[Prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and follow-up of lung cancer]

Guideline adherence of tumor board recommendations in lung cancer and transfer into clinical practice

PURPOSE

Evaluating patients and treatment decisions in a multidisciplinary tumor board has led to better quality of care and longer survival in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate tumor board recommendations for thoracic oncology patients regarding guideline adherence and transferal of recommendations into clinical practice.

METHODS

We evaluated tumor board recommendations of the thoracic oncology tumor board at Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU) Hospital Munich between 2014 and 2016. We compared patient characteristics between guideline-adherent and non-guideline-adherent recommendations, as well as between transferred and non-transferred recommendations. We used multivariate logistic regression models to evaluate factors associated with guideline adherence.

RESULTS

Over 90% of recommendations by the tumor board were either adherent to the guidelines (75.5%) or over fulfilling guidelines (15.6%). Almost 90% of recommendations were transferred to clinical practice. If a recommendation was not according to the guidelines, the reason was mostly associated with the general condition (age, Charlson comorbidity index, ECOG) of the patient or due to the patients' request. Surprisingly, sex also had a significant influence on the guideline adherence of recommendations, with females being more likely to get recommendations not according to the guidelines.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the results of this study are promising, as the guideline adherence of recommendations as well as the transferal of recommendations into clinical practice were high. In the future, a special focus should be put on fragile patients as well as female patients.

The Role of Thoracic Ultrasound for Diagnosis of Diseases of the Chest Wall, the Mediastinum, and the Diaphragm-Narrative Review and Pictorial Essay

The diagnostic capabilities of ultrasound extend far beyond the evaluation of the pleural space and lungs. Sonographic evaluation of the chest wall is a classic extension of the clinical examination of visible, palpable, or dolent findings. Unclear mass lesions of the chest wall can be differentiated accurately and with low risk by additional techniques such as color Doppler imaging, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and, in particular, ultrasound-guided biopsy. For imaging of mediastinal pathologies, ultrasound has only a complementary function but is valuable for guidance of percutaneous biopsies of malignant masses. In emergency medicine, ultrasound can verify and support correct positioning of endotracheal tubes. Diaphragmatic ultrasound benefits from the real-time nature of sonographic imaging and is becoming increasingly important for the assessment of diaphragmatic function in long-term ventilated patients. The clinical role of thoracic ultrasound is reviewed in a combination of narrative review and pictorial essay.

Use of algorithms for identifying patients in a German claims database: learnings from a lung cancer case

Background

The analysis of statutory health insurance (SHI) data is a little-used approach for understanding treatment and care as well as resource use of lung cancer (LC) patients in Germany. The aims of this observational, retrospective, longitudinal analysis of structured data were to analyze the healthcare situation of LC patients in Germany based on routine data from SHI funds, to develop an algorithm that sheds light on LC types (non-small cell / NSCLC vs. small cell / SCLC), and to gain new knowledge to improve needs-based care.

Methods

Anonymized billing data of approximately four million people with SHI were analyzed regarding ICD-10 (German modification), documented medical interventions based on the outpatient SHI Uniform Assessment Standard Tariff (EBM) or the inpatient Operations and Procedure Code (OPS), and the dispensing of prescription drugs to outpatients (ATC classification). The study included patients who were members of 64 SHI funds between Jan-1st, 2015 and Dec-31st, 2016 and who received the initial diagnosis of LC in 2015 and 2016.

Results

The analysis shows that neither the cancer type nor the cancer stage can be unambiguously described by the ICD-10 coding. Furthermore, an assignment based on the prescribed medication provides only limited information: many of the drugs are either approved for both LC types or are used off-label, making it difficult to assign them to a specific LC type. Overall, 25% of the LC patients were unambiguously identifiable as NSCLC vs SCLC based on the ICD-10 code, the drug therapy, and the billing data.

Conclusions

The current coding system appears to be of limited suitability for drawing conclusions about LC and therefore the SHI patient population. This makes it difficult to analyze the healthcare data with the aim of gathering new knowledge to improve needs-based care. The approach chosen for this study did not allow for development of a LC differentiation algorithm based on the available healthcare data. However, a better overview of patient specific needs could make it possible to modify the range of services provided by the SHI funds. From this perspective, it makes sense, in a first step, to refine the ICD-10 system to facilitate NSCLC vs. SCLC classification.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-07982-8.

Retrospective Data Analysis of Patients With Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma With or Without KRAS-Mutation or TTF1-Expression

Introduction

Patients with lung adenocarcinoma not expressing TTF1 and those with a KRAS mutation have worse prognosis. However, available data are limited and sometimes contradictory. Therefore, this retrospective cohort analysis aimed to clarify whether there was a difference in overall survival and progression-free survival between these groups of patients.

Methods

In total, data derived from 181 patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma treated at the Martha-Maria Halle-Dölau Hospital from 2016 to 2019 were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated, and associated values, such as median survival and its confidence intervals, were determined using the log-rank test.

Results

A benefit in overall survival (OS) (8.4 vs 5.8 months; HR, .8; 95% CI, .53-1.19; P = .267) was associated with positive TTF1 expression, but this was not statistically significant. The same trend was shown with the progressive free survival (PFS) (6.5 vs 4.6 months; HR, .76; 95% CI, .51-1.20; P = .162). In patients with a KRAS mutation, there was no difference in OS compared to those with a wildtype KRAS. The median survival was almost identical at 7.5 months (KRAS mutation, 95% CI, 3.32-11.74) and 7.0 months (KRAS wildtype, 95% CI, 3.59-10.41). Additionally, in PFS, there was no difference between the 2 groups (5.8 vs 6.3 months).

Conclusions

Our analysis did not show a worse prognosis in patients with a KRAS mutation or in those with missing TTF1 expression, which is most likely related to the new therapeutic options. As a result of the administration of immunotherapy in patients with a KRAS mutation and the change from a regimen containing pemetrexed to a regimen containing no pemetrexed, the corresponding patients no longer seem to have a worse prognosis.

Clinical evaluation of data-driven respiratory gating for PET/CT in an oncological cohort of 149 patients: impact on image quality and patient management

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of fully automatic motion correction by data-driven respiratory gating (DDG) on positron emission tomography (PET) image quality, lesion detection and patient management.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 149 patients undergoing PET/CT for cancer (re-)staging were retrospectively included. Patients underwent a PET/CT on a digital detector scanner and for every patient a PET data set where DDG was enabled (PET_DDG) and as well as where DDG was not enabled (PET_nonDDG) was reconstructed. All PET data sets were evaluated by two readers which rated the general image quality, motion effects and organ contours. Further, both readers reviewed all scans on a case-by-case basis and evaluated the impact of PET_DDG on additional apparent lesion, change of report, and change of management.

RESULTS

In 85% (n = 126) of the patients, at least one bed position was acquired using DDG, resulting in mean scan time increase of 4:37 min per patient in the whole study cohort (n = 149). General image quality was not rated differently for PET_nonDDG and PET_DDG images (p = 1.000) while motion effects (i.e. indicating general blurring) was rated significantly lower in PET_DDG images and organ contours, including liver and spleen, were rated significantly sharper using PET_DDG as compared to PET_nonDDG (all p < 0.001). In 27% of patients, PET_DDG resulted in a change of the report and in a total of 12 cases (8%), PET_DDG resulted in a change of further clinical management.

