Comparison of pleuropneumonectomy and limited surgery for lung cancer with pleural dissemination

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Lung Cancer Staging Project: Proposals for Revision of the Classification of Residual Tumor After Resection for the Forthcoming (Ninth) Edition of the TNM Classification of Lung Cancer

INTRODUCTION

The goal of surgical resection is to completely remove a cancer; it is useful to have a system to describe how well this was accomplished. This is captured by the residual tumor (R) classification, which is separate from the TNM classification that describes the anatomic extent of a cancer independent of treatment. The traditional R-classification designates as R0 a complete resection, as R1 a macroscopically complete resection but with microscopic tumor at the surgical margin, and as R2 a resection that leaves gross tumor behind. For lung cancer, an additional category encompasses situations in which the presence of residual tumor is uncertain.

METHODS

This paper represents a comprehensive review of evidence regarding these R categories and the descriptors thereof, focusing on studies published after the year 2000 and with adjustment for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Consistent discrimination between complete, uncertain, and incomplete resection is revealed with respect to overall survival. Evidence regarding specific descriptors is generally somewhat limited and only partially consistent; nevertheless, the data suggest retaining all descriptors but with clarifications to address ambiguities.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of this review, the R-classification for the ninth edition of stage classification of lung cancer is proposed to retain the same overall framework and descriptors, with more precise definitions of descriptors. These refinements should facilitate application and further research.

Recursive partitioning analysis of patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective study

Background

Local consolidative treatment (LCT) is important for oligometastasis, defined as the restricted metastatic capacity of a tumor. This study aimed to determine the effects and prognostic heterogeneity of LCT in oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods

This retrospective study identified 436 eligible patients treated for oligometastatic disease at the Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital during 2009–2016. A Cox regression analysis was used to identify potential predictors of overall survival (OS). After splitting cases randomly into training and testing sets, risk stratification was performed using recursive partitioning analysis with a training dataset. The findings were confirmed using a validation dataset. The effects of LCT in different risk groups were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

The T stage (p = 0.001), N stage (p = 0.008), number of metastatic sites (p = 0.031), and EGFR status (p = 0.043) were identified as significant predictors of OS. A recursive partitioning analysis was used to establish a prognostic risk model with the following four risk groups: Group I included never smokers with N0 disease (3-year OS: 55.6%, median survival time [MST]: 42.8 months), Group II included never smokers with N+ disease (3-year OS: 32.8%, MST: 26.5 months), Group III included smokers with T0–2 disease (3-year OS: 23.3%, MST: 19.4 months), and Group IV included smokers with T3/4 disease (3-year OS: 12.5%, MST: 11.1 months). Significant differences in OS according to LCT status were observed in all risk groups except Group IV (p = 0.45).

Conclusions

Smokers with T3/4 oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer may not benefit from LCT.

Should primary tumor be resected for non-small cell lung cancer with malignant pleural disease unexpectedly found during operation?-a systemic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with malignant pleural disease (MPD) was considered to be contraindication for surgery, but sometimes MPD was unexpectedly found intraoperatively. There was no consensus on the role of surgical intervention on the primary tumor in patients with MPD. The object of this research was to assess whether exairesis of primary tumor could prolong survival time.

METHODS

A systemic research of literature was performed on the databases of PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. Literatures examining surgical benefit or other prognostic factors among NSCLC patients with MPD unexpectedly found during operations were included. Hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) as well as P value is applied for prognostic role of surgical removal or other potential factors.

