Short- and long-term outcomes after large pulmonary resection for germ cell tumors after bleomycin-combination chemotherapy

The Impact of Bleomycin Deficit on Survival in Hodgkin's Lymphoma Patients: A Retrospective Study

PURPOSE

Hodgkin's lymphoma is currently treated with a chemotherapy protocol consisting of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine. Due to Brazil facing a bleomycin shortage in 2017, and this drug's high toxicity, this retrospective study evaluates the effect that the absence of bleomycin had on treatment response and overall survival of Hodgkin's lymphoma patients.

METHODS

The medical records of 126 HL patients treated between 2007 and 2021 were reviewed and their data collected, followed by grouping into ABVD and AVD groups according to bleomycin use. Data concerning the patient's characteristics, cancer type, and treatment plan were analyzed with proportion tests, Kaplan-Meier curves. univariate Cox regression, and χ2 tests.

RESULTS

No discernible differences were found in this study between the overall survival and recurrence rate of patients treated with bleomycin compared to those without. Additionally, there was an increased risk of death in each subsequent cycle of chemotherapy of the complete ABVD protocol, demonstrating a risk of toxicity. Among the variables analyzed, hypertension and the presence of B symptoms were also associated with an increased risk of death, while the use of radiotherapy significantly improved survival.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that bleomycin did not impact the outcome of Hodgkin's lymphoma treatment. Moreover, the increased risk of death associated with its toxicity during each cycle of treatment raises concerns about its role as an essential component of the gold standard for Hodgkin's lymphoma treatment. Therefore, further research and consideration are needed to reassess the use of bleomycin in Hodgkin's lymphoma treatment protocols.

Survival Outcomes of Patients With Mediastinal Germ Cell Tumors: Experience of a Cancer Center in South America

PURPOSE

Mediastinal germ cell tumors (GCT) are rare neoplasms associated with poor survival prognosis. Due to their low incidence, limited information is available about this disease in South America. The objective of this study is to report the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with mediastinal GCT in a cancer center in Colombia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with mediastinal GCT treated at the National Cancer Institute at Bogota (Colombia) between 2008 and 2020. Survival curves were presented using the Kaplan-Meier method. Chi-square and Cox proportional hazard model tests were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Sixty-one patients were included in the study. Of them, 60 were male and 51 (83.6%) of whom had non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT). Twenty-nine patients (47.5%) presented with superior vena cava syndrome, and 18 (29.5%) patients had extrapulmonary metastatic involvement. The three-year overall survival (OS) of NSGCT patients was 26%. The 3-year OS of NSGCT patients who underwent surgical resection of residual mediastinal mass after chemotherapy was 59%. Non-surgical management after first-line chemotherapy was associated with a worse survival prognosis in NSGCT patients (p = 0.002). Ten patients with mediastinal seminomatous germ cell tumors (SCGT) achieved a 3-year OS of 100%.

CONCLUSION

Mediastinal NSGCT had poor outcomes. Surgery of the residual mass after first-line chemotherapy seems to improve the outcome of NSGCT patients. Advanced disease at presentation may reflect inadequate access to reference cancer centers in Colombia and potentially explain poor survival outcomes in this cohort. On the other hand, mediastinal SCGT is a biologically different disease; most patients will achieve disease remission and long-term survival with first-line chemotherapy.

Pulmonary metastasectomy in germ cell tumors and prostate cancer

Pulmonary oligo-metastases and oligo-recurrences are terms used to define a set of clinical conditions consisting of limited metastatic malignant disease characterized by an intermediate aggressive behavior compared to diffuse metastatic conditions. If the primary tumor has been controlled and extra-thoracic lesions are excluded, there is a suggestion in the medical literature that removal of such lesions could potentially prolong survival. The lungs are a common metastatic spreading site, especially from epithelial malignancies and sarcomas; pulmonary surgical or interventional metastasectomy have been proposed with curative intent in case of limited tumor load (usually less than 5 lesions). There are many series reporting data about colorectal, renal or breast lung metastasectomy, but the absence of multi centric prospective trials determines a lack of definitive evidence, especially for less common tumors such as metastatic germ cell and prostate cancer. They rarely present in the oligo-metastatic form and their management is often based on personal experience. The aim of our article is to review the latest evidence in the treatment of pulmonary metastatic germ cell and prostate tumors. We cover the full range of treatments: from surgery to ablative radiotherapy and combination of local and systemic therapy. Despite the absence of evidence based guidelines, it emerges that pulmonary metastasectomy should always be considered when general criteria for resection have been met. In germ cell tumors surgery should be mainly reserved for residual disease after chemotherapy, whereas in prostate cancer, pulmonary metastasectomy should be preferred to avoid or delay hormonal deprivation therapy and its side effects.