CONCLUSION

Deviceless DDG provided reliable fully automatic motion correction in clinical routine and increased lesion detectability and changed management in a considerable number of patients.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

DDG enables PET/CT with respiratory gating to be used routinely in clinical practice without external gating equipment needed.

[Surgical Therapy for Lung Cancer: Why it Should be Performed in High Volume Centres]

Data on surgical lung cancer cases were extracted from the German Federal Statistics on Diagnosis-related groups (DRG) and a possible association between hospital volume and surgical mortality was explored. All treatment cases documented between 2005 and 2015 with the main diagnosis of lung cancer (International Classification of Disease code C34) and the German Operations and Procedure Key (OPS) codes 5-323 to 5-328 for anatomical lung resections were analysed. The treatment cases were assigned to hospital groups, defined according to the number of procedures performed per year. The total number of anatomical lung resections for the diagnosis of lung cancer increased by 24 % from 9376 resections in 2005 to 11,614 resections in 2015. In 2015, 57 % of anatomical lung resections in patients with lung cancer were performed in 47 high volume centres (hospitals with ≥ 75 resections/year); the remaining 43 % of the resections were distributed among 271 hospitals performing fewer than 75 resections per year. In hospitals performing fewer than 25 procedures/year, hospital mortality was almost twice as high as in large centres with ≥ 75 resections per year (5.7 vs. 3.0 %, mean value 2005 to 2015). In summary, our data indicate that a small number of high-volume hospitals perform the major part of lung resections of lung cancer in Germany with better survival as compared to low-volume hospitals. Based on current nationwide data a clear association between hospital volume and surgical mortality could be demonstrated.

Economic impact of disease prevention in a morbidity-based financing system: does prevention pay off for a statutory health insurance fund in Germany?

Preventable chronic diseases account for the greatest burden in the German health system and statutory health insurance (SHI) funds play a crucial role in implementing and financing prevention strategies. On the contrary, the morbidity-based scheme to distribute financial resources from the Central Reallocation Pool among the different sickness funds may counteract efforts of effective prevention from an economic perspective. We assessed financial impacts of prevention from a sickness funds perspective in a retrospective controlled study. Claims data of 6,247,275 persons were analyzed and outcomes between two propensity-matched groups (n = 852,048) of prevention users and non-users were compared in a 4-year follow-up. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we analyzed healthcare expenditures, the development of morbidity, financial transfers from the Central Reallocation Pool, and contribution margins. The group of prevention users develops less morbidity (incidences and disease aggravations) compared to the control group. Healthcare expenditures increase in both groups within 4 years, whereas the increase is lower for prevention users compared to non-users (€568.04 vs. €640.60, p < 0.0001). Taking morbidity-based financial transfers into account, the decrease in contribution margins is stronger for prevention users (- €188.44 vs. - €138.73, p < 0.0001). This study demonstrates an economic disincentive from a sickness funds' perspective. In the semi-competitive SHI market, sickness funds will be discouraged from effective prevention strategies if investments are not worth it financially. Their efforts and knowledge are, however, crucial for joint action to foster prevention over cure in the health system.

"Age matters"-German claims data indicate disparities in lung cancer care between elderly and young patients

Background

Although lung cancer is most commonly diagnosed in elderly patients, evidence about tumor-directed therapy in elderly patients is sparse, and it is unclear to what extent this affects treatment and care. Our study aimed to discover potential disparities in care between elderly patients and those under 65 years of age.

Methods

We studied claims from 13 283 German patients diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009 who survived for at least 90 days after diagnosis. We classified patients as “non-elderly” (≤ 65), “young-old” (65–74), “middle-old” (75–84), and “old-old” (≥ 85). We compared receipt of tumor-directed therapy (6 months after diagnosis), palliative care, opioids, antidepressants, and pathologic diagnosis confirmation via logistic regression. We used generalized linear regression (gamma distribution) to compare group-specific costs of care for 3 months after diagnosis. We adjusted all models by age, nursing home residency, nursing care need, comorbidity burden, and area of residence (urban, rural). The age group “non-elderly” served as reference group.

Results

Compared with the reference group “non-elderly”, the likelihood of receiving any tumor-directed treatment was significantly lower in all age groups with a decreasing gradient with advancing age. Elderly lung cancer patients received significantly fewer resections and radiotherapy than non-elderly patients. In particular, treatment with antineoplastic therapy declined with increasing age (“young-old” (OR = 0.76, CI = [0.70,0.83]), “middle-old” (OR = 0.45, CI = [0.36,0.50]), and “old-old” (OR = 0.13, CI = [0.10,0.17])). Patients in all age groups were less likely to receive structured palliative care than “non-elderly” (“young-old” (OR = 0.84, CI = [0.76,0.92]), “middle-old” (OR = 0.71, CI = [0.63,0.79]), and “old-old” (OR = 0.57, CI = [0.44,0.73])). Moreover, increased age was significantly associated with reduced quotas for outpatient treatment with opioids and antidepressants. Costs of care decreased significantly with increasing age.

Conclusion

This study suggests the existence of age-dependent care disparities in lung cancer patients, where elderly patients are at risk of potential undertreatment. To support equal access to care, adjustments to public health policies seem to be urgently required.

Neoadjuvant anti-programmed Death-1 immunotherapy by Pembrolizumab in resectable nodal positive stage II/IIIa non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC): the NEOMUN trial

Background

Immunotherapies targeting the PD1/PD-L1 pathway have had a large impact on the treatment of advanced NSCLC. Concerning multimodality tumor therapy, only few trials until today have been performed investigating neoadjuvant treatment with anti PD-1 immunotherapy prior to curative intent surgery. Aim of the NEOMUN investigator initiated trial (EudraCT-Number: 2017–000105-20; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03197467) is to assess feasibility and safety of pre-surgical anti PD-1 treatment in order to improve long term survival.

Methods

The study is designed as an open-label, single arm, prospective, monocenter, phase II study including 30 patients with NSCLC stage II/IIIA suitable for curative intent surgery. Investigational drug is Pembrolizumab. After 2 cycles of immunotherapy (à 200 mg q3w i.v.), tumor resection with lobectomy or bilobectomy will be performed. Primary objectives are to assess the feasibility and safety of a neoadjuvant immunotherapy and to assess antitumor activity of Pembrolizumab with regard to clinical and pathological tumor response. Secondary objective is disease free and overall survival. Exploratory objective is to analyze potential predictive biomarkers and to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Pembrolizumab by extended immune cell and cytokine analysis of tumor tissue.

The study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee and the federal authority. Start of patient enrollment is scheduled for June 2018.

Discussion

The NEOMUN trial will be one of the first clinical trials investigating a multimodal treatment strategy including neoadjuvant immunotherapy using Pembrolizumab as an investigational drug. Assessing the safety and therapeutic potential of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in connection with lung surgery will be of great interest for thoracic surgeons.

Trial registration

Prospectively, the NEOMUN study has been registered on www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT03197467 (first post: June 23rd, 2017).

