Gene diagnosis of micrometastases in regional lymph nodes of patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer: impact on staging and prognosis

Molecular Nodal Restaging Based on CEACAM5, FGFR2b and PTPN11 Expression Adds No Relevant Clinical Information in Resected Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

The relapse rate in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is high, even in localized disease, suggesting that the current approach to pathological staging is insufficiently sensitive to detect occult micrometastases present in resected lymph nodes. Therefore, we aimed to determine the prognostic value of the expression of embryonic molecular markers in histologically-negative lymph nodes of completely-resected NSCLC.

METHODS

76 completely-resected NSCLC patients were included: 60 pN0 and 16 pN1. Primary tumors and 347 lymph node were studied. CEACAM5, FGFR2b, and PTPN11 expression levels were evaluated through mRNA analysis using real-time RT-qPCR assay. Statistical analyses included the Kruskal-Wallis test, Kaplan Meier curves, and log-rank tests.

RESULTS

CEACAM5 expression levels were scored as high in of 90 lymph nodes (26%). The molecular-positive lymph nodes lead to the restaging of 37 (62%) pN0 patients as molecular N1 or N2 and 5 (31%) pN1 cases were reclassified as molecular-positive N2. Surprisingly, molecular-positive patients associated with a better OS (overall survival, p = 0,04). FGFR2b overexpression was observed in 41 (12%) lymph nodes leading to the restaging of 17 patients (22%). Again a trend was observed toward a better DFS (disease-free survival) in the restaged patients (p = 0,09). Accordingly, high expression levels of CEACAM5 or FGFR2b in the primary were related to better DFS (p = 0,06; p < 0,02, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Molecular nodal restaging based on expression levels of CEACAM5 and/or FGFR2b, does not add relevant clinical information to pathological staging of NSCLC likely related to the better prognosis of their overexpression in primary tumors.

The clinical value of a new method of functional lymph node dissection in video-assisted thoracic surgery right non-small cell lung cancer radical resection

Background

To evaluate the safety, thoroughness and feasibility of "tunnel-type en bloc mediastinal lymph node dissection" in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for right non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) radical resection, which functionally dissected the lymph nodes of station 2R/4R/7.

Methods

A retrospective study was performed in the clinical data of 196 patients with VATS right NSCLC radical resection. According to the different methods of lymph node dissection of station 2R, 4R and 7, they were divided into the tunnel-type group (n=102) and the routine group (n=94). The clinical data of two group were compared.

Results

The analyses of the baselines of the two groups are comparable. For lymph nodes dissection of station 2R/4R/7, operation time, the total number, positive number and metastasis incidence shown no significant difference between two groups (P>0.05). However, the amount of bleeding, postoperative thoracic drainage volume, extubation time, hospitalization days, the incidence of postoperative pulmonary infection and chronic cough were significantly lower in the tunnel-type group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in 3-year recurrence and metastasis and in 3-year survival between tunnel-type group and routine group.

Conclusions

The tunnel-type group has more advantages, such as less surgical trauma, shorter hospitalization time, faster postoperative rehabilitation, even less postoperative chronic cough compared with the routine group. Therefore, we believe that the tunnel-type en bloc mediastinal lymph node dissection is a safe, thorough and feasible surgical method, which is worthy of being popularized and applied in the VATS right NSCLC radical resection.

Prognostic roles of lymph node micrometastasis in non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to confirm the prognostic roles of lymph node (LN) micrometastasis (LNMM) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through a meta-analysis.

METHODS

This study included 2026 NSCLC cases without detection of LN metastasis in histologic examination. We investigated the detection rate of LNMM in early-stage NSCLC and analyzed the correlation between LNMM and the rates of recurrence and survival.