RESULTS

Nine articles with a total number of 861 patients fulfilled the eligibility criteria, five of them compared the survival benefit between exploration and resection among NSCLC patients with unexpected MPD, and other studies also investigated the prognostic factors in these patients. There was a significant survival benefit in patients with primary tumor resection (HR =0.443; 95% CI: 0.344-0.571; P<0.001). This role was further detected when stratified by analysis method and ethnicity. Female was an independent favorable predicted factor (HR =0.788; 95% CI: 0.648-0.959; P=0.017) while higher N-stage was a risk factor (HR =1.879; 95% CI: 1.307-2.701; P=0.001). Among patients who received primary tumor resection, higher N-stage was also a risk factor for poorer survival (HR =2.021; 95% CI: 1.496-2.730; P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Resection of primary tumor, female and lower-N stage were suggested to be beneficial prognostic factor among NSCLC patients who were detected with MPD for the first time in the operating room. And among these people who received surgical removal of primary tumor, lower N-stage also indicated a better survival.

Accidental invisible intrathoracic disseminated pT4-M1a: a distinct lung cancer with favorable prognosis

OBJECTIVE

In the 7(th) edition of the TNM classification of malignant tumors, the prognosis for pT4-M1a stage IV lung cancer is better than for stage pIIIB. Subgroups of lung cancer patients who underwent incomplete resection (R1/R2) have a favorable prognosis. This study compares the prognosis between cases of invisible local residual disease and intrathoracic disseminated pT4-M1aIV.

METHODS

Patient characteristics and histological and molecular profiles were retrospectively collected for lung cancer patients who underwent resection intended to be curative but were accidentally incomplete. All patients were divided into either a local residual group or an intrathoracic disseminated pT4M1a group. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models.

RESULTS

In total, 1,483 consecutive lung cancer patients receiving thoracotomies at Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-eight patients receiving incomplete resections (R1/R2) were enrolled, including 38 patients with local residual cancer (2.6% of all patients) and 20 patients with disseminated pM1a (1.3%). Patient characteristics, and histological and molecular profiles of the two groups were different. Compared to the local residual group, the disseminated pT4-M1a group contained more females (P=0.002), more patients younger than 60 years of age (P=0.028), more non-smokers (P=0.037), more adenocarcinomas (20/20 vs. 20/38, P<0.001), more adenocarcinomas with lepidic pattern (11/20 vs. 4/38, P<0.001), higher carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels (P=0.06), higher epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation rates (16/20 vs. 7/38, P<0.001), a higher R2/R1 resection ratio (P=0.013), a higher advanced stage IV/IIIB ratio (P<0.001), but fewer lymph node metastases (P=0.013). Median PFS for the local residual and disseminated pT4-M1a groups was 9.0 and 18.0 months, respectively [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.285-16.715; P =0.099]. Median OS was 15.0 and 45.0 months, respectively (95% CI, 18.972-39.028; P=0.001). Cox regression analysis revealed that group (local residual vs. disseminated pT4-M1a) was the only independent prognostic factor (P=0.044) for OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Accidental invisible intrathoracic disseminated pT4-M1a may be a distinct lung cancer subtype with a favorable prognosis. The prolonged PFS and OS might reflect the natural history of this distinct subtype, together with a favorable response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI). For asymptomatic and slow-growing accidental pT4-M1a disease, the role of a wait-and-see strategy and the appropriate timing of systemic treatment require further investigation.

Preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer with malignant pleural effusion and/or pleural nodules: Ten-year results of a prematurely terminated single institute phase II trial

BACKGROUND

Malignant pleural effusion and/or pleural nodules are a final stage of disease extension of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is currently classified as M1a-Stage IV disease. The role of surgery, especially extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) for local disease control and its impact on the survival of patients remains uncertain.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This single institute phase II trial was performed from March 1997 to March July 2004 to assess the effects of induction concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) using a pro-drug of 5-FU, uracil-tegafur (UFT(®), Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan), plus cisplatin concurrently with 40 Gy hemithorax radiation followed by EPP. Intraoperative hypotonic cisplatin treatment in the pleural cavity before resection of the pericardium and diaphragm was performed. The primary endpoint of this study was the overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoint was the disease-free survival (DFS), safety, response to the induction CRT, local disease control period in the affected thorax and the type of disease recurrence.