Factors related to and economic implications of inhospital death in German lung cancer patients - results of a Nationwide health insurance claims data based study

Background

When patients die in a hospital their quality of life is lower than when they die at home or in a hospice. Despite efforts to improve palliative care supply structures, still about 60% of lung cancer patients die in a hospital. Studies have examined factors related to inhospital death in lung cancer patients, yet none used data of a representative German population, additionally including economic aspects. This study aimed to identify factors related to inhospital death in German lung cancer patients and analysed resulting costs.

Methods

We analysed a dataset of health insurance claims of 17,478 lung cancer patients (incident 2009) with 3 year individual follow-up. We grouped patients into inhospital death and death elsewhere. Studied factors were indicators of healthcare utilization, palliative care, comorbidities and disease spread. We used logistic regression models with LASSO selection method to identify relevant factors. We compared all-cause healthcare expenditures for the last 30 days of life between both groups using generalized linear models with gamma distribution.

Results

Twelve thousand four hundred fifty-seven patients died in the observation period, thereof 6965 (55.9%) in a hospital. The key factors for increased likelihood of inhospital death were receipt of inpatient palliative care (OR = 1.85), chemotherapeutic treatments in the last 30 days of life (OR = 1.61) and comorbid Congestive Heart Failure (OR = 1.21), and Renal Disease (OR = 1.19). In contrast, higher care level (OR = 0.16), nursing home residency (OR = 0.25) and receipt of outpatient palliative care (OR = 0.25) were associated with a reduced likelihood. All OR were significant (p-values< 0.05). Expenditures in the last 30 days of life were significantly higher for patients with inhospital death (€ 6852 vs. € 33,254, p-value< 0.0001).

Conclusion

Findings suggest that factors associated with inhospital death often relate to previous contact with hospitals like prior hospitalizations, and treatment of the tumour or comorbidities. Additionally, factors associated with dying elsewhere relate to access to care settings which are more focused on palliation than hospitals. From these results, we can derive that implementing tools like palliative care into tumour-directed therapy might help patients make self-determined decisions about their place of death. This can possibly be achieved at reduced economic burden for SHIs.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-018-3599-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Impact of a Bayesian penalized likelihood reconstruction algorithm on image quality in novel digital PET/CT: clinical implications for the assessment of lung tumors

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare PET image reconstruction algorithms on novel digital silicon photomultiplier PET/CT in patients with newly diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed lung cancer. A total of 45 patients undergoing 18F-FDG PET/CT for initial lung cancer staging were included. PET images were reconstructed using ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) with time-of-flight and point spread function modelling as well as Bayesian penalized likelihood reconstruction algorithm (BSREM) with different β-values yielding a total of 7 datasets per patient. Subjective and objective image assessment with all image datasets was carried out, including subgroup analyses for patients with high dose (> 2.0 MBq/kg) and low dose (≤ 2.0 MBq/kg) of 18F-FDG injection regimen.

Results

Subjective image quality ratings were significantly different among all different reconstruction algorithms as well as among BSREM using different β-values only (both p < 0.001). BSREM with a β-value of 600 was assigned the highest score for general image quality, image sharpness, and lesion conspicuity. BSREM reconstructions resulted in higher SUV_max of lung tumors compared to OSEM of up to + 28.0% (p < 0.001). BSREM reconstruction resulted in higher signal-/ and contrast-to-background ratios of lung tumor and higher signal-/ and contrast-to-noise ratio compared to OSEM up to a β-value of 800. Lower β-values (BSREM₄₅₀) resulted in the best image quality for high dose 18F-FDG injections, whereas higher β-values (BSREM₆₀₀) lead to the best image quality in low dose 18F-FDG PET/CT (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

BSREM reconstruction algorithm used in digital detector PET leads to significant increases of lung tumor SUV_max, signal-to-background ratio, and signal-to-noise ratio, which translates into a higher image quality, tumor conspicuity, and image sharpness.

Role of nutritional support for postoperative recovery of respiratory function in patients with primary lung cancer

This study explored the role of nutritional support for postoperative recovery of respiratory function in patients with primary lung cancer. Clinical data of 182 patients with primary lung cancer who were admitted to Weifang People's Hospital from January 2013 to December 2015 and underwent lung cancer surgery, were collected and retrospectively analyzed. According to the postoperative diet plan, patients were divided into two groups: General diet group (n=80) and nutrition therapy group (n=102). Patients in the general diet group were given a general diet without any nutritional instruction, whereas the patients in the nutrition therapy group were given an enteral nutritional supplement in addition to a general diet. The changes of nutritional indices, recovery status of respiratory function and incidence of adverse events for patients in the two groups were observed, and the data were analyzed statistically. At day 14 after the therapy started, the body mass index, mid-arm circumference and triceps skinfold of patients in the nutrition therapy group were significantly better than those in the general diet group (P<0.05). More significant improvements in levels of hemoglobin, serum albumin and prealbumin were observed in the nutrition therapy group, and the differences in comparison with levels in the general diet group were statistically significant (P<0.05). The respiratory function was more significantly improved for patients in the nutrition therapy group as well, compared to patients in the general diet group (P<0.05). At the end of 1-year follow-up, incidences of malnutrition, lung infection and mortality in the nutrition therapy group were lower than that of the general diet group (P<0.05). The positive impact of appropriate nutritional support on recovery of postoperative respiratory function improved overall outcomes of patients with lung cancer and reduced mortality as well. The nutrition therapy is worth further clinical study.

Cost-utility analysis of a potential lung cancer screening program for a high-risk population in Germany: A modelling approach

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Germany. Although several randomized trials in Europe have evaluated the effectiveness of lung cancer screening programs, evidence on the cost-effectiveness of lung cancer screening is scarce.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a population-based lung cancer screening program from the perspective of a German payer.

METHODS

We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis from the public payer perspective for a high-risk population defined as heavy former and current smokers (≥20 cigarettes per day) between 55 and 75 years of age. The underlying model consisted of two Markov models. We differentiated between a population-based annual screening program and standard clinical care. Depending on stage at diagnosis, simulated patients were assigned to one of five treatment paths according to the German clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Costs, life years saved, and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were used as outcomes. Values for input parameters were taken from the literature. The model was run for 60 cycles with a cycle length of three months. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

In the base case, annual lung cancer screening led to an increase in incremental costs (€ 1,153 per person) compared to standard clinical care. However, the screening approach was associated with an incremental gain in life years (0.06 per person) and QALYs (0.04 per person). Thus, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was € 19,302 per life year saved and € 30,291 per QALY. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis with 10,000 draws resulted in average ICERs of € 22,118 per life year and € 34,841 per QALY.

CONCLUSION

We provide evidence that lung cancer screening for a high-risk population may be more effective, but also more costly, than standard clinical care from the perspective of a German payer.

Clinical Results of Mean GTV Dose Optimized Robotic-Guided Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Lung Tumors

Introduction

We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of gross tumor volume (GTV) mean dose optimized stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for primary and secondary lung tumors with and without robotic real-time motion compensation.

