Indications for invasive mediastinal staging for non-small cell lung cancer

Endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial needle aspiration: effectiveness and accuracy in non-small cell lung cancer staging

INTRODUCTION

Endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has a cardinal role in the diagnosis and staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), providing an accurate nodal staging in a less invasive way than surgical biopsy. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA in the pre-operative NSCLC mediastinal staging, as well as to evaluate EBUS-TBNA specificity and sensibility in our cohort.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data of NSCLC patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA followed by major pulmonary resection between January 2020 and December 2022. EBUS-TBNA was performed in patients with NSCLC (central T ≤ 3 cm, peripheral/central T > 3 cm), following the ESTS guidelines. The target nodes were selected on the basis of their radiologic/metabolic characteristics. Each procedure was conducted together with rapid on-site cytological evaluation (ROSE).

RESULTS

Twenty-five patients were included (M/F = 17/8). At least three needle passages on each target lymph node were performed. No complications during or after the procedures occurred. We found a 100% correspondence between ROSE on the sampled nodes and postoperative pathologic findings. An upstaging occurred in three cases (12%) because of the involvement of stations 5 and 6 (not accessible via EBUS), while the only case of downstaging (N2 → N0, 4%) was probably due to intercurrent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In all cases, EBUS-TBNA has proved to achieve a diagnostic procedure on the target nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

EBUS-TBNA is a safe and effective procedure that offers high sensitivity and specificity when performed together with ROSE, which improves the accuracy of sampling. Doubt on nodal stations 5 and 6 involvement should be settled by other techniques.

Safety of adjuvant atezolizumab after pneumonectomy/bilobectomy in stage II-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer in the randomized phase III IMpower010 trial

OBJECTIVE

Adjuvant atezolizumab is a standard of care after chemotherapy in completely resected stage II-IIIA programmed death ligand-1 tumor cell 1% or greater non-small cell lung cancer based on results from the phase III IMpower010 study. We explored the safety and tolerability of adjuvant atezolizumab by surgery type in IMpower010.

METHODS

Patients had completely resected stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (Union Internationale Contre le Cancer/American Joint Committee on Cancer, 7th Ed), received up to four 21-day cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy, and were randomized 1:1 to receive atezolizumab 1200 mg every 3 weeks (≤16 cycles or 1 year) or best supportive care. Adverse events and clinical characteristics were investigated by surgery type (pneumonectomy/bilobectomy or lobectomy/sleeve lobectomy) in the randomized stage II-IIIA population who received 1 or more atezolizumab dose or with 1 or more postbaseline assessment (safety evaluable) for best supportive care.

RESULTS

Overall, 871 patients comprised the safety-evaluable randomized stage II-IIIA population. In the atezolizumab arm, 23% (100/433) received pneumonectomy/bilobectomy and 77% (332/433) received lobectomy/sleeve lobectomy. Atezolizumab discontinuation occurred in 32% (n = 32) and 35% (n = 115) of the pneumonectomy/bilobectomy and lobectomy/sleeve lobectomy groups, respectively. Grade 3/4 adverse events were reported in 21% (n = 21) and 23% (n = 76) of patients in the atezolizumab arms in the pneumonectomy/bilobectomy and lobectomy/sleeve lobectomy groups, respectively. In the atezolizumab arms of the surgery groups, 13% (n = 13) and 17% (n = 55) had an adverse event leading to hospitalization. Atezolizumab-related adverse events leading to hospitalization occurred in 5% (n = 5) and 7% (n = 23) of the surgery groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These exploratory findings support use of adjuvant atezolizumab after platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with completely resected stage II-IIIA programmed death ligand-1 tumor cell 1% or more non-small cell lung cancer, regardless of surgery type.

Endobronchial Ultrasound/Transbronchial Needle Aspiration-Biopsy for Systematic Mediastinal lymph Node Staging of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Patients Eligible for Surgery: A Prospective Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

The treatment of lung cancer depends on histological and/or cytological evaluation of the mediastinal lymph nodes. Endobronchial ultrasound/transbronchial needle aspiration-biopsy (EBUS/TBNA-TBNB) is the only minimally invasive technique for a diagnostic exploration of the mediastinum. The aim of this study is to analyze the reliability of EBUS in the preoperative staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted from December 2019 to December 2022 on 217 NSCLC patients, who underwent preoperative mediastinal staging using EBUS/TBNA-TBNB according to the ACCP and ESTS guidelines. The following variables were analyzed in order to define the performance of the endoscopic technique-comparing the final staging of lung cancer after pulmonary resection with the operative histological findings: clinical characteristics, lymph nodes examined, number of samples, and likelihood ratio for positive and negative outcomes.

