A Study of Complete Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Lobectomy in Treatment of Elderly Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Curative Effect and Impact on Clinical Prognosis

Treatment Sequencing Strategies in Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

The advances in the lung cancer screening methods and therapeutics, together with awareness towards deleterious habits, such as smoking, is increasing the overall survival with better quality of life for the patients. However, lung cancer is still one of the most common and fatal neoplasm with a high incidence and consequently burden to public health worldwide. Thus, based on guidelines and recent phases II and III clinical trials studies, this manuscript summarizes the current treatment sequencing strategies in lung cancer.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of related articles was performed focused on phases II and III clinical trials studies.

RESULTS

The lung cancer management should take into consideration the tumor characteristics, histology, molecular pathology and be discussed in a multidisciplinary team. Lung cancer treatment options comprises surgery whenever possible, radiotherapy associate with/or chemotherapy and immunotherapy as monotherapy, or combined with chemotherapy and best palliative care.

CONCLUSIONS

The screening predictability in more patients, smoking reduction, early diagnosis, better disease understanding and individualized, more effective and tolerable therapeutics are related to an increasing in overall survival and quality of life. In the near future improvement of personalized therapy in precision medicine is expected, enhancing new predictive biomarkers, optimal doses and optimal treatment sequencing as well as anti-cancer vaccines development.

The Development of the Arm Fixation Method to Prevent Ipsilateral Shoulder Pain in Patients Undergoing Lung Resection

PURPOSE

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of a new upper limb fixation method-body pillow position for preventing postoperative ipsilateral shoulder pain (ISP) in patients undergoing lung resection.

DESIGN

An experimental study design was used.

METHODS

We conducted two comparisons (group A: the previous position using the arm fixation device; group B: the body pillow position) at random and examined an arm fixation method that is effective for ISP prophylaxis in patients undergoing surgery in the lateral decubitus position.

FINDINGS

We approached 87 patients, two were excluded, and, thus, 85 were randomly assigned to group A (n = 43) or group B (n = 42). No significant differences were observed in the frequency of ISP between groups A and B (25.6% vs 26.2%). The intensity of ISP between both groups was analyzed by a repeated-measures analysis of variance and was shown to decrease over time in 22 patients (P = .010). The intensity of ISP on postoperative days 0 to 3 was slightly lower in group B than in group A (P = .158). Risk factors for ISP were the duration of surgery (odds ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.01) and pre-existing shoulder stiffness (odds ratio, 5.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 24.83).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no significance in the frequency of ISP between group A and group B. The intensity of ISP on postoperative days 0 to 3 was lower in group B than in group A, although there was no significant difference. It is important perspective for perioperative care providers to prevent ISP for early postoperative recovery and improvement of postoperative quality of life. These results suggested that we must consider a better position for preventing postoperative ISP in patients undergoing lung resection.

Minimal invasive surgery in locally advanced N2 non-small cell lung cancer

Locally advanced lung cancer, defined by nodal involvement in upper mediastinal stations (N2) (stage IIIA–N2), includes a wide spectrum of patients with multiple therapeutic alternatives. Such heterogeneity is explained, at least in part, by tumor size and magnitude of mediastinal nodal involvement. In this setting, many variants can influence the prognosis, such as the specific nodal stations compromised, the burden of mediastinal disease, and the presence of skip metastasis. In the surgical field, the advent of minimally invasive techniques, including video-assisted thoracoscopic and robotic surgery, have revolutionized the management of early-stage lung cancer, but implementations of these approaches in the locally advanced setting have been erratic. This review attempts to highlight the most relevant scientific data of the surgical management of locally advanced lung cancer patients, analyzing not only the medical evidence but also the cost-effectiveness and accessibility.

[Short-term results of video-assisted lung cancer surgery in octogenarians]

INTRODUCTION

Due to an increase in life expectancy, onco-pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons are more frequently faced with octogenarian patients with lung cancer. In this age group, treatment modalities may need to be revised because of the increasing presence of comorbidities. Surgery remains the reference treatment for early stage disease, but mortality rates and postoperative complications are higher in this group of patients. One of the solutions to reduce the operative risk would be to develop videoassisted thoracoscopic pulmonary resection surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of this form of lung cancer surgery in octogenarians.

METHODS

All patients 80 years old or more who underwent videoassisted lung cancer surgery from 2014 to 2018 at Lyon University Hospital were included. Wedge resections and diagnostic procedures were excluded.

RESULTS

Nineteen patients (13 men, 6 women) were included. The median age was 82 years old. All patients had undergone videoassisted lobectomy. Three patients required conversion to thoracotomy (15.8%). All patients underwent complete resection (R0). One patient had N1 lymph node involvement, all others were N0. The postoperative complication rate was 68.4%, the majority of which were grade II of the Clavien classification. Perioperative mortality was 5.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Videoassisted lung cancer resection in a selected population of octogenarians is associated with satisfactory short-term results. It is reasonable to favour minimally invasive techniques in this population, even if the proof of their superiority has not yet been firmly established.

Comparison of Double Sleeve Lobectomy by Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) and Thoracotomy for NSCLC Treatment

Background

With the development of the surgical technique and experience of surgeons, uniportal VATS has been used in double sleeve lobectomy to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This retrospective study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of uniportal VATS in NSCLC treatment.