RESULTS

This trial was prematurely terminated because of the slow registration pace. During the study period, 11 patients were enrolled. There were five males and six females, with a median age of 55 (36-64) years. All patients had adenocarcinoma. All patients received the planned induction CRT. Five patients achieved a partial response and five achieved stable disease, and one patient could not be evaluated. One patient underwent exploratory thoracotomy due to unresectable chest wall invasion, and nine patients (81.8%) underwent EPP. No perioperative deaths were encountered. The median follow-up time was matured at 32.1 (range 15.0-100) months. The one-, three- and five-year DFS rates were 77.8% (95%CI: 50.6-100%), 11.1% and 11.1% (95%CI: 95%CI: 0-31.7%), respectively. The one-, three- and five-year OS rates were 100.0%, 33.3% (95%CI: 2.5-64.1%) and 22.2% (95%CI: 0.0-49.4%), respectively. Recurrence developed in eight of nine patients who underwent EPP (88.9%). All first recurrent sites were distant regions, and no ipsilateral local recurrence was identified.

CONCLUSION

The trimodality treatment used in this trial appears to be a choice of treatment for highly selected patients. However, the impact on the survival of NSCLC patients with malignant pleural effusion and/or pleural nodules still remains uncertain given the small number of patients enrolled in the study.

Definitive surgery and intraoperative photodynamic therapy: a prospective study of local control and survival for patients with pleural dissemination of non-small cell lung cancer

Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with pleural dissemination have very limited survivals often of just 6-9 months. Prior reports of aggressive surgical resection of pleural metastases have shown no consistent improvements in overall survival and very high rates of local recurrences. Based on this and the generally very diffuse pleural dissemination seen in patients, chemotherapy and palliative interventions are standard of care. By attempting to sterile microscopic residual disease after surgical resection, intraoperative photodynamic therapy (PDT) could improve local pleural control and overall survival compared with surgery alone for patients with NSCLC with pleural metastasis. Prior attempts to demonstrate an improvement in clinical outcomes with PDT as an intraoperative adjuvant combined with definitive surgery to treat pleural malignancies have not been successful, perhaps due, in part, to limited ability to perform real-time dosimetry and ensure adequate and even light distribution throughout the chest cavity. A stratified phase II trial assessed the efficacy of definitive surgery and intraoperative PDT with real-time dosimetry in patients with NSCLC with pleural dissemination demonstrated prolonged local control and a higher than expected 21.7-month median survival from the time of surgery and PDT among 22 enrolled patients. This is the first ever report describing optimal methods, techniques, and dosimetry that could be used to safely and reproducibly deliver intraoperative PDT to the chest cavity as part of multimodality therapy for NSCLC with pleural metastasis.

Outcome of platinum-based chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer patients with pleural dissemination detected during surgery

Pleural dissemination detected by computed tomography (CT) is considered to be unfavorable for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the prognosis of NSCLC patients who are diagnosed with pleural dissemination at the time of surgery has yet to be adequately elucidated. To assess the outcomes of platinum-based chemotherapy in NSCLC patients in whom pleural dissemination was detected during exploratory thoracotomy with or without a videoscope, the clinical records of NSCLC patients who were admitted to Shizuoka Cancer Center between September, 2002 and April, 2009 were reviewed. A total of 19 patients were included in this study, 12 males and 7 females, with a median age of 65 years. All patients were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and 6 were epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation-positive. The median number of treatment cycles of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy was 4 (range, 1-6 cycles) and the objective response rate was 21% [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.5-43]. The median progression-free and overall survival were 10.4 (95% CI: 6.3-18.4) and 50.5 months (95% CI: 32.5-98.0), respectively. Of the 18 patients with reported disease progression, 9 (50%) developed locoregional tumor progression. In conclusion, NSCLC patients in whom pleural dissemination is detected during surgery tend to have a favorable prognosis for survival. Systemic chemotherapy and additional local treatment may improve their clinical outcomes.

