Chemotherapy combined with bevacizumab for small cell lung cancer with brain metastases:A case report

BACKGROUND Small cell lung cancer(SCLC)is a common and aggressive subtype of lung cancer.It is characterized by rapid growth and a high mortality rate.Approximately 10%of patients with SCLC present with brain metastases at the time of diagnosis,which is associated with a median survival of 5 mo.This study aimed to summarize the effect of bevacizumab on the progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival of patients with brain metastasis of SCLC.CASE SUMMARY A 62-year-old man was referred to our hospital in February 2023 because of dizziness and numbness of the right lower extremity without headache or fever for more than four weeks.The patient was diagnosed with limited-stage SCLC.He received 8 cycles of chemotherapy combined with maintenance bevacizumab therapy and achieved a PFS of over 7 mo.CONCLUSION The combination of bevacizumab and irinotecan effectively alleviated brain metastasis in SCLC and prolonged PFS.

Pang Fuwan Uses Yao Medicine to Observe the Therapeutic Effects on the Physical and Mental Symptoms of Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Objective: Investigate the efficacy and safety of Yao Medicine in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma, and explore the best therapeutic measure for clinical benefit. Methods: From July 2020 to July 2022, 84 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma were selected and randomly divided into the Observation Group and control group, and the control group was treated with routine Western medicine, with 42 cases in each group. The activity of daily living (ADL) was assessed before and after treatment, meanwhile, the self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety SAS (SAS) were used to assess the improvement of a bad mood, and quality of life SF-36 was used to assess the quality of life, to judge the efficacy and safety. Results: The effective rate of observation group was 91.67%. The effective rate of the control group was 76.19%. The effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P 0.05). There were no significant differences in the scores of SDS, SAS and quality of life between the two groups before treatment (P > 0.05), and after treatment, the scores of SDS, SAS and quality of life in the two groups were compared with those in the control group (P > 0.05), the scores of VAS, SDS and SAS decreased significantly, while ESCV, angle of straight leg elevation, ADL, physiological score, emotional score, social score and health status score increased significantly, the difference was statistically significant (P 0.05). Conclusion: Yao Medicine can improve the psychosomatic symptoms of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma better, with better efficacy and higher safety.

Analysis and Review of Downregulated Actin Cytoskeletal Proteins in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Actin, a highly conserved protein, plays a dominant role in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Late diagnosis and the aggressive nature of NSCLC pose a significant threat. Studying the clinic pathological properties of NSCLC proteins is a potential alternative for developing treatment strategies. Towards this, 35 downregulated actin cytoskeletal proteins on NSCLC prognosis and treatment were studied by examining their protein-protein interactions, gene ontology enrichment terms, and signaling pathways. Using PubMed, various proteins in NSCLC were identified. The protein-protein interactions and functional associations of these proteins were examined using the STRING database. The focal adhesion signaling pathway was selected from all available KEGG and Wiki pathways because of its role in regulating gene expression, facilitating cell movement and reproduction, and significantly impacting NSCLC. The protein-protein interaction network of the 35 downregulated actin cytoskeleton proteins revealed that ACTG1, ACTR2, ACTR3, ANXA2, ARPC4, FLNA, TLN1, CALD1, MYL6, MYH9, MYH10, TPM1, TPM3, TPM4, PFN1, IQGAP1, MSN, and ZXY exhibited the highest number of interactions. Whereas HSPB1, CTNNA1, KRT17, KRT7, FLNB, SEPT2, and TUBA1B displayed medium interactions, while UTRN, TUBA1B, and DUSP23 had relatively fewer interactions. It was discovered that focal adhesions are critical in connecting membrane receptors with the actin cytoskeleton. In addition, protein kinases, phosphatases, and adapter proteins were identified as key signaling molecules in this process, greatly influencing cell shape, motility, and gene expression. Our analysis shows that the focal adhesion pathway plays a crucial role in NSCLC and is essential for developing effective treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes.

Is there a place for optimizing thoracic radiotherapy in limited-stage small cell lung cancer after twenty years?