RESULTS

The range of detection rates of LNMM was 3.8-68.8% in the eligible studies. The detection rate of LNMM in early-stage NSCLC was 25.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 19.8-31.6%). In subgroup analysis based on detection method, polymerase chain reaction method had higher detection rate than immunohistochemistry (33.7%, 95% CI 25.5-43.0% vs. 23.1%, 95% CI 18.0-29.0%). The presence of LNMM was significantly correlated with a higher recurrence rate (odds ratio 3.913, 95% CI 1.595-9.600, P=0.003). In addition, there were significant correlations between LNMM and worse overall and disease-free survival rates (hazard ratio [HR] 2.345, 95% CI 1.863-2.951, and HR 1.606, 95% CI 1.170-2.206, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Taken together, our results showed that LNMM was detected in 25.3% of NSCLCs without nodal disease through ancillary test. In addition, the presence of LNMM was significantly correlated with a higher recurrence rate and worse survival rates in early-stage NSCLC.

Relationship of Lymph Node Micrometastasis and Micropapillary Component and Their Joint Influence on Prognosis of Patients With Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between lymph node micrometastasis and histologic patterns of adenocarcinoma, with a particular focus on their joint effect on prognosis. We retrospectively reviewed 235 patients with stage I adenocarcinoma from January 2009 to December 2009. Lymph node micrometastasis was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) and thyroid transcription factor-1. A logistic regression model was applied to confirm the predictive factors of micrometastasis. Survival analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of micrometastasis on prognosis. Lymph node micrometastasis was observed in 35 patients (15%). Patients with micrometastasis had significantly worse recurrence-free survival (P<0.001) and overall survival (P<0.001) compared with those without micrometastasis. Micropapillary component was confirmed as an independent predictor of increased frequency of micrometastasis (P<0.001). Among 62 patients with adenocarcinoma with a micropapillary component, 23 (37%) had lymph node micrometastasis. Micropapillary-positive/micrometastasis-positive patients had significantly worse survival compared with micropapillary-positive/micrometastasis-negative patients (RFS, P=0.039; OS, P=0.002) and micropapillary-negative patients (recurrence-free survival, P<0.001; overall survival, P<0.001). Moreover, the presence of micrometastasis correlated with a higher risk of locoregional recurrence (P=0.031) rather than distant recurrence (P=0.456) in micropapillary-positive patients. In summary, lymph node micrometastasis was more frequently observed in adenocarcinoma with a micropapillary component. Moreover, lymph node micrometastasis could provide helpful prognostic information in patients with resected stage I lung adenocarcinoma with a micropapillary component; thus, immunohistochemical detection of micrometastatic tumor cells in lymph nodes should be recommended.

Survivin, a molecular target for therapeutic interventions in squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common cancer worldwide. The treatment of locally advanced disease generally requires various combinations of radiotherapy, surgery, and systemic therapy. Despite aggressive multimodal treatment, most of the patients relapse. Identification of molecules that sustain cancer cell growth and survival has made molecular targeting a feasible therapeutic strategy. Survivin is a member of the Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein (IAP) family, which is overexpressed in most of the malignancies including SCC and totally absent in most of the normal tissues. This feature makes survivin an ideal target for cancer therapy. It orchestrates several important mechanisms to support cancer cell survival including inhibition of apoptosis and regulation of cell division. Overexpression of survivin in tumors is also associated with poor prognosis, aggressive tumor behavior, resistance to therapy, and high tumor recurrence. Various strategies have been developed to target survivin expression in cancer cells, and their effects on apoptosis induction and tumor growth attenuation have been demonstrated. In this review, we discuss recent advances in therapeutic potential of survivin in cancer treatment.

Detection of disseminated tumor cells in lymph nodes from patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

The regional lymph node involvement is a major prognostic factor in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing surgical resection. Disease relapse is common, suggesting that early disseminated disease is already present in the regional lymph nodes at the time of surgery, and that the current nodal staging classification might be suboptimal. Early detection of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in lymph nodes could potentially enable identification of subcategories of patients with high risk of disease relapse.

