared to patients treated by other techniques. Expectably, recurrence rates in metastasized sarcoma patients remain high with either surgical method. Future studies will have to evaluate possible advantages provided by LAS in a prospective manner.

Handheld single photon emission computed tomography (handheld SPECT) navigated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery of computer tomography-guided radioactively marked pulmonary lesions.

OBJECTIVES: Radioactive marking can be a valuable extension to minimally invasive surgery. The technique has been clinically applied in procedures involving sentinel lymph nodes, parathyroidectomy as well as interventions in thoracic surgery. Improvements in equipment and techniques allow one to improve the limits. Pulmonary nodules are frequently surgically removed for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons; here video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is the preferred technique. VATS might be impossible with nodules that are small or located deep in the lung. In this study, we examined the clinical application and safety of employing the newly developed handheld single photon emission tomography (handheld SPECT) device in combination with CT-guided radioactive marking of pulmonary nodules. METHODS: In this pilot study, 10 subjects requiring surgical resection of a pulmonary nodule were included. The technique involved CT-guided marking of the target nodule with a 20-G needle, with subsequent injection of 25-30 MBq (effective: 7-14 MBq) Tc-99m MAA (Macro Albumin Aggregate). Quality control was made with conventional SPECT-CT to confirm the correct localization and exclude possible complications related to the puncture procedure. VATS was subsequently carried out using the handheld SPECT to localize the radioactivity intraoperatively and therefore the target nodule. A 3D virtual image was superimposed on the intraoperative visual image for surgical guidance. RESULTS: In 9 of the 10 subjects, the radioactive application was successfully placed directly in or in the immediate vicinity of the target nodule. The average size of the involved nodules was 9 mm (range 4-15). All successfully marked nodules were subsequently completely excised (R0) using VATS. The procedure was well tolerated. An asymptomatic clinically insignificant pneumothorax occurred in 5 subjects. Two subjects were found to have non-significant discrete haemorrhage in the infiltration canal of the needle. In a single subject, the radioactive marking was unsuccessful because the radioactivity spread into the pleural space. CONCLUSIONS: In our series of 10 patients, it was demonstrated that using handheld SPECT in conjunction with VATS to remove radioactively marked pulmonary nodules is feasible. The combination of proven surgical techniques with a novel localization device (handheld SPECT) allowed successful VATS excision of pulmonary nodules which, due to their localization and small size, would typically have required thoracotomy. REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02050724, Public 01/29/214, Joachim Müller.

Pulmonary embolism in a patient with primary renal synovial sarcoma: the important differential diagnosis of tumor embolism and its therapeutic implications.

Pulmonary tumor embolism rarely occurs in epithelial-derived tumors, but it has been described in different tumor entities. Microscopic pulmonary tumor embolisms are often only discovered on autopsy. Pulmonary thromboembolism, on the other hand, is a frequent complication in cancer patients, and surgery in patients with a malignant tumor is an additional risk factor. The differential diagnosis between pulmonary thromboembolism and pulmonary tumor embolism can be challenging. In this case report, we describe the rare case of a patient with primary renal synovial sarcoma and the workup for a thrombus in the left pulmonary artery.