Thoracic radiotherapy(TRT)is one of the main treatments in limited-stage small cell lung cancer(LS-SCLC).Hyperfractionated TRT(45 Gy,1.5 Gy twice daily)has been the standard of care(SOC)since Turrisi and colleagues published the results of their clinical trial in 1999.Two meta-analyses have demonstrated the benefits of concurrent chemotherapy and TRT in terms of intrathoracic disease control at 2 years and 3-year overall survival(OS).The phase 2 trial by Grønberg et al(2016)comparing once-daily hypofractionated TRT to twice-daily hyperfractionated TRT in LS-SCLC found similar outcomes in both groups in terms of response rate,progression-free survival(PFS),grade 3-4 adverse effects,and OS.The CONVERT trial,published in 2017,failed to demonstrate the superiority of the conventional scheme(once-daily TRT)vs twice-daily radiotherapy,despite the application of modern radiotherapy techniques and a quality assurance programme,thus confirming the twice-daily hyperfractionated regimen as the SOC.At the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology(ASCO)annual meeting,Grønberg et al reported preliminary findings from a phase 2 trial comparing two different TRT dose regimens(45 Gy vs 60 Gy),both administered twice daily.Those data demonstrated a marked improvement in 2-year survival rates in the high dose arm(70.2%vs 46.1%,P=0.002),despite similar objective response rates and PFS outcomes.Those findings provide a new treatment alternative to consider:Hyperfractionated,high-dose TRT.However,the results of that trial will need to be validated in a large,randomized phase 3 study.The results of the phase 2 CALCG 30610 trial will help to clarify the optimal dose and regimen.The potential role of upfront immunotherapy,which early data suggest may improve OS,also needs to be determined.

Optimal timing of thoracic irradiation for limited stage small cell lung cancer:Current evidence and future prospects

Lung cancer is a global health concern as the leading cause of cancer related mortality worldwide.Small cell lung cancer(SCLC)poses a formidable challenge to the treating physicians with the worst prognosis among all lung cancers.However,limited stage SCLC(LS-SCLC)has a relatively better outcome with multimodality management.Efforts have been focused on optimal integration of treatment modalities to achieve an improved therapeutic ratio for patients with LS-SCLC.While chemotherapy and thoracic radiation therapy(TRT)are primary components of initial management for LS-SCLC,there is no consensus on optimal timing of TRT.Within this context,we herein provide a concise overview of current evidence and future prospects regarding the optimal timing of thoracic irradiation for LS-SCLC in light of the literature.

¹⁸FDG-PET/CT Is a Useful Tool in Staging Procedure before Chemo-Radiotherapy in Patients with Limited Disease Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Pattern of Failure and Survival Is Analyzed

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of 18FDG-PET/CT in staging procedure, the pattern of failure and survival in patients with small-cell lung cancer limited disease (LD-SCLC) undergoing chemo-radiotherapy. Methods: A total of 79 LD-SCLC patients were treated with a combination of chemotherapy and chest radiotherapy. Radiotherapy of the tumour and the pathological lymph nodes was performed either as 45 Gy twice-daily or 46 - 50 Gy once-daily. 18Fluro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18FDG)-PET/CT was performed in 35 patients as part of the staging procedure. Results: With a median follow-up time of 17 months 6% developed isolated loco-regional failures while 57% developed distant metastases. No isolated regional failures were seen. Median overall survival was 22 months. Patients staged with a 18FDG-PET/CT had a significantly lower incidence of distant failures and a significantly improved overall survival compared with patients only staged with a CT scan (p = 0.03) (median overall survival of 34 versus 17 months, respectively). Conclusion: The pattern of failure showed a high risk of distant metastases but a low incidence of isolated loco-regional failures. Patients staged with an 18FDG-PET/CT had a significantly lower incidence of distant failures and better overall survival, indicating that 18FDG-PET could be beneficial in patients with LD-SCLC before deciding on treatment regimen.

Analysis of long-term outcomes and application of the tumor regression grading system in the therapeutic assessment of resectable limited-disease small cell lung cancer