METHOD

Lymph node samples were collected from 128 NSCLC patients at the time of surgery and the presence of DTCs determined by immunomagnetic selection (IMS) using the MOC31 antibody recognizing EpCAM. Results obtained with IMS were compared to the pathological staging obtained by histopathology. Associations between the presence of DTCs and clinicopathological variables and patient outcome were investigated.

RESULTS

DTCs were detected in 40 % of the lymph node samples by IMS. Their presence was significantly associated with pN status as assessed by histopathology, and samples from 83 % of the patients with lymph node metastases (pN1-2) had detectable DTCs. In the group of patients who were negative for lymph node metastases by standard histopathology (pN0) DTCs were detected in 32 %. The presence of DTCs was not associated with any other clinicopathological variables. Patients with IMS-positive samples showed decreased relapse free survival compared to patients with IMS-negative samples, but the difference was not statistically significant. The pN status was significantly associated with both relapse free and overall survival, but the presence of DTCs had no prognostic impact in the subcategory of patients with pN0 status.

CONCLUSION

Our findings do not support further development of lymph node DTC detection for clinical use in early stage NSCLC.

Detection of occult tumor cells in regional lymph nodes is associated with poor survival in pN0 non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

patients of pN0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with occult tumor cells (OTCs) in regional lymph nodes (LNs) are reported to have controversial prognostic outcomes.

METHOD

We pooled pN0 NSCLC patients with OTCs in LNs and compared with those without OTCs. Patient characteristics, hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival (OS) and/or disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed. HR greater than 1 conferred an increased hazard for patients with OTCs.

RESULTS

Eighteen articles were finally enrolled in the meta-analysis and 15 studies provided sufficient data for extracting HRs for OS, resulting to 5 articles available for DFS analysis. The combined HRs of OS was 2.22 (95% CI, 1.87 to 2.64) and 2.4 (95% CI, 1.71 to 3.36) for analysis of DFS. The similar trend was obtained in the subgroup analyses regarding detection methods and study type. Interestingly, even in the analysis of mean numbers of LNs dissection (MLND) intraoperatively, both subgroups (LNs/Pts. <12 and ≥12) illustrated significant HRs of OS (HR: 3.13, 95% CI, 2.17 to 4.52 in LNs/Pts. <12 subgroup and HR: 2.09, 95% CI, 1.63 to 2.68 in LNs/Pts. ≥12). The combined HR of OS in this section was 2.37 (95% CI, 1.63 to 2.68). No publication bias was detected in all the meta-analysis sections. The prognosis of patients with OTCs is inferior to those without OTCs in the terms of OS and DFS regardless of detection methods, study types and MLND.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis of patients with OTCs is inferior to those without OTCs in the terms of OS and DFS regardless of detection methods, study types and MLND.

Clinical significance of PIK3CA and survivin in primary adenosquamous lung carcinoma

The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of PIK3CA and survivin in adenosquamous lung cancer (ASC) patients and their clinicopathological significance. A total of 32 patients with adenosquamous carcinoma and ten cases of normal lung lesion were investigated, and the expressions of PIK3CA and survivin were detected by immunohistochemistry. The PIK3CA and survivin expression in adenosquamous lung carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than those of the normal lesions (p = 0.02). The positive rate of PIK3CA and survivin expressions was in accordance with the tumor-node-metastasis stage (p = 0.002/0.013), pathological grade (p = 0.019/0.013), and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.029/0.008). Out of 15 patients with definite follow-ups, highly positive expressions of PIK3CA (12 cases) and survivin (11 cases) were suggested to be associated with adverse prognosis (nine cases recurrence and four cases died). A positive correlation was also observed between the expressions of PIK3CA and survivin (r = 0.622, p < 0.001). These findings indicated that PIK3CA and survivin up-regulation might play an important role in lymph node metastasis and adverse prognosis in ASC. Nevertheless, further additional prospective studies in the area of ASC molecular profiling are needed.