Effectiveness and safety of segmentectomy vs. wedge resection for the treatment of patients with operable non‑small cell lung cancer: A meta‑analysis and systematic review

The present study compared the differences in effectiveness and safety between segmentectomy (ST) and wedge resection (WR) in patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases were searched for papers published from inception until July 2023. The inclusion criteria were based on the population, intervention, comparator, outcomes and study designs. ROBINS-I was selected to assess the risk of bias and quality of evidence in the included non-randomised studies. Appropriate effect sizes were selected, and subgroup analyses, heterogeneity tests, sensitivity analyses and publication bias were applied. A total of 18 retrospective studies were included, involving 19,381 patients with operable NSCLC. The 5-year overall survival rate [hazard ratio (HR), 0.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.04, 0.34; P=0.014; I2=76.3%], lung cancer-specific survival rate (HR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.21, 0.38; P<0.01; I2=13.8%) and metastasis rate [odds ratio (OR), 1.56; 95% CI, 1.03, 2.38; P=0.037] in patients with operable NSCLC treated with WR were worse than those in patients treated with ST. The incidence of postoperative complications (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.23, 0.82) in the WR group was lower than in the ST treatment group. There was no difference in postoperative recurrence (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 0.97, 4.74; P=0.058) and mortality (risk difference, 0.04; 95% CI, -0.03, 0.11; P=0.287) between groups. Based on current evidence, patients with NSCLC treated with ST surgery have better postoperative survival but more complications than those patients treated with WT, while the effect of WR and ST on the recurrence rate and distant metastasis rate remains controversial.

Comparison Between Wedge Resection and Lobectomy/Segmentectomy for Early-Stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Bayesian Meta-analysis and Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Surgery has become an accepted method for the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of this Bayesian meta-analysis was to compare the overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and relapse-free survival (RFS) between wedge resection and lobectomy/segmentectomy for treatment of early-stage NSCLC.

METHODS

Eligible studies were retrieved from Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, and WanFang up to July 2021 and screened based on established selection criteria. The Bayesian meta-analysis was performed with the combination of the reported survival outcomes of the individual studies using a random-effect model. The OS, DFS, and RFS of the wedge resection group was compared with the lobectomy/segmentectomy group. The hazard ratio (HR) and standard error were extracted or calculated for each study using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

This study was registered with PROSPERO (INPLASY202080090).The pooled OS hazard ratio between segmentectomy and lobectomy was 1.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92-1.4], the pooled HR between lobectomy and wedge resection was 0.71 [95% CI 0.52-0.96], and the pooled HR between segmentectomy and wedge was 0.80 [95% CI 0.56-1.10]. The pooled HR of DFS or RFS was not statistically significant among the three surgical approaches.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with early-stage NSCLC received lobectomy had the lowest hazard ratio of OS than patients received wedge resection, indicating that the overall survival of patients received lobectomy was higher than patients received wedge resection. However, regarding DFS and RFS, the three surgical approaches showed no significant difference.

Surgery and stereotactic body radiotherapy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer: review of meta-analyses

Observational or randomized studies on survival outcome following surgery versus stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) demonstrated various results, and several meta-analyses on this topic have been published. The PubMed database was queried for meta-analyses comparing surgery and SBRT for early stage NSCLC. Six meta-analyses on this comparison were identified and 4 (66.7%) suggested that surgery be associated with significantly more favorable overall survival than SBRT, using odds ratio or hazard ratio (HR) as measures of effect. Most of the included studies in the meta-analyses were observational studies and those meta-analyses should be interpreted with caution.

Sublobar resection is associated with improved outcomes over radiotherapy in the management of high-risk elderly patients with Stage I non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and Aim

A matched-pair comparison was performed to compare the efficacy and safety of sublobar resection versus radiotherapy for high-risk elderly patients with Stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients and Methods

We searched the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE and manual searches. The meta-analysis was performed to compare overall survival, pattern of failure, and toxicity among the homogeneous studies. Subdivided analyses were also performed.

Results

Sixteen studies containing 11540 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Among these studies, 9 were propensity-score matched (PSM) cohort studies, and 7 were cohort studies. Sublobar resection, compared with radiotherapy (either conventional fraction radiation therapy or stereotactic body radiation therapy), significantly improved the overall survival regardless in both PSM and non-PSM analyses (all p < 0.05). However, the difference in the pattern of failure and toxicity were not significant (all p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Sublobar resection was associated with improved outcomes in high-risk elderly patients with Stage I NSCLC, which supports the need to compare both treatments in large prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trials.

Tumor volume change with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for early-stage lung cancer: evaluating the potential for adaptive SBRT

OBJECTIVES

To quantify gross tumor volume (GTV) change during stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and on first follow-up, as well as to evaluate for any predictive prognostic risk factors related to GTV decrease. An attempt was also made to identify the potential timing for adaptive SBRT.

METHODS

Twenty-five tumors in 24 consecutive patients were treated with SBRT to total dose of 50 Gy in 5 fractions. Median age was 72.5 years. Tumor stage was T1, 68%; T2, 20%; and other, 12%. The GTVs of on the 5 cone-beam computed tomographies (CBCT1-5) obtained before each fraction and the first follow-up CT (CTPOST) were analyzed.