Objective The present study attempted to evaluate the value of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in limiteddisease small cell lung cancer(LD-SCLC),and to identify the predictive value of the tumor regression grading(TRG) system in LD-SCLC treatment-response and prognosis.Methods The records of patients with LD-SCLC(p-Stage I–IIIa) who underwent definitive radical resection at Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital between March 1,2000 and March 31,2014 were retrospectively analyzed.We compared the disease-free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS) rates between Group A patients(patients who underwent surgery combined with pre-and post-operative chemotherapy) and Group B patients(patients who underwent surgery combined with adjuvant chemotherapy only) using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Mantel-Cox test.The specimens of patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were reassessed according to the TRG system.Results The median DFS for 27 patients was 16.267 months and the median OS was 81.167 months(1-year OS,74.07%;3-year OS,22.22%;5-year OS,14.81%).Thirteen patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy,and their specimens were reassessed by TRG(pathological complete remission,3/13,23.08%).Patients in group A had a longer OS than those in group B(mean,93.782 months versus 42.322 months,P = 0.025),although there was no significant difference in DFS between the two groups(median 20.100 months versus 14.667 months,P = 0.551).Statistical analysis revealed that TRG Grade(G) 0(mean,61.222 months) was associated with better OS than G1-2(mean,31.213 months)(P = 0.311).Conclusion Our study indicated that neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with surgical resection may represent a feasible treatment method for patients with LD-SCLC.The TRG system may be a valuable prediction tool to assess neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic efficacy,especially in patients with G0 disease as determined by TRG;these patients may attain an improved survival benefit with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Envafolimab combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of combined small cell lung cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND Combined small cell lung cancer(C-SCLC) is a special subtype of small cell lung cancer that is relatively rare, aggressive, and prone to early metastasis and has a poor prognosis. Currently, there are limited studies on C-SCLC, and there is no uniform standard treatment, especially for extensive C-SCLC, which still faces great challenges. In recent years, the development and progress of immunotherapy have provided more possibilities for the treatment of C-SCLC. We used immunotherapy combined with first-line chemotherapy to treat extensive-stage C-SCLC to explore its antitumor activity and safety.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of C-SCLC that presented early with adrenal, rib, and mediastinal lymph node metastases. The patient received carboplatin and etoposide with concurrent initiation of envafolimab. After 6 cycles of chemotherapy, the lung lesion was significantly reduced, and the comprehensive efficacy evaluation showed a partial response. No serious drug-related adverse events occurred during the treatment, and the drug regimen was well tolerated.CONCLUSION Envafolimab combined with carboplatin and etoposide in the treatment of extensive-stage C-SCLC has preliminary antitumor activity and good safety and tolerability.

Synchronous multiple lung cancers with hilar lymph node metastasis of small cell carcinoma:A case report

BACKGROUND Synchronous multiple lung cancers are rare and refer to the simultaneous presence of two or more primary lung tumors,which present significant challenges in terms of diagnosis and treatment.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of multiple synchronous lung cancers with hilar lymph node metastasis of small cell carcinoma of unknown origin in a 73-year-old man.Transbronchial lung biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma.Although enlargement of lymph node 12u was detected,no distant metastases were observed.The patient was preoperatively diagnosed with T1cN0M0 and underwent thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy with nodal dissection(ND2a).Based on histopathological findings,the primary lesion was squamous cell carcinoma.A microinvasive adenocarcinoma was also observed on the cranial side of the primary lesion.Tumors were detected in two resected lymph nodes(#12u and#11s).Both tumors were pathologically diagnosed as small cell carcinomas.The primary lesion of the small cell carcinoma could not be identified even by whole-body imaging;however,chemotherapy was initiated for hilar lymph node metastasis of the small cell carcinoma of unknown origin.CONCLUSION Multiple synchronous lung cancers can be accompanied by hilar lymph node metastasis of small cell carcinomas of unknown origin.

A Review of the Impact of PD-L1 Expression on the Prognosis of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small cell lung cancer is an invasive neuroendocrine carcinoma with early metastasis potential. It tends to grow rapidly and metastasize early, with the majority of patients diagnosed as advanced stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Systemic treatment consisting of platinum drugs and etoposide chemotherapy is the main treatment method, although the objective effective rate of this combination is 60% - 80%. However, most SCLC patients experience disease progression shortly after initial treatment, with a median overall survival of 10 months. There are few second-line treatment drugs available, and immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors has completely changed the treatment of many cancer types. Adding immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) to conventional chemotherapy as first-line treatment can improve the survival rate of widespread small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), but so far, there are no definitive factors to determine patients who are more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. This review summarizes the results of immunotherapy trials for small cell lung cancer. And a review was conducted on the predictive factors of these trials, with special emphasis on the expression of PD-L1 in small cell lung cancer to determine its clinical value.

Research Progress of Anti-Angiogenic Drugs in First-Line Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is a low-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor with rapid growth, early metastasis and sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It is highly recurrence rate. And there is lacking effective treatment now. As an active research direction at present, anti-angiogenic drugs are not only widely used in non-small cell lung cancer and other tumors, but also have certain effects in small cell lung cancer combined with chemotherapy. As one of the effective treatment methods for small cell lung cancer, related research is not rare, but there is still inadequacy, such as side effects can not be tolerated, and the timing of treatment can not be accurately assessed. This article will briefly describe the research progress of anti-angiogenic drugs combined with chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of extensive small cell lung cancer.