Materials and methods

Between 2011 and 2017, 208 patients were treated with SBRT for 111 primary lung tumors and 163 lung metastases with a median GTV of 8.2 cc (0.3–174.0 cc). Monte Carlo dose optimization was performed prioritizing GTV mean dose at the potential cost of planning target volume (PTV) coverage reduction while adhering to safe normal tissue constraints. The median GTV mean biological effective dose (BED)₁₀ was 162.0 Gy₁₀ (34.2–253.6 Gy₁₀) and the prescribed PTV BED₁₀ ranged 23.6–151.2 Gy₁₀ (median, 100.8 Gy₁₀). Motion compensation was realized through direct tracking (44.9%), fiducial tracking (4.4%), and internal target volume (ITV) concepts with small (≤5 mm, 33.2%) or large (>5 mm, 17.5%) motion. The local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity were analyzed.

Results

Median follow-up was 14.5 months (1–72 months). The 2-year actuarial LC, PFS, and OS rates were 93.1, 43.2, and 62.4%, and the median PFS and OS were 18.0 and 39.8 months, respectively. In univariate analysis, prior local irradiation (hazard ratio (HR) 0.18, confidence interval (CI) 0.05–0.63, p = 0.01), GTV/PTV (HR 1.01–1.02, CI 1.01–1.04, p < 0.02), and PTV prescription, mean GTV, and maximum plan BED₁₀ (HR 0.97–0.99, CI 0.96–0.99, p < 0.01) were predictive for LC while the tracking method was not (p = 0.97). For PFS and OS, multivariate analysis showed Karnofsky Index (p < 0.01) and tumor stage (p ≤ 0.02) to be significant factors for outcome prediction. Late radiation pneumonitis or chronic rip fractures grade 1–2 were observed in 5.3% of the patients. Grade ≥3 side effects did not occur.

Conclusion

Robotic SBRT is a safe and effective treatment for lung tumors. Reducing the PTV prescription and keeping high GTV mean doses allowed the reduction of toxicity while maintaining high local tumor control. The use of real-time motion compensation is strongly advised, however, well-performed ITV motion compensation may be used alternatively when direct tracking is not feasible.

Comparison of Gadolinium-enhanced MRI and 18FDG PET/PET-CT for the diagnosis of brain metastases in lung cancer patients: A meta-analysis of 5 prospective studies

Objective

We undertook this meta-analysis to compare the significance of Gadolinium-enhanced MRI and ¹⁸FDG PET/PET-CT for diagnosing brain metastases of lung cancer patients.

Results

Five articles comprising 941 patients were included for analysis. The sensitivities with 95% confidence interval for PET/PET-CT and MRI were 0.21 (0.13 − 0.32) and 0.77 (95% CI = 0.60 − 0.89), specificities were 1.00 (0.99 − 1.00) and 0.99 (0.97 − 1.00), and the areas under curve were 0.98 (0.96 − 0.89) and 0.97 (0.96 − 0.98).

Materials and Methods

A computerized literature search of studies was conducted in the Pubmed and Embase databases. Meta-analysis methods were used to calculate the sensitivities, specificities, likelihood ratios ratios, diagnostic odd ratios, and areas under summary receiver operating characteristic curves for PET/PET-CT and MRI, respectively.

Conclusions

The analysis suggested Gadolinium-enhanced MRI had higher sensitivity than ¹⁸FDG PET/PET-CT for the diagnosis of brain metastases in lung cancer. MRI may provide additional information to PET-CT for diagnosing brain metastatic lesions.

Novel approaches against epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance

BACKGROUND

The identification and characterization of molecular biomarkers has helped to revolutionize non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) management, as it transitions from target-focused to patient-based treatment, centered on the evolving genomic profile of the individual. Determination of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status represents a critical step in the diagnostic process. The recent emergence of acquired resistance to "third-generation" EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) via multiple mechanisms serves to illustrate the important influence of tumor heterogeneity on prognostic outcomes in patients with NSCLC.

DESIGN

This literature review examines the emergence of TKI resistance and the course of disease progression and, consequently, the clinical decision-making process in NSCLC.

RESULTS

Molecular markers of acquired resistance, of which T790M and HER2 or MET amplifications are the most common, help to guide ongoing treatment past the point of progression. Although tissue biopsy techniques remain the gold standard, the emergence of liquid biopsies and advances in analytical techniques may eventually allow "real-time" monitoring of tumor evolution and, in this way, help to optimize targeted treatment approaches.

CONCLUSIONS

The influence of inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity on resistance mechanisms should be considered when treating patients using resistance-specific therapies. New tools are necessary to analyze changes in heterogeneity and clonal composition during drug treatment. The refinement and standardization of diagnostic procedures and increased accessibility to technology will ultimately help in personalizing the management of NSCLC.

Brain metastasis in lung cancer

FDG-PET/CT is increasingly used in staging of lung cancer as single „one stop shop” method. Aim, patients, methods: We prospectively included 104 neurological asymptomatic patients (65 years, 26% women) with primary diagnosis of lung cancer. In all patients PET/CT including cerebral imaging and cerebral MRI were performed. Results: Diagnosis of brain metastases (BM) was made by PET/CT in 8 patients only (7.7%), by MRI in 22 (21.2%). In 80 patients both PET/CT and MRI showed no BM. In 6 patients (5.8%) BM were detectable on PET/CT as well as on MRI. Exclusive diagnosis of BM by MRI with negative finding on PET/CT was present in 16 patients (15.4%). 2 patients (1.9%) had findings typical for BM on PET/CT but were negative on MRI. With MRI overall 100 BM were detected, with PET/CT only 17 BM (p < 0.01). For the diagnosis of BM PET/CT showed a sensitivity of 27.3%, specificity of 97.6%, positive predictive value of 75% and negative predictive value of 83.3%. BM diameter on PET/CT and MRI were consistent in 43%, in 57% BM were measured larger on MRI. Discussion: Compared to the gold standard of MRI for cerebral staging a considerable number of patients are falsely diagnosed as free from BM by PET/CT. MRI is more accurate than PET/CT for detecting multiple and smaller BM. Conclusion: In patients with a curative option MRI should be performed additionally to PET/CT for definitive exclusion of brain metastases.

FGFR1 gene amplification in squamous cell carcinomas of the lung: a potential favorable prognostic marker for women and for patients with advanced cancer

In squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung, mutations within the genes of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR) such as K660N/K660E in FGFR2 and R248C/S249C in FGFR3 and FGFR1 gene amplification have been described, but their prognostic relevance still remains unclear. In order to detect the mutation frequencies and to define their prognostic value for associated clinicopathologic features and survival of patients, resected ΔNp63/p40-positive SCC of the lung (n = 101) were screened for FGFR1 gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization performed on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues and for the presumed driver mutations in genes of FGFR2 and FGFR3 by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Twenty-two of 101 SCCs (22%) were positive for amplification based on a FGFR1/centromere (chromosome 8) ratio > 2.0 or higher. In advanced tumor stages (III-IV), the overall survival of patients carrying FGFR1 gene amplification was significantly higher (p = 0.006). Among women, FGFR1 gene amplification was significantly associated with longer overall survival (p = 0.023). The presence of FGFR1 gene amplification was associated with patient age (65 versus 69 years, p = 0.046), but not with gender, tumor stage, histologic subtype, tumor grade, or ΔNp63/p40 immunoreactivity. The S249C mutation in the FGFR3 gene was identified in one out of 101 SCCs (1%); the K600N, K660E, or R248C mutations were not identified. These results suggest that FGFR1 gene amplification is a frequent alteration in SCC of the lung and appears not to be a negative but rather a favorable prognostic marker for women and particularly for patients with advanced SCC of the lung (stage III-IV).