Dry pleural dissemination in non-small cell lung cancer: prognostic and diagnostic implications

PURPOSE

To compare prognostic differences between dry pleural dissemination (DPD) and wet pleural dissemination (WPD) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) andto review the applicability of computed tomographic (CT) findings of DPD for rendering the diagnosis of this disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The institutional review board approved this retrospective study, and informed patient consent was waived. Of 98 patients (male-to-female ratio, 55:43; mean age, 60 years ± 12) with NSCLC, 20 patients had pathologically proved DPD, and the remaining 78 patients had pathologically proved WPD. Twelve patients, who had been lost to follow-up, were excluded from survival analysis. Observers looked for CT findings of multiple pleural or fissural nodules (more than six in number) and uneven thickening or bandlike thickness. Survival after initial presentation was analyzed and compared between patients with DPD (n = 19) and patients with WPD (n = 67) by using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. The sensitivity of CT for depicting DPD was also calculated.

RESULTS

Median survival after initial presentation was significantly longer in patients with DPD than in patients with WPD; it was 38 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 29.9 months, 46.0 months) in patients with DPD and 13 months (95% CI: 9.8 months, 16.2 months) in patients with WPD (P <.001). CT helped identify DPD in 90% (18 of 20) of patients with pathologically proved DPD. Multiple pleural or fissural nodules were noted on CT images in 16 (80%) of 20 patients. Uneven or bandlike pleural thickening was recognized in 15 (75%) patients.

CONCLUSION

Patients with DPD show better survival than patients with WPD. CT helps suggest strongly the presence of DPD preoperatively.

Surgery for metastatic pleural extension of non-small-cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

Malignant cells in the pleural fluid or pleural metastases are now classified stage IV in lung cancer and alter the treatment. Our purpose was to question the role of surgery in such patients.

METHODS

The clinical records of 4668 patients, who underwent lung cancer surgery, were reviewed. In some, an undiagnosed pleural malignant disease (M1a) was discovered during thoracotomy. When feasible, selected patients underwent complete surgical resection of the primary tumor and pleural nodules. We analyzed the epidemiology, pathology, and prognosis characteristics of that group (study group), as compared with the population undergoing pulmonary resection in a curative attempt (overall population) or exploratory thoracotomy in case of unexpected disseminated carcinomatous pleuritis (control group).

RESULTS

The study group included 32 patients (25 males), mean age 59 ± 8.8 years, who underwent pneumonectomy (n = 9) or lobectomy (n = 23), associated with mediastinal lymph nodes dissection and surgical resection of associated pleural nodules. There were 21 adenocarcinomas, seven squamous cell carcinomas, two undifferentiated large cell carcinomas, and two miscellaneous tumors. Pathological node (pN) was: N0 in 10 patients (31.3%), N1 in four (12.5%), and N2 in 18 (56.3%). Five-year survival rate was 16% after resection, and 21% if the resection was a lobectomy.

CONCLUSION

Complete surgical resection of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) associated with limited metastatic pleural involvement is associated with long-term survival in 16% of the cases. A review of the published data, together with the results of this series, may justify the inclusion of surgery in multimodality treatment of NSCLC patients with metastatic pleural extension.

Prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer with unexpected pleural spread at thoracotomy

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study is to investigate the prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with unexpected pleural spread at thoracotomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of the clinicopathologic characteristics of NSCLC patients with unexpected pleural spread at thoracotomy in Taipei Veterans General Hospital between January 1990 and December 2008. Inclusion criteria were patients with frozen section of pleural nodules identified as metastatic carcinoma during operation. A survival analysis was done.

RESULTS

There were 138 patients included in this study. The median follow-up time was 19.9 mo. The overall 1, 3, and 5-year survival rates were 72.9%, 26.8%, and 16.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that main tumor resection and mediastinal lymph nodal involvement (P < 0.001 and 0.002, respectively) were significant predictors for overall survival rate. Patients who underwent main tumor resection and those without mediastinal lymph node metastasis had better outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the unexpected pleural spread detected at thoracotomy, limited pulmonary resection was an alternative surgical procedure for these patients without mediastinal nodal metastasis.