Efect of body mass index on survival of patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer

Background:Body mass index(BMI)has a U?shaped association with lung cancer risk.However,the effect of BMI on prognosis is controversial.This retrospective study aimed to investigate the effect of BMI on the survival of patients with stage I non?small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)after surgical resection.Methods:In total,624 consecutive stage I NSCLC patients who underwent radical resection were classified into four groups according to their BMI:underweight(BMI<18.5 kg/m^2),normal weight(BMI obese(BMI>28.0 kg/m^2).The effect of BMI on progress=18.5–22.4 kg/m2),overweight(BMI=22.5–28.0 kg/m^2),andion?free survival(PFS)and over?all survival(OS)was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model.Postoperative complications in each group were analyzed using the Chi square test or Fisher’s exact test.Results:A univariate analysis showed that PFS and OS were longer in the overweight group than in other groups(both P<0.05).A multivariate analysis showed that OS was longer in the overweight group than in other groups(compared with the other three groups in combination:hazard ratio[HR]e underweight group:HR=1.87,95%confidence interval[CI]1.30–2.68,P=0.003;compared with th3,P=2.24,95%CI 1.18–4.25,P=0.013;compared with the normal weight group:HR 1.48–5.59,P=1.58,95%CI 1.07–2.3=0.022;compared with the obese group:HR=2.87,95%CIwe=0.002),but PFS was similar among the groups(HRd an association between being overweight and pro=1.28,95%CI 0.97–1.68,P longed OS in patients at sta=0.080).A subgroup analysis shoge T1a(P 0.001).Overweight=0.024),T1b(P=0.051),and T2a(P=0.02),as well as in patients with a non?smoking history(P=patients had lower rates of postoperative complications,such as respiratory failure(compared with the underweight and obese groups:P=0.014),myocardial infarction(compared with the obese group:P=0.033),and perioperative death(com?pared with the other three groups:P=0.016).Conclusions:Preoperative BMI is an independent prognostic factor for stage I NSCLC patients after resection,with overweight patients having a favorable prognosis.

Progress in the diagnosis and treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer, being the most common cancer type, accounts for 13% of all newly diagnosed malignant tumors globally each year. Small cell lung cancer(SCLC) accounts for approximately 15% of newly diagnosed lung cancers each year, but its annual death toll accounts for 25% of that of lung cancer. We summarized relevant clinical studies to elaborate the epidemiology, pathological and clinical characteristics and the treatment status of small cell lung cancer. This paper first described the epidemiology and the pathological and clinical characteristics of SCLC and the systematic treatment of extensive-stage SCLC and then introduced the current targeted therapy and immunotherapy for SCLC to provide clinicians and patients with a more systematic, comprehensive, and beneficial treatment regimen. We expect that these studies can provide clinicians with a clear direction in molecularly targeted therapy or immunotherapy, so that a treatment approach with better antitumor effects and longer-lasting clinical benefits can be provided to the patients.

Therapeutic management options for stage Ⅲ non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide.Majority of newly diagnosed lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC), of which up to half are considered locally advanced at the time of diagnosis.Patients with locally advanced stage Ⅲ NSCLC consists of a heterogeneous population, making management for these patients complex.Surgery has long been the preferred local treatment for patients with resectable disease.For select patients, multimodality therapy involving systemic and radiation therapies in addition to surgery improves treatment outcomes compared to surgery alone.For patients with unresectable disease, concurrent chemoradiation is the preferred treatment.More recently, research into different chemotherapy agents, targeted therapies, radiation fractionation schedules, intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and proton therapy have shown promise to improve treatment outcomes and quality of life.The array of treatment approaches for locally advanced NSCLC is large and constantly evolving.An updated review of past and current literature for the roles of surgery, chemotherapeutic agents, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy for stage Ⅲ NSCLC patients are presented.

