Nonintubated thoracoscopic surgery for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer

Comparative Analyses of the Outcomes Between Lobectomies and Trisegmentectomies/Lingulectomies in the Surgical Management of Clinical Stage I Left Upper Lobe Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Lobectomies are the standard surgical intervention for lung cancer; however, recently, surgeons have considered segmentectomies for smaller tumors, with their potential for favorable survival outcomes while preserving lung function. The surgical outcomes of trisegmentectomies/lingulectomies and lobectomies for clinical stage I left upper lobe (LUL) non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) remain undetermined. Thus, our study aimed to assess the differences between the short-term surgical and long-term survival outcomes in patients with clinical stage I LUL NSCLC who underwent trisegmentectomies/lingulectomies and those who underwent lobectomies.

METHODS

Between 2011 and 2021, we retrospectively reviewed the data of 377 patients with clinical stage I NSCLC who had undergone LUL lobectomies or trisegmentectomies/lingulectomies. Patients were categorized into two subcohorts according to tumor size, i.e. 0-2 and 2-4 cm. To ensure preoperative demographic comparability, 1:1 propensity-score matching (PSM) was performed.

RESULTS

This study focused on the 2-4 cm subcohort. Post-PSM, patients who underwent trisegmentectomies/lingulectomies had quicker operations and shorter postoperative hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay than those who underwent lobectomies. Post-PSM, no statistically significant differences in progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) were observed between the segmentectomy and lobectomy groups in both the 0-2 and 2-4 cm subcohorts. The multivariate analysis revealed that different surgical methods were not statistically significant factors for either PFS or OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Trisegmentectomies/lingulectomies are a feasible option for clinical stage I NSCLC, with better perioperative outcomes and similar survival rates when compared with LUL lobectomies.

Clinical application of intubation-free anesthesia in radical resection of lung cancer

Background

In recent years, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has become increasingly widespread. However, the implementation of VATS requires the assistance with lung isolation techniques. Spontaneous breathing with laryngeal masks is also increasingly used in VATS. However, evidence on the characteristics of intubated anesthesia is insufficient.

Objective

This study aimed to explore whether intubation-free anesthesia has more advantages than other intubation methods in the clinical setting.

Methods

Patients with lung tumors who underwent VATS in our hospital between June 2022 and October 2022 were included in the study. Perioperative data of patients, including basic information, intraoperative hemodynamic changes, postoperative inflammatory indicators, and adverse reactions were obtained through the electronic medical record system. According to the protocol of airway management during anesthesia, participants were divided into the following groups: laryngeal mask with spontaneous breathing group (LMSB group), laryngeal mask combined with bronchial blocker group (LM + BB group), double-lumen tube group (DLT group), and tracheal tube combined with bronchial blocker group (TT + BB group). All data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 software.

Results

At baseline, patients in the LMSB and LM + BB groups had a lower body weight (P = 0.024). Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and heart rate (HR) were significantly higher in the DLT group than in the non-intubated group during surgery (SBP: T1 P = 0.048, T4 P = 0.021, T5 P ≤ 0.001, T6 P ≤ 0.001, T7 P = 0.004; DBP: T5 P ≤ 0.001, T6 P ≤ 0.001, T7 P ≤ 0.001; HR: T1 P = 0.021, T6 P ≤ 0.001, T7 P = 0.007, T8 P ≤ 0.001). The input fluid (P = 0.009), urine output (P = 0.010), surgery duration (P = 0.035), and procalcitonin levels (P = 0.024) of the DLT group were also significantly higher than those of the other groups. The recovery duration of the LMSB group was significantly longer (P = 0.003) and the incidence of postoperative adverse reactions, mainly atelectasis, was higher (P = 0.012) than those of the other groups.

Conclusion

Although the intubation-free anesthesia has less stimulation during operation and less postoperative inflammatory response, it has obvious adverse reactions after operation, which may be not the best anesthesia scheme for radical resection of lung cancer in VATS.

Clinical trial registration

https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=182767, identifier ChiCTR2200066180.

Navigating patient journey in early diagnosis of lung cancer in India

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide. In India, the incidence of LC is increasing rapidly, and a majority of the patients are diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease when treatment is less likely to be effective. Recent therapeutic developments have significantly improved survival outcomes in patients with LC. Prompt specialist referral remains critical for early diagnosis for improved patient survival. In the Indian scenario, distinguishing LC from benign and endemic medical conditions such as tuberculosis can pose a challenge. Hence, awareness regarding the red flags-signs and symptoms that warrant further investigations and referral-is vital. This review is an effort toward encouraging general physicians to maintain a high index of clinical suspicion for those at risk of developing LC and assisting them in refering patients with concerning symptoms to specialists or multidisciplinary teams as early as possible.

Effect of Thymosin on Inflammatory Factor Levels, Immune Function, and Quality of Life in Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Radical Thoracoscopic Surgery

Purpose

To explore the effect of thymosin on inflammatory factor levels, immune function, and quality of life in patients undergoing radical thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery.

Methods

One hundred and twenty patients admitted to the Surgical Oncology Department of the First Hospital of Jiaxing from January 2018 to January 2019 were randomized into the study group and the control group using the random number table method, with 60 cases in each group. The control group was treated with radical thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery, and the study group was treated with radical thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery combined with thymosin. The clinical efficiency, inflammatory factors, immune function, and quality of life between the two groups of patients were compared.

Results

There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of pathological stage, tissue type, maximum tumor diameter, and perioperative indicators such as operative time, intraoperative bleeding, pleural drainage, hospital stay, and the number of intraoperative lymph nodes removed. The levels of CD4 (+%), CD8 (+%), CD4+/CD8+, and natural killer cell (NK) (%) were significantly decreased in both groups after treatment, with significantly higher results in the study group than in the control group. The study group had significantly lower serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and higher interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels than the control group. After treatment, patients in the study group had better postoperative physiological status and overall score than the control group. There was no significant difference in postoperative survival and adverse reactions between the two groups.

Conclusion

The use of thymosin treatment in lung cancer patients undergoing radical thoracoscopic surgery significantly improves immune function, mitigates inflammatory response, and enhances the quality of life, which is worthy of clinical application.

Thoracic surgery in the non-intubated spontaneously breathing patient

BACKGROUND

The interest in non-intubated video-assisted thoracic surgery (NIVATS) has risen over the last decade and numerous terms have been used to describe this technique. They all have in common, that the surgical procedure is performed in a spontaneously breathing patient under locoregional anaesthesia in combination with intravenous sedation but have also been performed on awake patients without sedation. Evidence has been generated favouring NIVATS compared to one-lung-ventilation under general anaesthesia.

MAIN BODY

We want to give an overview of how NIVATS is performed, and which different techniques are possible. We discuss advantages such as shorter length of hospital stay or (relative) contraindications like airway difficulties. Technical aspects, for instance intraoperative handling of the vagus nerve, are considered from a thoracic surgeon's point of view. Furthermore, special attention is paid to the cohort of patients with interstitial lung diseases, who seem to benefit from NIVATS due to the avoidance of positive pressure ventilation. Whenever a new technique is introduced, it must prove noninferiority to the state of the art. Under this aspect current literature on NIVATS for lung cancer surgery has been reviewed.

CONCLUSION

NIVATS technique may safely be applied to minor, moderate, and major thoracic procedures and is appropriate for a selected group of patients, especially in interstitial lung disease. However, prospective studies are urgently needed.