Pulmonary Metastasectomy for Germ Cell Tumors

Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are the most common malignancy among young men in the United States. Although prognosis is favorable and response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens is good, 10%–20% of patients with thoracic metastases require surgical management following completion of chemotherapy. Pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) has been employed for GCT patients with lung metastases for several decades. Outcomes have been excellent thus far. However, there have been no randomized controlled trials of PM in GCT and, as new surgical techniques are developed, there is variability in management. This article reviews the existing data on current management of pulmonary metastases in GCT, with attention paid to timing of surgery, surgical approaches, and complications.

Management of extraretroperitoneal masses in germ cell tumor

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Management of extraretroperitoneal (ERP) germ cell tumor (GCT) is a complex clinical scenario faced by urologic oncologists. This article reviews the indications and approach to management of ERP GCT masses.

RECENT FINDINGS

ERP GCT management starts with chemotherapy, and for any residual masses, a careful consideration of surgical intervention versus salvage chemotherapy. Decision-making regarding residual ERP masses hinges on tumor markers, and also the anatomical location. These factors should be contextualized by the patient's risk for teratoma or active GCT, which will impact outcome and thus weigh on decision-making conversations with patients who have advanced disease. Technical challenges of surgical management in the postchemotherapy setting also apply in ERP mass resection. The risks of surgical management in the lung and liver, in particular, add special considerations for morbidity. Surgical resection is often the only recourse for a patient who may have chemoresistant disease and may be an important step in achieving cure.

SUMMARY

Surgical management of ERP GCT requires multidisciplinary input, and the urologic oncologist can help guide management with particular emphasis on the indication, timing, and approach to surgical resection.

Bilateral Lung Transplantation for Bleomycin-Associated Lung Injury

This report details the successful use of bilateral lung transplantation for the management of severe postoperative bleomycin-associated lung injury. This case highlights that the extremely favorable prognosis of advanced testicular germ cell tumors after systemic chemotherapy (>90% cure rate) should not preclude lung transplant consideration in all cases, despite current guidance that considers an advanced malignancy to be a contraindication for lung transplant listing. The Oncologist 2017;22:620-622.

Save or sacrifice the internal mammary pedicle during anterior mediastinotomy?

Ligation and dissection of internal mammary vessels is the most under-estimated complication of anterior mediastinotomy. However, patients requiring anterior mediastinotomy may experience long survival that makes the development of ischemic heart disease throughout their life possible. Therefore, the un-judicial sacrifice of the internal mammary pedicle may deprive them from the benefit to have their internal mammary artery used as a graft in order to successfully bypass severe left anterior descending artery stenoses. We recommend the preservation of the internal mammary pedicle during anterior mediastinotomy, which should be a common message among our colleagues from the beginning of their training.

[Surgery for thoracic metastases from urological malignancies]

Surgery of thoracic metastases from urological malignancies essentially concerns renal carcinoma and non seminomatous testicular germ cell tumors (NSGCT). Complete resection of renal cell cancer lung metastases can be done with low mortality and an appreciable long survival rate, especially for single lesion with a long free interval. For NSGCT, resection of all pulmonary lesions and mediastinal residual masses after chemotherapy affords a very high long term survival rate. In the case of multiple lesions, surgical approaches must be carefully chosen.

Fall in Diffusing Capacity Associated With Induction Therapy for Lung Cancer: A Predictor of Postoperative Complication?

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary resection after induction therapy is associated with high rates of pulmonary morbidity and mortality. However, the impact of induction therapy on the pulmonary toxicity and associated pulmonary complications has not been fully investigated in the setting of lung cancer surgery.

METHODS

We assessed the 66 consecutive patients who underwent a pulmonary resection after induction therapy, 48 of whom received chemoradiotherapy and 18, chemotherapy alone. Results of pulmonary function before and after induction therapy were compared, and logistic regression analyses utilized to explore the risk factors of pulmonary morbidity.

RESULTS

After induction therapy, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was increased significantly (from 2.28 +/- 0.61 L to 2.40 +/- 0.62 L; p < 0.05); however, percent vital capacity (%VC) and FEV1/FVC did not change significantly. The diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide (D(LCO)) was decreased significantly by 21% (from 90.3% +/- 18.3% to 71.1% +/- 12.5%; p < 0.0005). Patients with respiratory complication showed lower predicted postoperative %FEV1 (49.5% +/- 11.1% versus 57.2% +/- 14.2%; p = 0.031) and predicted postoperative %Dlco (41.9% +/- 8.0% versus 55.4% +/- 10.1%; p < 0.0001) results than those without complications. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that predicted postoperative %D(LCO) alone was an independent factor to predict postoperative pulmonary morbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients who undergo a pulmonary resection after induction therapy, predicted postoperative %D(LCO) is more important to predict pulmonary morbidity rather than static pulmonary function (predicted postoperative %VC or %FEV1). The decrease in D(LCO) is thought to reflect a limited gas exchange reserve, caused by the potential toxicity of chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. We believe that the impact of diffusion limitation after induction therapy should to be emphasized to decrease the pulmonary morbidity.