Modification of the surgical procedure to enable the complete resection of lung cancer with carcinomatous pleuritis

Carcinomatous pleuritis, accompanied by pleural dissemination or malignant pleural effusion, is listed as one of the factors limiting adequate surgical treatment. It is relatively easy to peel the parietal pleura of the chest wall and mediastinum during a pleuropneumonectomy, but it is quite difficult to peel the parietal pleura of the diaphragm. A pleuropneumonectomy was conducted with the combined resection of the pericardium and all layers of the diaphragm without opening of the peritoneum through a posterolateral subcostal approach. This approach thus made it possible to perform a complete resection of the diaphragm relatively easily in a reliable manner, and also contributed to a more thorough resection of pleural dissemination without a second thoracotomy.

[Anatomy, biology and concepts, pertaining to lung cancer stage classification]

尽管用于此修订本的大样本量患者数据库已极大地拓宽了我们的知识面，但最新提出的肺癌分期系统仍以解剖学特征为基础。可以预见，由于所鉴定出的患者亚群数目不断增加，肺癌分期系统变得愈加复杂。表述这些亚组的临床特征有可能为我们提供肿瘤亚组特殊的生物学行为特性的线索。本文探索了可用于以解剖学为基础的新分期系统的肿瘤生物学相关观念。

Integrated PET/CT and the Dry Pleural Dissemination of Peripheral Adenocarcinoma of the Lung

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to describe retrospectively the CT findings of dry pleural dissemination of peripheral lung adenocarcinoma, and to compare the mutual roles of PET and CT components of integrated PET/CT in the diagnosis of the disease.

METHODS

The authors analyzed retrospectively the CT findings of pathologically proved dry pleural dissemination in 8 of 172 patients with peripheral adenocarcinoma of the lung. Subsequently, one radiologist and one nuclear medicine physician (unaware of the CT and pathologic results) evaluated together in a random order the integrated PET/CT of 172 adenocarcinoma patients (8 with dry pleural dissemination and 164 without). They recorded the presence of pleural dissemination using PET images only and using both PET and CT images. The diagnostic accuracies with respect to the presence of pleural dissemination were evaluated.

RESULTS

The CT findings of dry pleural dissemination were pleural small nodules (n=8, 100%) (>or=6 in number in all patients; 198/204 nodules were <5 mm in diameter and 6/204 were 5-10 mm) and uneven (n=4, 50%) or band-like (n=3, 38%) fissural thickening. By PET only, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of dry pleural dissemination were 25% (2/8), 90% (147/164), and 87% (149/172), respectively; by PET plus CT these were 100% (8/8), 100% (164/164), and 100% (172/172), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The CT findings of dry pleural dissemination are multiple small pleural nodules and uneven pleural thickening. Dry pleural dissemination should be diagnosed using CT findings at integrated PET/CT because lesions causing pleural dissemination without pleural effusion are usually beyond PET resolution.

Subtle pleural metastasis without large effusion in lung cancer patients: preoperative detection on CT

Objective

We wanted to describe the retrospective CT features of subtle pleural metastasis without large effusion that would suggest inoperable lung cancer.

Materials and Methods

We enrolled 14 patients who had open thoracotomy attempted for lung cancer, but they were proven to be inoperable due to pleural metastasis. Our study also included 20 control patients who were proven as having no pleural metastasis. We retrospectively evaluated the nodularity and thickening of the pleura and the associated pleural effusion on the preoperative chest CT scans. We reviewed the histologic cancer types, the size, shape and location of the lung cancer and the associated mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

Results

Subtle pleural nodularity or focal thickening was noted in seven patients (50%) having pleural metastasis and also in three patients (15%) of control group who were without pleural metastasis. More than one of the pleural changes such as subtle pleural nodularity, focal thickening or effusion was identified in eight (57%) patients having pleural metastasis and also in three patients (15%) of the control group, and these findings were significantly less frequent in the control group patients than for the patients with pleural metastasis (p = 0.02). The histologic types of primary lung cancer in patients with pleural metastasis revealed as adenocarcinoma in 10 patients (71%) and squamous cell carcinoma in four patients (29%). The location, size and shape of the primary lung cancer and the associated mediastinal lymphadenopathy showed no significant correlation with pleural metastasis.