Therapy preferences of patients with lung and colon cancer: a discrete choice experiment

OBJECTIVES

There is increasing interest in studies that examine patient preferences to measure health-related outcomes. Understanding patients' preferences can improve the treatment process and is particularly relevant for oncology. In this study, we aimed to identify the subgroup-specific treatment preferences of German patients with lung cancer (LC) or colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

Six discrete choice experiment (DCE) attributes were established on the basis of a systematic literature review and qualitative interviews. The DCE analyses comprised generalized linear mixed-effects model and latent class mixed logit model.

RESULTS

The study cohort comprised 310 patients (194 with LC, 108 with CRC, 8 with both types of cancer) with a median age of 63 (SD =10.66) years. The generalized linear mixed-effects model showed a significant (P<0.05) degree of association for all of the tested attributes. "Strongly increased life expectancy" was the attribute given the greatest weight by all patient groups. Using latent class mixed logit model analysis, we identified three classes of patients. Patients who were better informed tended to prefer a more balanced relationship between length and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than those who were less informed. Class 2 (LC patients with low HRQoL who had undergone surgery) gave a very strong weighting to increased length of life. We deduced from Class 3 patients that those with a relatively good life expectancy (CRC compared with LC) gave a greater weight to moderate effects on HRQoL than to a longer life.

CONCLUSION

Overall survival was the most important attribute of therapy for patients with LC or CRC. Differences in treatment preferences between subgroups should be considered in regard to treatment and development of guidelines. Patients' preferences were not affected by sex or age, but were affected by the cancer type, HRQoL, surgery status, and the main source of information on the disease.

Tanztherapie in der Krebsbehandlung

Zusammenfassung. Dieser Artikel bietet eine Übersicht zum Forschungsstand zu Tanztherapie bei Krebs. Der erste Teil widmet sich der theoretischen Fundierung der Tanztherapie im onkologischen Setting. Der zweite Teil fasst wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse aus Tanztherapie Studien in der onkologischen Behandlung zusammen. Abschließend werden Einsatzmöglichkeiten während verschiedener Phasen der Behandlung mit entsprechenden tanztherapeutischen Behandlungszielen aus den Studienergebnissen abgeleitet. Die Literaturrecherche ergab, dass Tanztherapie in allen Phasen der Krebsbehandlung eingesetzt wird mit dem Ziel, den emotionalen, sozialen, physischen und spirituellen Zustand der Patientinnen und Patienten zu verbessern. Zukünftige randomisierte kontrollierte Trials könnten die Wirksamkeit spezifischer tanztherapeutischer Interventionen während unterschiedlicher Behandlungsphasen auf Symptome und bei Männern und Kindern untersuchen.

[Lung cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. An interdisciplinary challenge]

Lung cancer is a frequently occurring disease, particularly in the elderly; however, within the last 10 years the pharmaceutical treatment of lung cancer has been significantly improved. Due to a better understanding of the pathophysiological events and the identification of molecular subgroups of lung tumors, new therapeutic drugs have been developed that significantly prolong survival of patients with the respective molecular pattern. In particular immunotherapeutic agents, such as programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed death 1 (PD1) antibodies have shown promising clinical results in a subgroup of lung cancer patients. Due to the high incidence of both lung cancer and rheumatic diseases they often occur together, which necessitates an interdisciplinary management. The success of improved therapy of lung cancer has led to a greater focus on the treatment of comorbidities; however, interventions into the immune system by immune checkpoint inhibitors can lead to new challenges when an autoimmune disease is simultaneously present. The possibility of an effective screening for lung cancer in the future also presents the prospect of an improvement in mortality, which raises the question of the optimal monitoring of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) under immunosuppressive therapy. The aim of this review is to discuss the interaction between lung cancer and RA with respect to the currently available data.

Clinical effectiveness of cancer screening biomarker tests offered as self-pay health service: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Biomarker tests are increasingly being offered by laboratories and clinicians as self-pay health services to screen asymptomatic individuals; however, sufficient evidence may not be available to support this practice. We investigated the benefit-harm tradeoffs associated with 11 biomarkers currently offered in Germany as self-pay tests to screen for cancer.

METHODS

We systematically searched bibliographic databases for health technology assessments, systematic reviews and randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) through September 2015. We included publications that analysed cancer screening biomarkers and reported patient-relevant outcomes (mortality, morbidity, quality of life), and potential harms of screening, among asymptomatic individuals in screening and non-screening arms. Language was restricted to English and German. Two reviewers independently screened references; data were extracted and quality of included studies was evaluated by a reviewer and validated by a second reviewer.

RESULTS

Six publications of secondary literature and four publications reporting results from two RCTs were included. For 10 cancer screening biomarkers, no direct evidence on patient-relevant outcomes was available. Only one trial, which simultaneously assessed cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and vaginal ultrasound for ovarian cancer screening, provided the outcome of interest. Screening compared with usual care did not reduce ovarian cancer mortality. Patient harms included overdiagnosis and false-positive results.

CONCLUSION

Although ovarian cancer screening with CA125 showed no benefit, false-positive tests, overdiagnosis and overtreatment were reported. Physicians and laboratories should provide patients with comprehensive information about the lack of evidence and potential harms caused by biomarker screening tests offered as a self-pay health service.

What is the minimum number of patients for quality control of lung cancer management in Norway?

INTRODUCTION

There are few data available on the optimal number of lung cancer patients needed to generate and compare estimates of quality between units managing lung cancer. The number of lung cancer patients per management unit varies considerably in Norway, where there are 42 hospitals that treated between 1 and 454 lung cancer patients in 2011.

AIMS

To estimate the differences in quality indicators that are of sufficient importance to change a pulmonary physician's lung cancer management program, and to estimate the size of the patient samples necessary to detect such differences.

METHOD

Twenty-six physicians were asked about the relative differences from a national average of quality indicators that would change their own lung cancer management program. Sample sizes were calculated to give valid estimates of quality of a management unit based on prevalence of quality indicators and minimally important differences (MID).

RESULTS

The average MID in quality indicators that would cause a change in management varied from 18% to 24% among 26 chest physicians, depending on the indicator.

CONCLUSIONS

To generate precise estimates for quality control of lung cancer care in Norway, the number of management units must be reduced. Given the present willingness of chest physicians to change their procedures for management of lung cancer according to the results of quality control indicators, we recommend a maximum of 10 units with a minimum of 200 incident lung cancer patients per year for each management center.

Quantification of cell-free mSHOX2 Plasma DNA for therapy monitoring in advanced stage non-small cell (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients

Purpose

Most patients suffering from advanced lung cancer die within a few months. To exploit new therapy regimens we need better methods for the assessment of a therapy response.

