Survival after radiation for stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer with positive margins

BACKGROUND

There is limited data guiding treatment for positive margins following lobectomy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Using data from the National Cancer Data Base, we sought to determine whether radiation therapy following lobectomy for stage I or II NSCLC was associated with improved overall survival in patients with positive margins.

METHODS

Patients who underwent lobectomy without induction therapy for stage I or II NSCLC (1998-2006) with positive resection margins were selected. Patients were stratified by administration of radiation therapy following surgery, and overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The association between radiation therapy and survival was adjusted for nonrandom treatment selection using Cox proportional hazards regression modeling.

RESULTS

Positive margins were recorded in 1934 of 49,563 (3.9%) patients who underwent lobectomy for stage I or II NSCLC. Positive margin status was associated with significantly worse 5-year survival (34.5% versus 57.2%, P < 0.001). After selection of patients with positive margins and known radiation status and exclusion of patients who had upstaged disease or received radiation therapy for palliative indications, radiation therapy was used in 579 of 1579 patients (38.2%) but was not associated with a significant difference in the likelihood of death during subsequent follow-up (hazard ratio: 1.10, 95% confidence interval: 0.90, 1.35).

CONCLUSIONS

Positive margins following lobectomy for stage I or II NSCLC are associated with reduced 5-year survival. Postsurgical radiation is not strongly associated with an improvement in overall survival among these patients.

Validity of the updated European Society of Thoracic Surgeons staging guideline in lung cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

The European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) has proposed a revised preoperative lymph node staging guideline for patients with potentially resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to assess the validity of this revised ESTS guideline and survival results in our patient cohort.

METHODS

A total of 571 patients with potentially resectable NSCLC seen between January 2004 and November 2013 were included in the study. The preoperative mediastinal staging was performed by video-assisted cervical mediastinoscopy or video-assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy in all patients except those with peripheral cT1N0 nonadenocarcinoma tumors. Resection via thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was done in patients with no mediastinal lymph node metastasis. Surgical pathological results were compared with the ESTS staging guideline, and the validity of the guideline was tested.

RESULTS

In this series, mediastinal lymph node metastasis was revealed preoperatively in 266 patients (46.6%). A total of 305 patients underwent anatomic lung resection. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of the guidelines were calculated as 95.0%, 100%, 100%, 94.6%, and 97.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The ESTS revised preoperative lymph node staging guidelines for patients with NSCLC seem to be effective and valid, and may provide high survival following resectional surgery.

A prospective randomized trial comparing homologous and autologous fibrin sealants for the control of alveolar air leak

Background

Postoperative air leak is a common complication seen after pulmonary resection. It is a significant reason of morbidity and also leads to greater hospital cost owing to prolonged length of stay. The purpose of this study is to compare homologous sealant with autologous one to prevent air leak following pulmonary resection.

Methods

A total of 57 patients aged between 20 and 79 (mean age: 54.36) who underwent pulmonary resection other than pneumonectomy (lobar or sublobar resections) were analyzed. There were 47 males (83%) and 10 females (17%). Patients who intraoperatively had air leaks were randomized to receive homologous (Tisseel; n=28) or autologous (Vivostat; n=29) fibrin sealant. Differences among groups in terms of air leak, prolonged air leak, hospital stay, amount of air leak were analyzed.

Results

Indications for surgery were primary lung cancer in 42 patients (71.9%), secondary malignancy in 5 patients (8.8%), and benign disease in 10 patients (17.5%). Lobectomy was performed in 40 patients (70.2%), whereas 17 patients (29.8%) had wedge resection. Thirteen (46.4%) patients developed complications in patients receiving homologous sealant while 11 (38.0%) patients had complication in autologous sealant group (P=0.711). Median duration of air leak was 3 days in two groups. Time to intercostal drain removal was 3.39 and 3.38 days in homologous and autologous sealant group respectively (P=0.978). Mean hospital stay was 5.5 days in patients receiving homologous sealant whereas it was 5.0 days in patients who had autologous agent (P=0.140). There were no significant differences between groups in terms of measured maximum air leak (P=0.823) and mean air leak (P=0.186). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between two groups (P=0.711).