RESULTS

No morbidity or mortality was noted. All patients were discharged from hospital on day one. In 201 patients (92.6%), the preoperative staging using EBUS and the definitive staging deriving from the evaluation of the operative specimen after lung resection were the same; the same number of patients were detected in downstaging and upstaging (8 and 8, 7.4%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy were 90%, 90%, 82%, 94%, and 90%, respectively. The likelihood ratio for positive and negative results was 9 and 0.9, respectively, confirming cancer when present and excluding it when absent.

CONCLUSIONS

EBUS is the only low-invasive and easy procedure for mediastinal staging. The possibility to check the method in each of its phases-through direct visualization of the vessels regardless of their location in relation to the lymph nodes-makes it safe both for the endoscopist and for the patient. Certainly, the cytologist/histologist and/or operator must have adequate expertise in order not to negatively affect the outcome of the method, although three procedures appear to reduce the impact of the individual professional involved on performance.

Lung cancer staging, the established role of bronchoscopy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In the absence of distant metastases, accurate mediastinal nodal staging determines treatment approaches to achieve most favourable outcomes for patients. Mediastinal staging differentiates N0/N1 disease from N2/N3 in surgical candidates. Likewise, presence of nodal involvement in nonsurgical candidates who are being considered for stereotactic body radiation therapy is also critical. This review article seeks to discuss the current options available for mediastinal staging in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly the role of bronchoscopy.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although several techniques are available to stage the mediastinum, bronchoscopy with EBUS-TBNA with or without EUS-FNA appears to be superior in most clinical situations based on its ability to concomitantly diagnose and stage at once, safety, accessibility to the widest array of lymph node stations, cost and low risk of complications. However, training and experience are required to achieve consistent diagnostic accuracy with EBUS-TBNA.

SUMMARY

EBUS-TBNA with or without EUS-FNA is considered the modality of choice in the diagnosis and staging of NSCLC in both surgical and nonsurgical candidates.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Pathologic N0 Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients With False Positive Mediastinal Lymph Node Metastasis on FDG PET-CT

BACKGROUND/AIM

Preoperative fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET-CT) is a non-invasive and useful diagnostic tool to evaluate mediastinal lymph node (LN) metastasis in lung cancer. However, there are often false-positive LN cases in FDG PET-CT. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics and outcome of pathologic N0 non-small cell lung cancer patients with false-positive mediastinal LN on FDG PET-CT.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We enrolled 147 patients who underwent preoperative FDG PET-CT scan and mediastinal LN dissection. These patients were re-evaluated for post-operative pathologic nodal metastasis and divided into a false-positive group and a group of others.

RESULTS

Among 40 patients diagnosed with clinical N1-3 on FDG PET-CT, 19 (47.5%) patients were pathologic N0, meaning false-positive LN by PET-CT. Preoperative absolute platelet count and platelet-lymphocyte ratio were significantly higher in patients with pathologic N0. The presence of lymphatic invasion was significantly lower in patients with pathologic N0 than in the group of others. Recurrence-free survival was significantly shorter in patients with false positive LN than in patients with true positive LN or true negative LN at the same pathologic stage.

CONCLUSION

Higher absolute platelet count and PLR, lower proportion of lymphatic invasion and shorter recurrence-free survival were associated with false positive mediastinal LN on preoperative FDG PET-CT.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for synchronous early stage non-small cell lung cancer

INTRODUCTION

In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who present with multiple pulmonary nodules, it is often difficult to distinguish metastatic disease from synchronous primary lung cancers (SPLC). We sought to evaluate clinical outcomes after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) alone to synchronous primary lesions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patients with synchronous AJCC 8^th Edition Stage IA-IIA NSCLC and treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to all lesions between 2009-2018 were reviewed. SPLC was defined as patients having received two courses of SBRT within 180 days for treatment of separate early stage tumors. In total, 36 patients with 73 lesions were included. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), cumulative incidence of local failure (LF), and regional/distant failure (R/DF) were estimated and compared with a control cohort of solitary early stage NSCLC patients.

RESULTS

Median PFS was 38.8 months (95% CI 14.3-not reached [NR]); 3-year PFS rates were 50.6% (35.6-72.1). Median OS was 45.9 months (95% CI: 35.9-NR); 3-year OS was 63.0% (47.4-83.8). Three-year cumulative incidence of LF and R/DF was 6.6% (3.7-13.9) and 35.7% (19.3-52.1), respectively. Patients with SPLC were compared to a control group (n = 272) of patients treated for a solitary early stage NSCLC. There was no statistically significant difference in PFS (p = .91) or OS (p = .43). Evaluation of the patterns of failure showed a trend for worse cumulative incidence of R/DF in SPLC patients as compared to solitary early stage NSCLC (p = .06).