Material and Methods

In a pilot study we prospectively enrolled 36 patients with advanced NSCLC and SCLC (34 stage IV, 2 stage IIIB) of whom 34 received standard platinum-based chemo/radiotherapy and two were treated with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. We measured the levels of extracellular methylated SHOX2 DNA (mSHOX2) in plasma before and during therapy until re-staging. The mSHOX2 analysis was blinded with respect to the clinical data making it an observational study.

Results

According to the re-staging of 31 first-line patients, 19 patients were classified as non-responders while 12 patients were in the responder group. We observed a tight correlation between radiological data and the change of plasma mSHOX2 level as the equivalent for a therapy response. A ROC analysis showed a high discriminatory power for both patient groups already one week after therapy start (AUC 0.844). Additionally, a Kaplan-Meier and Cox Proportional Hazards analyses revealed a strong relationship between survival and plasma mSHOX2 value p≤0.001 (hazard ratio 11.08) providing some evidence for mSHOX2 also being a predictive marker.

Conclusion

The longitudinal measurement of extracellular plasma mSHOX2 DNA yields information about the response to cytotoxic treatment and allows an early assessment of treatment response for lung cancer patients. If confirmed in a larger study this would be a valuable tool for selecting and guiding a cytotoxic treatment.

[Management of solid pulmonary nodules]

The increasing availability of computed tomography has meant that the number of incidentally detected solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN) has greatly increased in recent years. A reasonable management of these SPN is necessary in order to firstly be able to detect malignant lesions early on and secondly to avoid upsetting the patient unnecessarily or carrying out further stressful diagnostic procedures. This review article shows how the dignity of SPNs can be estimated and based on this how the management can be accomplished taking established guidelines into consideration.

The lung cancer patient, the pneumologist and palliative care: a developing alliance

Considerable evidence is now available on the value of palliative care for lung cancer patients in all stages and at all times during the course of the disease. However, pneumologists and their institutions seem to be widely in arrears with the implementation of palliative care concepts and the development of integrated structures.

This review focuses on the available evidence and experience of various frequently unmet needs of lung cancer patients, especially psychological, social, spiritual and cultural ones. A PubMed search for evidence on these aspects of palliative care as well as on barriers to the implementation, on outcome parameters and effectiveness, and on structure and process quality was performed with a special focus on lung cancer patients.

As a consequence, this review particularly draws pneumologists’ attention to improving their skills in communication with the patients, their relatives and among themselves, and to establish team structures with more far-reaching competences and continuity than existing multilateral cooperations and conferences can provide. Ideally, any process of structural and procedural improvement should be accompanied by scientific evaluation and measures for quality optimisation.

Radiological diagnosis in lung disease: factoring treatment options into the choice of diagnostic modality

BACKGROUND

Chest X-ray, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) each have characteristic advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered in clinical decision-making. This point is discussed in reference to the main types of lung disease that are encountered in practice.

METHOD

A selective literature search was performed in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Existing clinical guidelines on the main types of lung disease and studies concerning radiological diagnosis were also con - sidered in this review.

RESULTS

There have been no more than a few large-scale, controlled comparative trials of different radiological techniques. Chest X-ray provides general orientation as an initial diagnostic study and is especially useful in the diagnosis of pneumonia, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Multi-detector CT affords nearly isotropic spatial resolution at a radiation dose of only 0.2-5 mSv, much lower than before. Its main indications, according to current guidelines, are tumors, acute pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, advanced COPD, and pneumonia in a high-risk patient. MRI is used in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, and bronchial carcinoma. The positive predictive value (PPV) of a chest X-ray in outpatients with pneumonia is only 27% (gold standard, CT); in contrast, an initial, non-randomized trial of MRI in nosocomial pneumonia revealed a PPV of 95%. For the staging of mediastinal lymph nodes in bronchial carcinoma, MRI has a PPV of 88% and positron emission tomography with CT (PET/CT) has a PPV of 79%, while CT alone has a PPV of 41% (gold standard, histology).

CONCLUSION

The choice of radiologicalal technique for the detection, staging, follow-up, and quantification of lung disease should be based on the individual clinical options, so that appropriate treatment can be provided without excessive use of diagnostic testing.

Randomized, double-blind phase II study to compare nitroglycerin plus oral vinorelbine plus cisplatin with oral vinorelbine plus cisplatin alone in patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

OBJECTIVES

Adding nitroglycerin to the combination of vinorelbine plus cisplatin has been reported to improve the overall survival (OS) of Asian patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) probably due to better drug delivery based on changed vascular tonus. The main objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of adding nitroglycerin to vinorelbine and cisplatin in a Caucasian population.

METHODS

66 chemonaïve patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC received oral vinorelbine (first cycle 60 mg/m(2), subsequent cycles: 80 mg/m(2) in the absence of any hematological toxicity ≥ grade 3 in cycle 1) once daily on days 1 and 8 of each cycle and cisplatin (80 mg/m(2) i.v.) on day 1 of each cycle (q3w). Nitroglycerin (arm A, n=34) or placebo patches (arm B, n=32) were administered once daily from day -3 to day 2 of each cycle and were removed about 12h after administration. One nitroglycerin patch contained 25mg nitroglycerin.

RESULTS

Median age was 62.5 (33-82) years. In the overall population (n=66), the objective response rate (ORR) was 27.3% (all PR; 95%CI: 17.0-39.6), with a disease control rate (DCR) of 57.6% (95%CI: 44.8-69.7), a median time to progression (TTP) of 4.8 months (n=58; 95%CI: 3.4-5.9) and a median overall survival (OS) of 11.5 months (95%CI: 7.9-13.6). ORR and DCR were numerically higher in arm A than in arm B (35.3% vs. 18.8% and 61.8% vs. 53.1%, respectively), whereas TTP and OS were comparable. The main hematological and non-hematological toxicities grade ≥ 3 were moderate with no significant differences between the two treatment arms.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, oral vinorelbine plus cisplatin showed a high level of efficacy and adequate tolerability in first line treatment of NSCLC. Despite the low sample size per group the results seem to confirm the previous results reported in Asian patients.

Smoking cessation in lung cancer-achievable and effective

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in Germany. 90% of cases are due to the inhalation of tobacco smoke. About 40% of patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer are still smokers. A structured smoking cessation program is medically reasonable in this situation but is only rarely offered.

METHODS

This review is based on a selective search in the PubMed database combined with a manual search for current publications.

RESULTS

Many cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have shown that patients with lung cancer benefit from smoking cessation. After resection with curative intent, second tumors are 2.3 times more common, and recurrent tumors 1.9 times more common, in patients who continue to smoke than in those who stop. The overall mortality in smokers is 2.9 times higher. Smoking cessation also lowers the rate of radiation pneumonitis and infection during radiotherapy and prolongs the median survival after chemoradiotherapy for small-cell lung cancer (18.0 vs. 13.6 months). For patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, smoking cessation is associated with a better general state of health (77.5% vs. 57.6%). For the many patients with lung cancer who are treated palliatively, smoking cessation offers the advantages of improved pulmonary function, weight gain, and better overall quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Smoking cessation in patients with lung cancer is an important means of increasing the efficacy of treatment and improving their quality of life.