Effect analysis of chemoradiotherapy after operation in patients with stage ⅢA non-small cell lung cancer

Objective:To investigate the effect of chemoradiotherapy after surgery onⅢA stage nonsmall cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods:A total of 156 NSCLC patients undergoing total pneumonectomy or pulmonary lobectomy were included in this study.The chemotherapy group (n=75) received the protocol of cisplatin(DDP) + gemcitabine(GEM) / docetaxel(DOC) / vinorelbine (NVB);the radiotherapy + chemotherapy group(n=81) received sequential chemoradiotherapy. The response rale,local control rale in1 to 2 years,overall survival(OS),progression-free survival(PFS) and adverse reactions were evaluated.Results:The overall response rate was obviously higher in radiotherapy + chemotherapy group(79.4%) than in chemotherapy group(56.8%) (P【0.01).The 1 year local control rates for chemotherapy group and radiotherapy + chemotherapy group were(69.1±7.9)%and(77.8±8.2)%respectively and the difference reached statistical significance (P【0.001).The 2 year local control rates were(42.1±6.1%and(61.5±6.9)%respectively(P【0.001). The difference in median follow-up time between the two groups did not reach statistical meaning(P】0.05),while the median PFS of two groups were 10.8 months and 16.9 months respectively(P【0.001).1-year and 3-year survival rates were obviously higher in radiotherapy + chemotherapy group than in chemotherapy group,and the difference reached statistical significance(P【0.05 or P【0.01).The adverse reactions manifested as hematological toxicity and digestive tract reaction in the two groups.In the radiotherapy + chemotherapy group,incidences of radiation-induced esophagus injury and lung injury were 24.7%and 34.6%respectively,all occurring within 2 to 6 weeks after the start of radiation and both below grade 2.Conclusions: Chemoradiotherapy after surgery can improve local control rate and reduce or prevent distant metastasis,but there are still many controversies.In clinical work,we should carefully evaluate each patient’s age,lung function,basic physical condilion scoring and complications to choose a therapeutic schedule that is suitable for the patient.

Prognostic Factors for Survival of Stage IB Upper Lobe Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study in Shanghai, China

Objective: To identify clinical and pathologic factors that were associated with the survival of stage IB upper lobe non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: A retrospective study of 147 subjects who had undergone curative resection for stage IB upper lobe NSCLC was performed. Patients who had received any adjuvant or neo-adjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. Survival function curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier procedure. Crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of potential prognostic factors were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Five factors, including age, tumor size, histologic grade of differentiation, number of removed superior mediastinal lymph node stations and presence of visceral pleura invasion, were significantly and independently associated with mortality risk. Adjusted HRs were 2.6 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.1?6.5] and 4.6 (95% CI: 1.9?11) for those aged 58?68 years and those >68 years, respectively, relative to those aged <58 years. HRs for those with poorly and moderately differentiated tumors were 6.4 (95% CI: 2.3?18) and 1.4 (95% CI: 0.7?2.8), respectively. HRs for those with tumor size 3.1?5 cm and >5 cm (vs ?3.0 cm) were 2.3 (95% CI: 1.1?4.9) and 4.3 (95% CI: 1.9?10), respectively. The presence of visceral pleura invasion also increased the risk of mortality (HR=4.0, 95% CI: 1.3?12). Conclusion: Advanced age, larger tumor size, poorly differentiated histology, smaller number of removed superior mediastinal lymph node stations, and presence of visceral pleura invasion were associated with poor survival of surgically treated stage IB upper lobe NSCLC patients.

Weekly intravenous nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel for elderly patients with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer:a series of 20 cases

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel as a rescue regimen in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 20 patients with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer. The patients had progressive disease after standard antitumor therapy and subsequently received intravenous albumin-bound paclitaxel at the dose of 100 mg/m2 in weekly schedule. Cumulative findings showed that the overall response rate was 30.0%, the disease control rate amounted to 40%, and the 1 year survival rate was 30%. In addition, the median time to progression and the median survival time reached 5 and 10 months, respectively. Meanwhile, no severe hypersensitivity reactions and grade 4 adverse effects were reported. In summary, weekly-administered albumin-bound paclitaxel seems to be an effective and safe regimen for elderly patients with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer who were refractory to conventional therapy.

Phase I Study to Determine MTD of Docetaxel and Cisplatin with Concurrent Radiation Therapy for Stage Ⅲ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Objective： To evaluate the maximum tolerated dose （MTD） of docetaxel （DCT） and cisplatin （DDP） concurrently with three dimensional （3D） conformal radiotherapy or IMRT for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer （stage IIIa and IIIb） after 2–4 cycles of induction chemotherapy. Methods： Fourteen patients with histological/cytological proven stage III non–small-cell lung cancer were eligible. 3D or IMRT radiotherapy （60-70Gy in 30-35 fractions, 6-7weeks, 2 Gy/fraction） was delivered concurrently with cisplatin and docetaxel, 2 cycles during concurrent chemoradiotherapy （CCRT）. The level I dosage was composed of 56 mg/m2 DCT, on day 1 and 28mg/m2 DDP, on day 1 and day 2. The level II was composed of 60 mg/m2 DCT, on day 1 and 30 mg/ m2 DDP, on day 1 and day 2. The level III was composed of 64 mg/m2 DCT, on day 1 and 32 mg/ m2 DDP, on day 1 and day 2. Results： Fourteen patients were allocated and finished concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The dose-limiting neutropenia was at the dose Level III （64 mg/m2） and occurred in 2 of 5 patients. No dose limiting non-hematologic or hematologic toxicity occurred in the other patients. Conclusions： Patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer may tolerate 60mg/m2 docetaxel and 60mg/m2 cisplatin for 2 cycles during concurrent radiotherapy after 2-3 cycles of induction chemotherapy.