Methods

We reviewed 42 NSCLC patients who underwent double sleeve lobectomy in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from June 2015 to November 2017. 21 patients received double sleeve lobectomy through uniportal VATS and 21 through conventional thoracotomy with large incision.

Results

The characteristics of patients were similar between the two groups. The operation time was longer in the uniportal VATS group (p=0.021) and the drainage on postoperation day 1 was significantly less in the uniportal VATS group (p=0.004). Patients reported a lower postoperative pain level in the uniportal VATS group than in the thoracotomy group (p=0.002). No statistically significant difference showed in other aspects.

Conclusion

Uniportal VATS double sleeve lobectomy for NSCLC treatment is safe and effective. Lower postoperative pain level was found in the uniportal VATS group. Its complication rate and postoperation survival were similar to the conventional thoracotomy approach with large incision. But a large randomized clinical trial is still necessary for further investigation.

Optimal Approach to Lobectomy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy was introduced over 25 years ago. More recently, the technique has been modified from a multiport video-assisted thoracic surgery (mVATS) to uniportal (uVATS) and robotic (rVATS), with proponents for each approach. Additionally most lobectomies are still performed using an open approach. We sought to provide evidence-based recommendations to help define the optimal surgical approach to lobectomy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods

Systematic review and meta-analysis of articles searched without limits from January 2000 to January 2018 comparing open, mVATS, uVATS, and rVATS using sources Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were considered for inclusion. Articles were individually scrutinized by ISMICS consensus conference members, and evidence-based statements were created and consensus processes were used to determine the ensuing recommendations. The ACC/AHA Clinical Practice Guideline Recommendation Classification system was used to assess the overall quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations.

Results and recommendations

One hundred and forty-five studies met the predefined inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Comparisons were analyzed between VATS and open, and between different VATS approaches looking at oncological outcomes (survival, recurrence, lymph node evaluation), safety (adverse events), function (pain, quality of life, pulmonary function), and cost-effectiveness. Fifteen statements addressing these areas achieved consensus. The highest level of evidence suggested that mVATS is preferable to open lobectomy with lower adverse events (36% versus 42%; 88,460 patients) and less pain (IIa recommendation). Our meta-analysis suggested that overall survival was better (IIb) with mVATS compared with open (71.5% versus 66.7% 5-years; 16,200 patients). Different VATS approaches were similar for most outcomes, although uVATS may be associated with less pain and analgesic requirements (IIb).

Conclusions

This meta-analysis supports the role of VATS lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer. Apart from potentially less pain and analgesic requirement with uVATS, different minimally invasive surgical approaches appear to have similar outcomes.

Oncologic Equivalence of Minimally Invasive Lobectomy: The Scientific and Practical Arguments

BACKGROUND

Despite the slow adoption of minimally invasive lobectomy (MIL), it is now a preferred approach for early lung cancer. Nevertheless, ongoing concerns about MIL oncologic effectiveness has led to calls for prospective, randomized trials.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of on-line databases, collected readings, and other scholarly experiences of the experienced authors were used to construct this review. All available reports that contained long-term survival comparisons for open versus MIL were tabulated.

RESULTS

The preponderance of limited randomized and numerous large propensity-matched database analyses indicate equivalent or improved long-term MIL survival for early-stage disease. MIL lymph node dissection quality has been challenged; however, this was attributed to MIL avoidance of central tumors in early reports. Although technical inadequacies for MIL should be amplified for advanced cancer resections, early reports show no such concern. In fact, for special populations such as older, frail patients, evidence is much stronger that MIL confers a survival advantage.

CONCLUSIONS

MIL is an oncologically equivalent operation with substantially less morbidity, especially in frail populations. It is reasonable to suggest that MIL should be the technique of choice, even a quality indicator, for lobectomy.

Remedial localization after dislodgement of primary mechanical localization in lung surgery

BACKGROUND

Unhooking or displacement of hookwire or microcoil due to technical failures is rather common. We aim to establish a new technique for remedial localization in the case of displacement or unhooking of primary mechanical localization during lung surgery.

METHODS

From February 2014 to September 2015, 18 consecutive cases of intraoperative dislodgement during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) were enrolled. Nodule's projection on body surface was located by analyzing computed tomography (CT) images, and a needle was inserted into thoracic cavity through this point. The lung was then inflated, and a small burn was made where the needle tip touched the visceral plural. Wedge resections were subsequently performed for these impalpable small lesions.

RESULTS

Eighteen solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) from 18 patients were scheduled for VATS wedge resections in this series, including 6 (33.3%) hookwire localization and 12 (66.7%) microcoil localization. Fifteen (83.3%) of 18 nodules were pure ground glass opacity (pGGO) and 3 (16.7%) mixed ground glass opacity (mGGO). The mean diameter of SPNs was 7.7±3.6 mm. The mean distance from SPN to pleura was 12.2±10.9 mm. During remedial localization, 17 (94.4%) nodules were removed successfully by wedge resection, and segmentectomy was performed only in one case with failed outcome. Paraffin pathology showed 2 (11.1%) atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), 11 (61.1%) adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), 4 (22.2%) minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), and 1 (5.6%) inflammatory disease.

CONCLUSIONS

This remedial localization technique is practical and reliable. It is a good backup plan in the case of dislodgement, and it can help prevent extended lung resection.