Thermal ablation of malignant lung tumors

BACKGROUND

About 50 000 new cases of non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung are diagnosed in Germany each year. More than 20% of the affected patients cannot be offered radical resection because of comorbidity alone. The lung is also the second most common site of distant metastases of extrathoracic tumors; it is the only site of such metastases in 20% of cases. In recent years, image-guided thermoablation has been used with increasing frequency in patients who are unable to undergo surgery for medical reasons.

METHODS

The PubMed database was selectively searched for publications on the indications, complications, and results of the thermoablative techniques currently in clinical use, with special attention to radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

RESULTS

There is only a small evidence base to date concerning the treatment of malignant lung tumors with thermoablation. Retrospective and prospective case series have been published, but no randomized controlled trials have yet been conducted. RFA, the most common technique, involves the image-guided percutaneous placement of one or more probes in the tumor, to which thermal energy is then applied. For peripherally located tumors that measure less than 3 cm in diameter, local control of tumor growth can be achieved in about 90% of cases. The long-term results that are now available from smaller series provisionally indicate 5-year survival rates of 20% to 61%. The most common complication is pneumothorax requiring drainage, which occurs in about 10% of cases. In the intermediate term, thermoablation does not cause any clinically relevant loss of pulmonary function.

CONCLUSION

Image-guided thermoablation cannot now be considered an alternative to surgery for the treatment of malignant lung tumors with curative intent. It does, however, widen the spectrum of therapeutic options for patients who are medically unable to undergo a surgical procedure.

Mature results of a randomized trial comparing two fractionation schedules of high dose rate endoluminal brachytherapy for the treatment of endobronchial tumors

Purpose

To determine the efficacy of high dose rate endobronchial brachytherapy (HDR-BT) for the treatment of centrally located lung tumors, two different fractionation schedules were compared regarding local tumor response, side effects and survival. Mature retrospective results with longer follow-up and more patients were analyzed. Initial results were published by Huber et al. in 1995.

Methods and materials

142 patients with advanced, centrally located malignant tumors with preferential endoluminal growth were randomized to receive 4 fractions of 3.8 Gy (time interval: 1 week, n = 60, group I) or 2 fractions of 7.2 Gy (time interval: 3 weeks, n = 82, group II) endobronchial HDR-BT.

Age, gender, tumor stage, Karnofsky Performance Score and histology were equally distributed between both groups.

Results

Local tumor response with 2 fractions of 7.2 Gy was significantly higher as compared to 4 fractions of 3.8 Gy (median 12 vs. 6 weeks; p ≤ 0.015). Median survival was similar in both groups (19 weeks in the 4 fractions group vs. 18 weeks in the 2 fractions group). Fatal hemoptysis was less frequent following irradiation with 2 × 7.2 Gy than with 4 × 3.8 Gy, although the difference did not achieve statistical significance (12.2% vs. 18.3%, respectively. p = 0,345). Patients presenting with squamous cell carcinoma were at higher risk of bleeding compared to other histology (21.9% vs. 9%, p = 0,035).

Multivariate analysis with regard to overall survival, revealed histology (p = 0.02), Karnofsky Performance Score (p < 0.0001) and response to therapy (p < 0.0001) as significant prognostic factors. For patients showing complete response the median survival was 57 weeks, while for patients with progressive disease median survival time was 8 weeks, p < 0.0001.

The KPS at the start of the treatment was significantly correlated with survival. Patients presenting with a KPS ≤ 60 at the start had a significantly (p = 0,032) shorter survival time (10 weeks) than patients with a KPS > 60 (29 weeks).

Moreover, the Karnofsky Performance Score of most patients improved during therapy (p = 0,001), suggesting successful palliation of cancer associated symptoms.

Multivariate analysis with regard to local tumor control found no significant factors.

Conclusion

Endobronchial HDR-BT is an effective local treatment for advanced centrally located malignant tumors with endoluminal tumor growth. Local tumor response was significantly higher after HDR-BT with 2 × 7.2 Gy.

Serum level of CC-chemokine ligand 18 is increased in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and correlates with survival time in adenocarcinomas

CC-chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18) is mainly expressed by alternatively activated macrophages and DCs and plays an important role in lung fibrosis, arthritis and other diseases. Here CCL18 was measured in sera of 31 healthy volunteers and 170 patients with lung cancer and correlated these data with histology, tumor stage and clinical parameters. Mean CCL18 serum level of the patients with non-small-cell lung cancer was 150(857) ng/ml vs. 32(61) ng/ml in the healthy control group. Patient groups differ significantly according their histology (adenocarcinoma 143(528) ng/ml vs squamous cell carcinoma 187(857) ng/ml, p<0.02). In addition, we found a significant difference between patients with lower versus higher T-stage (p<0.003). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses revealed a cutoff point of 83 ng/ml (area under the curve (AUC): 0.968; p<0.0001) to discriminate between healthy controls and non-small-cell lung cancer patients. ROC analyses to discriminate between patients, who died because of cancer related death and those who died for other reasons did not lead to a valid AUC. To stratify the tumor patients, a criterion value plot was performed leading to a point of equal sensitivity and specificity (54%) of 162 ng/ml. Patients with a CCL18 serum level higher than 160 ng/ml had a mean survival time of 623 days. In contrast, those in patients with a baseline level between 83 ng/ml and 160 ng/ml the mean survival time was 984 days (p<0.005). Survival-analysis revealed in adenocarcinoma a mean survival of 1152 days in the group below 83 ng/ml. In the median group the mean survival time was 788 days and in the group with the highest levels the mean survival time was 388 days (p<0.001). In contrast, we found no correlation between the FEV1 and the CCL18 baseline level. In conclusion, in patients suffering from adenocarcinoma increased serum CCL18 levels predict a diminished survival time.

[Indications and limitations of fresh frozen sections in the pulmonary apparatus]

Recommendations for the diagnosis of lung tumors almost limit the use of fresh frozen sections to the evaluation of resection margins. In pathology pretherapeutic methods for assessment of clinically suspected lung cancer are favored over intraoperative frozen section diagnosis. For the interdisciplinary management of uncertain lung findings diagnostic methods, such as cytopathology and examination of biopsy material are available. The use of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) in cytopathology is limited due to the lack of necessary personnel. Diagnosis of unclear pulmonary lesions or distinction of metastases from primary lung tumors by intraoperative frozen sections is therefore limited to exceptional cases that were not resolved by preoperative biopsies. Such rare cases require a common consensus strategy between thoracic surgeons and pathologists in a preoperative tumor board.

Endobronchial ultrasound

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) has emerged as a routinely performed procedure in diagnostic bronchoscopy. Extending the view beyond the airway wall, EBUS provides evaluation of tumor involvement of tracheobronchial wall and mediastinum and plays an essential role as a guidance technique for peripheral pulmonary diseases. The latest development is the EBUS-transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) scope that allows performing real-time EBUS-TBNA of enlargerd hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes.