Conclusion

If any subtle pleural nodularity or thickening is found on preoperative chest CT scans of patients with lung cancer, the possibility of pleural metastasis should be considered.

Retrospective review of lung cancer patients with pleural dissemination after limited operations combined with parietal pleurectomy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The long-term control of malignant effusion is necessary to achieve long-term survival in lung cancer patients with carcinomatous pleuritis. This report describes our results of limited operations including parietal pleurectomy (pl) on a hypothesis that the most effective target area for controlling malignant pleural effusion is the parietal pleura.

METHODS

Forty-two patients with pleural dissemination with/without malignant pleural effusion were analyzed retrospectively. The operative procedures used were partial resection of the primary site with pl in 20 cases, segmentectomy with pl in 2 cases, lobectomy with pl in 19 cases, and pl only in 1 case. Postoperative adjuvant treatment was performed in 31 patients.

RESULTS

Adenocarcinoma was the dominant histology, and the pathological stages were IIIB in 34 cases and IV (intrapulmonary metastasis) in 8 cases. The overall 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were 30.1%, 17.2%, and 10.3%, respectively. When stratified by the TNM classification, the overall 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were 56.3%, 32.1%, and 24.1%, respectively, in the T4N0M0 group and 21.1%, 7.0%, and 0%, respectively, in the T4N1-2M0 group (P = 0.0257). Among the 24 patients whose recurrent patterns could be identified, only 2 patients developed recurrent malignant effusion.

CONCLUSIONS

With appropriate patient selection, the use of limited surgery combined with pl followed by intrapleural and systemic chemotherapy appears to be effective in management of the disease.

Phase II trial of pleural photodynamic therapy and surgery for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer with pleural spread

PURPOSE

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with pleural spread is incurable, with median survival rates ranging from 6 to 9 months. Surgery alone fails to locally control this disease or extend survival beyond the accepted treatment, palliative chemotherapy.

METHODS

We conducted a phase II trial to evaluate the effects on local control and survival of combining surgery with intraoperative photodynamic therapy (PDT), a light-based cancer treatment, in patients with NSCLC with pleural spread. Patients received porfimer sodium (2 mg/kg), 24 hours before surgery, at which time all gross tumor was resected and followed by illumination of the hemithorax with 630 nm light to a measured dose of 30 J/cm(2). Photosensitizer levels in tumor and surrounding normal tissue were measured.

RESULTS

Twenty-two patients with NSCLC were enrolled; 17 underwent complete debulking and PDT, three underwent partial debulking/PDT, and two patients were unresectable. Local control of pleural disease at 6 months was achieved in 11 of 15 (73.3%; 95% CI, 44.9% to 92.2%) assessable patients. Median overall survival for all 22 patients was 21.7 months (95% CI, 17.7 to 25.8 months). Measured levels of porfimer sodium in tumor were greater than those measured in normal tissues, with ratios ranging from 1.19 to 22.42.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate surgery and PDT can be performed safely with very good local control. The median survival of 21.7 months, calculated from the time of surgery and PDT is encouraging. Further evaluation of this therapy is warranted.

Survival and prognostic factors of surgically resected T4 non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Category T4 nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) encompasses heterogenous subgroups. We retrospectively analyzed the survival of patients with surgically resected T4 NSCLC to evaluate the evidence for prognostic implications according to the subgroups of T4 category, nodal status, and resection completeness.