Long-term survival of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients who underwent robotic procedure:a propensity score-matched study

Background:In the past decade,many researchers focused on to robot-assisted surgery.However,on long-term outcomes for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC),whether the robotic procedure is superior to video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS) and thoracotomy is unclear.Nonetheless,in the article titled "Long-term survival based on the surgical approach to lobectomy for clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer:comparison of robotic,video assisted thoracic surgery,and thoracotomy lobectomy" by Yang et al.that was recently published in Annals of Surgery,the authors provided convincing evidence that the robotic procedure results in similar long-term survival as compared with VATS and thoracotomy.Minimally invasive procedures typically result in shorter lengths of hospital stay,and the robotic procedure in particular results in superior lymph node assessment.Main body:Our propensity score-matched study generated high-quality data.Based on our findings,we see promise in expanding patient access to robotic lung resections.In this study,propensity score matching minimized the bias involved between groups.Nevertheless,due to its retrospective nature,bias may still exist.Currently,the concept of rapid rehabilitation is widely accepted,and it is very difficult to set up a randomized controlled trial to compare robotic,VATS,and thoracotomy procedures for the treatment of NSCLC.Therefore,to overcome this limitation and to minimize bias,the best approach is to use a registry and prospectively collected,propensity score-matched data.Conclusions:Robotic lung resections result in similar long-term survival as compared with VATS and thoracotomy.Robot-assisted and VATS procedures are associated with short lengths of hospital stay,and the robotic procedure in particular results in superior lymph node assessment.Considering the alarming increase in the incidence of lung cancer in China,a nationwide database of prospectively collected data available for clinical research would be especially important.

Incorporation of circulating tumor cells and whole-body metabolic tumor volume of 18F-FDG PET/CT improves prediction of outcome inⅢB stage small-cell lung cancer

Objective: We investigated the correlation between the number of circulating tumor cells(CTCs) and wholebody metabolic tumor volume(WBMTV) measured by 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT).The aim was to evaluate the value of the incorporation of CTC number and WBMTV in the prognostic prediction of stage III small-cell lung cancer(SCLC).Methods: One hundred and twenty-nine patients were enrolled in this study.All patients were treated with four cycles of a platinum-based regimen and concurrent chest irradiation,followed by prophylactic cranial irradiation.Blood samples for CTC analysis were obtained from 112 patients before the initiation of chemotherapy(as a baseline),after cycle 1 and after cycle 4.CTCs were measured using the CELLSEARCH? system.The patients underwent pretreatment FDG PET/CT WBMTV,which included all malignant lesions.The Spearman rank test was used to determine the correlation among CTC counts,WBMTV and disease stage.Overall survival(OS) and progression-free survival(PFS) curves were produced using the Kaplan-Meier method,and survival differences between groups were assessed by the log-rank test.Results: The number of CTCs at baseline did not correlate with WBMTV before the initiation of therapy(P=0.241).The number of CTCs at baseline and the WBMTV before the initiation of therapy were independent relevant factors for PFS and OS.The subgroup analysis(Group A: CTC count >19.5 and a WBMTV >266.5cm~3;Group B: CTC count >19.5 and a WBMTV ≤266.5cm~3; Group C: CTC count ≤19.5 and a WBMTV >266.5cm~3;Group D: CTC count ≤19.5 and a WBMTV ≤266.5cm~3) showed that the differences were statistically significant in the median PFS(Group A vs.D,P<0.001; Group B vs.D,P=0.018; Group C vs.D,P=0.029) and in the median OS(Group A vs.D,P<0.001; Group B vs.D,P=0.012).Conclusions: CTC number and WBMTV are related to progression and death in patients with SCLC.The incorporation of CTC number and WBMTV scans can provide a detailed prognostic prediction for SCLC.