Conclusions

Autologous and heterologous fibrin sealants are safe and acts similarly in terms of air leak and hospital stay in patients who had resectional surgery.

Modified uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for resectable lung cancer patients has been frequently used in the past decades. The potential beneficial advantages and safety of VATS has been shown in large patient series and meta-analyses. The strategy of limiting access to one incision in one intercostal space (uniportal VATS) has been adopted by some thoracic surgeons in recent years. We have described a modified uniportal VATS technique with its potential advantages. Modified uniportal VATS potentially offers better exposure, beneficial opportunities for education and improved comfort for the thoracic surgery team in clinical usage.

Modified uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy: Duke approach

Traditional thoracoscopic strategies using two to four ports has been demonstrated to be oncologically successful for patients with resectable lung cancer, with numerous advantageous over thoracotomy. A single-incision approach has been described, but it is associated with potential disadvantages. The modified uniportal approach described may address those disadvantageous, with retention of the potential advantages of using a single incision.

Challenging cases: thoracoscopic lobectomy with chest wall resection and sleeve lobectomy-Duke experience

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) had recent advances in both equipment and technique so has been applied to more complex conditions in some thoracic surgery centers. We have adopted our VATS lobectomy experience for patients with chest wall invasion and endobronchial localized tumor requiring bronchial sleeve resection. We are describing our decision-making and surgical methods for these patients which we believe will be decreasing the number of contraindications for VATS and offering this surgical method for more patients.

Thoracoscopic pneumonectomy in management of histoplasmosis and fibrosing mediastinitis

Pulmonary histoplasmosis is generally a self-limited respiratory illness in endemic areas. Fibrosing mediastinitis is a severe chronic complication of pulmonary histoplasmosis in which pulmonary vessels and airways can be compressed with the potential for life-threatening implications. We present a 50-year-old male patient who presented with a total occlusion of the left pulmonary artery due to fibrosing mediastinitis.

Surgical excision for mediastinal synovial sarcoma with limited response to chemoradiotherapy

Primary synovial sarcoma of the mediastinum is an exceedingly rare neoplasm. We describe a 31-year-old woman who had an incidental diagnosis of mediastinal mass. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry analysis confirmed the diagnosis of primary mediastinal synovial sarcoma. The patient underwent concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with minimal response radiologically. Resection was subsequently performed, with negative margins. The histopathologic examination revealed the diagnosis with a limited pathologic response. Because of the rarity of primary mediastinal synovial sarcoma, the optimal therapy is still unclear. We report this case of induction therapy followed by en bloc surgical resection.

Enigmatic contralateral hemothorax after left thoracotomy

Intrathoracic hemorrhage following surgical intervention that needs rethoracotomy has a low rate in the daily practice of thoracic surgery. Hemothorax in the contralateral site is definitely unexpected after thoracotomy. We present a case of contralateral hematoma after left posterolateral thoracotomy as a rare and enigmatic complication.

Thoracoscopic removal of a maternal mediastinal ectopic parathyroid adenoma causing neonatal hypocalcemia: a case report

Most parathyroid glands in hyperparathyroidism can be resected through a cervical approach. In approximately 2% of cases, the ectopic gland is in the mediastinum in a location that requires a thoracic approach. Advancement in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical (VATS) techniques has decreased the need for sternotomy to successfully remove these ectopic glands. We describe a case involving a 29-year-old woman with hyperparathyroidism resulting from an ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenoma that caused neonatal hypocalcemia, which was removed through VATS.

Results of Multimodal Treatment of Two Patients with Thoracic Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor. Is Surgery Really Helpful for Survival?