CONCLUSION

SBRT alone to multiple lung tumors with SPLC results in comparable PFS, OS, and LF rates to a cohort of patients treated for solitary early stage NSCLC. Those with SPLC had non-significantly higher R/DF. Patients with SPLC should be followed closely for failure and possible salvage therapy.

Long-term outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy for clinical N1 non-small cell lung cancer: A propensity score-weighted comparison with open thoracotomy

OBJECTIVES

Although the video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) approach has been accepted as a safe and effective alternative to lobectomy, its advantage remains unclear in advanced-stage lung cancer. This study is aimed to evaluate the feasibility and long-term outcomes of VATS in lung cancer with clinical N1 (cN1) disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 1149 consecutive patients who underwent lobectomy for cN1 disease from 2006 to 2016. Perioperative outcomes and long-term survival rates were compared using a propensity score-based inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) technique.

RESULTS

We performed VATS and open thoracotomy for 500 and 649 patients, respectively. All preoperative characteristics became similar between the two groups after IPTW adjustment. Compared to thoracotomy, VATS was associated with shorter hospitalization (7.7 days vs. 9.2 days, p < 0.001), earlier adjuvant chemotherapy (41.7 days vs. 46.6 days, p = 0.028), similar complete resection rates (95.2 % vs. 94.0 %, p = 0.583), and equivalent dissected lymph nodes (27.5 vs. 27.8, p = 0.704). On IPTW-adjusted analysis, overall survival (OS) (59.4 % vs. 60.3 %, p = 0.588) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (59.2 % vs. 56.9 %, p = 0.651) at 5 years were also similar between the two groups. Multivariable Cox analysis revealed that VATS was not a significant prognostic factor for cN1 disease (p = 0.764 for OS and p = 0.879 for RFS).

CONCLUSIONS

VATS lobectomy is feasible for patients with cN1 disease, providing comparable perioperative outcomes, oncologic efficacy, and long-term outcomes as open thoracotomy.

Nodal Outcomes of Uniportal versus Multiportal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Clinical Stage I Lung Cancer

Background

Accurate intraoperative assessment of mediastinal lymph nodes is a critical aspect of lung cancer surgery. The efficacy and potential for upstaging implicit in these dissections must therefore be revisited in the current era of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted in which 544 patients with stage I (T1abc–T2a, N0, M0) primary lung cancer were analyzed. To assess risk factors for nodal upstaging and to limit any imbalance imposed by surgical choices, we constructed an inverse probability of treatment-weighted (IPTW) logistic regression model (in addition to non-weighted logistic models). We also evaluated risk factors for early locoregional recurrence using IPTW logistic regression analysis.

Results

In the comparison of uniportal and multiportal VATS, the resected lymph node count (14.03±8.02 vs. 14.41±7.41, respectively; p=0.48) and rate of nodal upstaging (6.5% vs. 8.7%, respectively; p=0.51) appeared similar. Predictors of nodal upstaging included tumor size (odds ratio [OR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–2.70), carcinoembryonic antigen level (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04–1.18), and histologically confirmed pleural invasion (OR, 3.97; 95% CI, 1.89–8.34). The risk factors for locoregional recurrence within 1 year were found to be number of resected N2 nodes, age, and nodal upstaging.

Conclusion

Uniportal and multiportal VATS appear similar with regard to accuracy and thoroughness, showing no significant difference in the extent of nodal dissection.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided biopsy for evaluation of suspected lung cancer

Purpose

Historically, mediastinoscopy has been the gold standard for lung cancer diagnosis and staging, but mediastinoscopy has many limitations including sensitivity, the limited number of lymph node levels that can be sampled, and safety. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration is a relatively new and less-invasive technique being used for lung cancer screening. Many studies have reported that it has similar sensitivity and specificity compared to mediastinoscopy, with a significantly lower complication rate. We performed this review to determine our institution’s experience with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in lung cancer diagnosis and staging.

Methods

We reviewed the last 150 patients with suspected lung cancer who underwent endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration procedures in our institution from May 26, 2016 to August 31, 2017.

Results

Ninety-seven of the 150 patients had a confirmed diagnosis of malignancy. Forty patients had a diagnosis other than cancer, and 13 had incomplete information or were lost to follow-up. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration was correct in diagnosing malignancy or excluding malignant lymph nodes in 92 of the 97 patients with malignancy. Overall, the sensitivity, specificity, positive-predictive value, and negative-predictive value was 94.0%, 100.0%, 100.0%, and 91.5%, respectively. Only 3 complications were reported: 2 patients suffered minor bleeding, and one suffered major bleeding that resulted in cardiac arrest.

Conclusions

Real-time endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration has a similar sensitivity and specificity to mediastinoscopy in diagnosing malignancy, with fewer complications and more financial benefit.