METHODS

Seventy-six patients with T4N0-2M0 NSCLC were divided into three subgroups within the T4 category: 24 patients with the tumor invading the mediastinal organs (mediastinal group), 16 with a malignant pleural effusion or dissemination (pleural group), and 36 with satellite tumor nodules within the ipsilateral primary tumor lobe (satellite group). Complete resection was possible in 47 patients (61.8%). The pathologic N statuses were N0 in 28, N1 in 13, and N2 in 35 patients.

RESULTS

The overall survival of the 76 patients was 19.1% at 5 years. The overall 5-year survivals according to the three subgroups of the T4 category were as follows: mediastinal group, 18.2%; pleural group, 0%; and satellite group, 26.7% (mediastinal/satellite versus pleural, p = 0.037). Factors significantly influencing the overall 5-year survival were the pathologic N status (N2 versus N0-1, p = 0.022) and the completeness of resection (complete versus incomplete, p = 0.0001). A multivariate survival analysis demonstrated that the pathologic N status and the completeness of resection were significant independent predictors of a poorer prognosis even after adjusting for the subgroup of the T4 category.

CONCLUSIONS

Resectable T4N0-1 NSCLC that is not due to pleural disease deserves consideration of aggressive surgical resection with expected 5-year survival of about 20%.

[Thoracocentesis for the assessment of lung cancer with pleural effusion]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the pleural and mediastinal effect of thoracentesis tumor-positive cytology in pleural effusions (PE) detected by chest X ray of lung cancer patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study was performed in patients with lung cancer for whom PE was evident in chest X ray films, who then underwent thoracentesis followed by video-assisted thoracoscopy (VAT) to evaluate direct pleural tumor infiltration, mediastinal node involvement and the existence of pleural metastasis. Patients without contraindication underwent the procedure, even if tumor positive cytology was present. When pleural metastasis was found the treatment employed was talc pleurodesis and chemotherapy. Descriptive statistics were compiled and the validity of VAT for pleural metastasis diagnosis, of thoracentesis pleural cytology to detect infiltration of the tumor-adyacent pleura, N2 disease and pleural metastasis were calculated. Survival was also analyzed.

RESULTS

PE was present in 188 of 971 consecutive lung cancer patients. Seventy two PEs were visible in the chest X ray films. Volume exceeded 425 mL. Tumor positive pleural cytology was detected in 29 cases (40%). Pleural metastasis were found in 54 patients, 23 of whom had tumor positive pleural cytology. In the other 6 patients with positive cytology the primary neoplasm infiltrated the visceral pleura, completely in 5. In 4 of those 5, the mediastinal pleura was also involved. The primary tumor and diseased lymph nodes were removed from 11 patients, 3 of them with tumoral pleural cytology. Visual pleural inspection by VAT had a sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 82%, positive predicted value (PPV) of 94% and negative predicted value (NPV) of 78% for the diagnosis of pleural metastasis. Thoracentesis cytology showed a sensitivity of 43%, specificity of 67%, PPV of 79% and NPV of 28% for pleural metastasis. For the evaluation of adjacent pleura infiltration, without pleural metastasis, the sensitivity of cytology was 40%, specificity 100%, PPV 100% and NPV 25%. For mediastinal node invasion clinically evaluated, the sensitivity of cytology was 55%, specificity of 62%, PPV 18% and NPV 90%. Survival after thoracotomy was 39% after 2 years, and the median survival time was 14.5 months. In the 11 resected patients, survival was 53% at two years. The difference in survival between patients treated by thoracotomy and those treated by talc pleurodesis after VAT was significant (p < 0.01). The 3 resected patients with pleural tumor-positive cytology survived 84, 39 and 25 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Nineteen percent of patients with lung cancer have PE, of which 7% can be seen in chest X ray films. In such patients the likelihood of pleural metastasis is 75%. Pleural metastasis is not necessarily present when PE cytology indicates that tumor is present. VAT can be considered the ideal technique for the assessment of direct pleural invasion by the tumor or of pleural metastasis.