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) belong to the group of small round cell tumors and are rarely seen. They are rapidly progressive tumors, despite usually being treated by a multimodal therapy which includes surgery and chemoradiotherapy. We present two patients with PNET of the thorax treated in our clinic. The first patient had a huge tumor in the right hemithorax, which shifted the mediastinum to the contralateral hemithorax. Diagnosis was established by transthoracic fine-needle aspiration biopsy and the tumor was treated by surgical resection. Surgery resulted in a microscopically incomplete resection. Chemoradiotherapy was given postoperatively. The patient had local recurrence after seven months and died of cranial metastasis. The second patient had a small tumor on the right costovertebral angle which protruded towards the skin and was diagnosed by incisional biopsy. The tumor responded very well to preoperative chemotherapy and complete resection was achieved surgically. Postoperative chemoradiotherapy was also given. This patient had bone metastasis, local recurrence and pleural pulmonary metastasis after 6, 18 and 28 months, respectively, and died 30 months after the operation.We discuss the limited effect of surgery on the treatment of thoracic PNET on the basis of the results of these patients in whom we performed surgery.

Delayed diagnosis of a complete bronchial rupture after blunt thoracic trauma

Bronchial ruptures due to blunt chest traumas are rarely encountered injuries. They can be missed in the emergency room depending on the clinical findings. We present a case report of a previously healthy 32-year-old woman who received multiple rib and clavicula fractures on the right side in a traffic accident. The plain radiograms taken on the first and fifth day showed no other pathological findings than the above-mentioned fractures. Her control chest radiography, which was taken 7 weeks later, showed a totally opaque left hemithorax but no findings of pneumothorax were present. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy and virtual bronchoscopy showed a left main bronchial rupture. The patient was treated with an end-to-end anastomosis via left posterolateral thoracotomy.

Surgical treatment of pulmonary hydatid disease: a comparison of children and adults

BACKGROUND

Hydatid cyst still remains an important health problem in our country as in many Mediterranean countries. The disease may affect children, and its treatment may be challenging in this age group. Surgery is the primary way of treatment. In the current study, the features unique to childhood pulmonary hydatid disease are emphasized.

METHODS

Between 1992 and 2003, 301 patients were operated on because of pulmonary hydatid cyst in our hospital; 44 of them were 14 years or younger. They were categorized as pediatric patients. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical data of the patients.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 10.6 +/- 3.7 years (5-14 years) in children and 32.2 +/- 14 years (16-75 years) in adults. The rate of intact cyst was 71% in children and 57% in adults (P = .07). The mean diameter of the cyst was 8.5 +/- 3.1 cm (3-15 cm) and 6.6 +/- 3 cm (2-16 cm) in children and adults, respectively (P < .001). The rate of parenchyme-saving procedures was 84.1% in children, whereas 94.9% in adults. Lobectomy was performed in 16% of children, whereas it was performed in 1.5% of adults (P < .001). Morbidity rates were 13.6% in children and 11.6% in adults. No children but 1 adult died. Long-term follow-up revealed the recurrence rates as 4.5% in children and 4.3% in adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgery, the primary method of treatment of hydatid cyst, is safe. Parenchyma-saving procedures such as cystotomy and capitonnage should be performed as much as possible. Nevertheless, hydatid cyst can reach relatively larger dimensions in children than in adults, which causes parenchyme destruction eventually leading to lung resection.

Primary tracheal schwannoma: a case report

We present a rare case of primary tracheal schwannoma in a 49-year-old man who had experienced obstructive airway symptoms for 4 years. Computed Tomography (CT) showed an intratracheal polipoid mass lesion originating from the left lateral wall. Fibre-optic bronchoscopy revealed the diagnosis of an intratracheal poylpoid mass obstructing 70% of the lumen. After diagnosing a benign lesion by punch biopsies with bronchoscopy, thoracotomy was performed and the tumour was totally excised. Histopathological examination revealed a benign neurogenic tumour of schwann cell origin.