RESULTS

Median time from diagnosis to initiation of radiotherapy was 64 days. GTV on CBCT1 was the baseline for comparison. GTV decreased by a mean of 7% on CBCT2 (P=0.148), 11% on CBCT3 (P=0.364), 19% on CBCT4 (P=0.0021), and 32% on CBCT5 (P=0.0004). Univariate analyses of GTV shrinkage was significantly associated with "time from CBCT5 to CTPOST" (P=0.027) and "T-stage" (P=0.002). In multivariate analyses, "T-stage" remained significant with T1 tumors showing greater GTV shrinkage than T2 tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant decrease in GTV volume based on daily CBCT was demonstrated during SBRT treatment. Adaptive SBRT has the potential to minimize integral dose to the surrounding normal tissues without compromising GTV coverage.

Pulmonary radiofrequency ablation (Part 1): current state

The risks involved in surgical treatment and conventional radiotherapy in patients with early lung cancer or lung metastases often make these treatments difficult to justify. However, on the other hand, it is also unacceptable to allow these lesions to evolve freely because, left untreated, these neoplasms will usually lead to the death of the patient. In recent years, alternative local therapies have been developed, such as pulmonary radiofrequency ablation, which has proven to increase survival with a minimal risk of complications. There are common recommendations for these treatments, and although the specific indications for using one technique or another have yet to be established, there are clearly defined situations that will determine the outcome of the treatment. It is important to know these situations, because appropriate patient selection is essential for therapeutic success. This article aims to describe the characteristics and constraints of pulmonary radiofrequency ablation and to outline its role in thoracic oncology in light of the current evidence.

A radiation oncologist's and thoracic surgeon's view on the role of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for operable lung cancer

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, also known as stereotactic body radiation therapy, has been developed as an innovative therapy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer and has now emerged as a standard treatment option for medically inoperable patients through careful analysis using prospective multi-institutional trials. We review and update the evidence for use of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy in medically inoperable patients with stage I lung cancer, and its possible extension of use to operable patients, from the perspectives of an experienced radiation oncologist and a thoracic surgeon.

Outcomes: wedge resection versus lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer at the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario 1998-2009

BACKGROUND

Sublobar resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial owing to concern about local recurrence and long-term survival outcomes. We sought to determine the efficacy of wedge resection as an oncological procedure.

METHODS

We analyzed the outcomes of all patients with NSCLC undergoing surgical resection at the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario between 1998 and 2009. The standard of care for patients with adequate cardiopulmonary reserve was lobectomy. Wedge resection was performed for patients with inadequate reserve to tolerate lobectomy. Predictors of recurrence and survival were assessed. Appropriate statistical analyses involved the χ(2) test, an independent samples t test and Kaplan-Meier estimates of survival. Outcomes were stratified for tumour size and American Joint Committee on Cancer seventh edition TNM stage for non-small cell lung cancer.

RESULTS

A total of 423 patients underwent surgical resection during our study period: wedge resection in 71 patients and lobectomy in 352. The mean age of patients was 64 years. Mean follow-up for cancer survivors was 39 months. There was no significant difference between wedge resection and lobectomy for rate of tumour recurrence, mortality or disease-free survival in patients with stage IA tumours less than 2 cm in diameter.

CONCLUSION

Wedge resection with lymph node sampling is an adequate oncological procedure for non-small cell lung cancer in properly selected patients, specifically, those with stage IA tumours less than 2 cm in diameter.

[Radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of lung neoplasms: a retrospective study of 329 cases]

背景与目的

射频消融（radiofrequency ablation, RFA）是近年来用于无法手术的肺部恶性肿瘤及肺转移瘤治疗的替代方案。本研究旨在评估肺射频消融术的安全性和临床疗效。

方法

本研究回顾性分析1999年10月-2006年7月在第四军医大学唐都医院胸腔外科进行肺部恶性肿瘤射频消融术的患者329例（其中肺部原发肿瘤237例，转移瘤92例），对其进行射频治疗后的并发症、局部进展以及1年、2年和5年总生存期的临床资料进行了研究及评价分析。

结果

行射频手术的患者术后出现的并发症包括：气胸63例（19.1%），咯血14例（死亡1例，4.2%），血胸10例（3.0%），肺炎15例（4.5%）和心包填塞3例（死亡1例，0.9%），术后30天内的死亡率为0.6%，针道肿瘤种植的患者6例（1.8%）。中位无进展时间为21.6个月。1年、2年和5年总生存率分别为68.2%、35.3%和20.1%。共有78例（23.7%）患者出现后期肿瘤局部进展。肺部肿瘤原位局部进展的患者的肿瘤包块直径大多 > 4 cm; 在肿瘤局部进展方面，肿瘤 < 3 cm的患者与直径介于3 cm-4 cm的肿瘤患者相比没有明显差异，这两组患者与直径 > 4 cm的肿瘤患者间存在明显差异。

结论

对于肺部恶性肿瘤来说，射频治疗是一种耐受性良好、疗效可靠安全的治疗方法。