Postoperative chest tube management: snapshot of German diversity

OBJECTIVES

The management of chest tubes is one of the most critical aspects in patient care in thoracic surgery, and no consensus exists regarding the ideal chest tube management strategy.

METHODS

Chest tube management protocols and their effects on chest tube therapy were compared at four German specialist thoracic surgery units. Altogether, 79 patients were stratified for underlying disease and type of surgery. A digital chest drainage system was applied to objectify the presence of air leakages.

RESULTS

In our analysis, the average length of drainage therapy was 4.9 ± 2.8 days. Different chest tube management protocols resulted in a significant degree of scatter between units (P = 0.0348). Higher arbitrary postoperative suction levels (4 kPa) resulted in earlier chest tube removal than lower suction levels (2 kPa) (4.2 ± 2.4 vs 5.4 ± 3.0 days, P = 0.06). Patient discharge following chest tube removal was delayed on average by 3.2 ± 2.9 days. This delay was not correlated with the previous duration of chest tube therapy (Spearman's ρ=-0.15, P = 0.25) in contrast to the total length of hospital stay (ρ = 0.59, P < 0.001).

The morphological and molecular diagnosis of lung cancer

BACKGROUND

In Germany, lung cancer causes more deaths than any other malignant disease. Its main etiology is smoking, but other risk factors need to be considered as well. The morphological, molecular and biological phenotype is complex and should no longer be just categorized as either small-cell or non-small cell lung cancer.

METHODS

This review article is based on the authors' longstanding involvement in the scientific investigation and diagnostic evaluation of lung cancer, including contributions to the current WHO classification and collaboration in the new interdisciplinary classification of adenocarcinoma. The relevant literature was selectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Lung cancer is morphologically classified into four main subtypes-small-cell carcinoma, squamous-cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large-cell carcinoma. Genetic and molecular analyses have revealed distinct differences within subtypes; in particular, adenocarcinomas can be further subdivided. Complex techniques of genomic analysis are now available, but clinicopathological data are still the most important determinants of prognosis and are clearly better for this purpose than molecular classification alone. Nonetheless, the assessment of specific molecular markers is becoming increasingly important.

CONCLUSION

The morphological and molecular classification of lung cancer is undergoing a re-evaluation which will lead to more accurate assessment of individual prognoses and to improved prediction of the response to specific treatment regimens.

Advanced malignant lung disease: what the specialist can offer

Lung cancer is not only the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, but it is still the leading cause for cancer-related death. The 5-year survival for lung cancer in Europe and in the USA is totally 16%. Therefore, a palliative therapy regimen is required to control the disease and reduce symptoms with the objective of enhancing quality of life of lung cancer patients. In addition to chemotherapy that is still one of the most important pillars in the treatment of advanced lung cancer, further interventional strategies can be offered to improve a patient's quality of life. A locoregional tumour progression is frequently associated with malignant pleural effusion or pericardial effusion, central airway obstruction, tracheo-oesophageal fistula, severe haemoptysis or superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome threatening life and necessitating urgent palliation. Recurrent pleural effusion causing dyspnoea can be managed by pleurodesis, serial thoracocentesis or insertion of an indwelling catheter. Symptomatic malignant pericardial effusion often requires an urgent pericardiocentesis. Furthermore, surgical procedures, instillation of sclerosing agents or local chemotherapy should be considered in refractory pericardial effusion. The therapy regimen of central airway stenosis includes mechanical and thermic endoscopic procedures providing rapid relief of symptoms. To prevent recurrence of airway obstruction, the insertion of a stent or palliative brachytherapy provide re-establishment of the patency of obstructed airways. Haemoptysis can be managed by bronchoscopic interventions as well as by arterial embolization or palliative thoracic radiotherapy. The therapy of SVC syndrome is dependent of histology. In small-cell lung cancer, chemotherapy is recommended. In non-small-cell lung cancer, stent insertion and/or radiotherapy are the therapeutic pillars.

[Interdisciplinary treatment of non-small cell lung cancer]

At the time of diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer, about two thirds of the patients manifest tumor disease limited to the lungs without distant metastases. In this group localized tumor spread (stages I and II) can be distinguished from locally advanced spread including lymph node metastases (stages IIIA and B). In stages I and II with sufficient cardiopulmonary function, surgical resection is considered the standard treatment approach. If lobe resection is not possible due to comorbidities or limited pulmonary function, parenchyma-sparing resection or definitive radiotherapy is advocated. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended for individual cases in stage IB and as the standard treatment in stage II. In stages IIIA and IIIB interdisciplinary consultation involving pneumologists/oncologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists is necessary to reach decisions on treatment recommendations. Generally multiple treatment modalities are employed in these stages, such as induction chemotherapy followed by surgery and subsequent irradiation or simultaneous chemoradiotherapy. These treatment combinations with curative intent should be differentiated from the numerous treatment methods with palliative intent.

[Lung cancer from the perspective of internal medicine and surgery]

In previous years numerous advances in diagnostics, staging and therapy of lung cancer have been achieved. Nevertheless, it remains the most frequent cause of death from cancerous diseases. Early diagnosis and exact staging enable multimodal therapy regimens adjusted to age and comorbidities, which result in complete remission in a few and in prolonged survival and good quality of life in most patients. Curative surgery is possible in stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and results in a 5-year survival rates of up to approximately 75%. Using multimodal therapy approaches long-term survival can even be achieved in 40-50% of patients with advanced T4 tumors. However, in NSCLC with distant metastases median survival time is only 8-12 months. In elderly patients with no surgical options low cytotoxic monotherapy can be employed with a palliative intent. In the limited disease stage of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) long lasting remission after polychemotherapy has been observed in a minority of patients. However, in the extensive disease stage polychemotherapy prolongs the survival time of SCLC patients from 1-2 months to approximately 12 months.

[New procedures. Comprehensive staging of lung cancer by MRI]

Lung cancer staging according to the TNM system is based on morphological assessment of the primary cancer, lymph nodes and metastases. All aspects of this important oncological classification are measurable with MRI. Pulmonary nodules can be detected at the clinically relevant size of 4-5 mm in diameter. The extent of mediastinal, hilar and supraclavicular lymph node affection can be assessed at the same time. The predominant metastatic spread to the adrenal glands and spine can be detected in coronal orientation during dedicated MRI of the lungs. Search focused whole body MRI completes the staging. Various additional MR imaging techniques provide further functional and clinically relevant information during a single examination. In the oncological context the most important techniques are imaging of perfusion and tumor motion. Functional MRI of the lungs complements the pure staging and improves surgical approaches and radiotherapy planning.

[Lung cancer staging]

Lung cancer is the third most frequent new cancer diagnosis in Germany. An elaborate clinical diagnosis is essential for successful therapy planning. The necessary examinations are defined in the current S3 guideline on lung cancer diagnosis and therapy. A compilation of diagnostic reports has led to the current 7th edition of the TNM system. According to this update staging is carried out in terms of tumor extent, lymph node status and distant metastases. The resultant tumor stage forms the basis for individual therapy planning. Current guidelines as well as the current TNM system are presented. The usefulness of modern cross-sectional imaging and the possible modalities in this system is reported.