Malignant minor pleural effusion detected on thoracotomy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer: is tumor resection beneficial for prognosis?

BACKGROUND

This study attempts to clarify the benefit of surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with malignant minor pleural effusion that is detected at thoracotomy.

METHODS

Records of surgical patients with NSCLC were reviewed, with a definition of minor pleural effusion as less than 300 mL. The patients were divided into three groups as follows: (1) group C consisted of patients who underwent grossly complete resection; group I, patients with incomplete tumor resection; and group E, patients who underwent exploratory thoracotomy only.

RESULTS

There were 196 patients who had minor pleural effusion; of these, 96 (46%) underwent an examination to define the malignancy status of pleural effusion after surgery. In 43 patients (45%), the effusion was found to be malignant. The median survival time and 5-year survival rate, respectively, were 13 months and 9% for group C (n = 11); 34 months and 10% for group I (n = 14; p = 0.3); and 17 months and 0% for group E (n = 18; p = 0.8).

CONCLUSIONS

Tumor resection is not beneficial for the survival of patients with NSCLC who have a minor malignant pleural effusion.

Prognostic implication of Ki-67 immunostaining in treating subclinical pleural cancer found at thoracotomy in lung cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Therapeutic principles for managing subclinical pleural cancer found unexpectedly during intraoperative examination are unclear. We analyzed prognostic factors including the tumor proliferative marker Ki-67 in these circumstances.

METHODS

The cases of 65 surgically treated patients with lung cancer and subclinical T4 pleural cancer, microscopic in 25 and macroscopic in 40, were reviewed.

RESULTS

The overall 5-year survival rate of patients undergoing lobectomy was 14.3%. For patients with T4 NO disease, the 5-year survival rate was 46.7%. In patients with a low Ki-67 labeling index, the 5-year survival rate was 28.6%. The Ki-67 labeling index was a significant (p < 0.05) indicator of survival. Multivariate analysis demonstrated Ki-67 labeling index, lymph node involvement, and tumor differentiation to be the most influential prognostic factors for postoperative survival (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

In the treatment of lung cancer patients with subclinical pleural cancer found at thoracotomy, tumor resection is not necessarily contraindicated. Resection appears to be beneficial in patients with no nodal involvement or a low tumor Ki-67 labeling index. This index is a good therapeutic indicator for lung cancer patients.

Clinicopathological and biological assessment of lung cancers with pleural dissemination

BACKGROUND

This study provides the surgical outcome of lung cancer patients with pleural dissemination, with the assessment of the clinicopathological and biological prognostic factors.

METHODS

Forty-three patients who underwent operations were studied. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and autocrine motility factor receptor (AMFR/gp78) expression was immunohistochemically evaluated.

RESULTS

In total, the overall 3 and 5-year survival rates were 31.4% and 13.1%, respectively. The patients who underwent the pleuropneumonectomy had a worse outcome than those who underwent limited operations (pleurectomy plus parenchymal resections were less than pneumonectomy). VEGF and AMFR/gp78 were highly expressed in primary tumors. Among the patients who underwent limited operations, pathological types other than adenocarcinoma and high expression of VEGF were significantly associated with a worse outcome. The pathological type was the only characteristic to retain a significant independent prognostic impact on overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The results imply the validation of limited operation for lung cancer with pleural dissemination for the local control. High frequency of VEGF and AMFR/gp78 expression conform to the interpretation that patients with pleural dissemination have a high-risk of systemic disease.

The 1997 International Staging System for non-small cell lung cancer: have all the issues been addressed?

The International Staging System for Lung Cancer has been revised recently. Important changes have been made to allow better correlation of prognoses and direction of management. The classification of synchronous pulmonary nodules in the same lobe as the primary tumor as T4 stage IIIB may imply a poorer outcome than is warranted, while the designation of a similar stage for malignant pleural effusion may not be reflective of the very poor prognosis associated with this extent of disease.