Treatment of pulmonary nodule: from VATS to RATS

Navigation of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery using electromagnetic versus CT-guided localization (NOVEL): a study protocol for comparing procedural success and complication rates in a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled, non-inferiority phase III trial

Background

The rise of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has increased the detection of small pulmonary nodules, demanding more effective localization techniques for their resection. Minimally invasive resection utilizing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a critical method for treating these nodules. However, traditional computed tomography (CT)-guided localization has limitations such as invasiveness and patient discomfort. The current gap in knowledge relates to the potential advantages of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) in reducing complications and improving procedural efficiency. The NOVEL trial evaluates the non-inferiority of ENB-guided labeling against CT-guided puncture for lung nodule localization.

Methods

This multicenter, randomized, controlled, non-inferiority phase III trial includes 156 participants across four Chinese hospitals, randomized to undergo either ENB-guided or CT-guided localization prior to VATS sub-lobar resection. Randomization is performed using sealed opaque envelopes to ensure allocation concealment. Primary outcomes are the procedural success rates and complication rates of both techniques, with secondary outcomes including procedure times and lesion margins.

Discussion

The NOVEL trial aims to provide a detailed comparison of ENB-guided versus CT-guided localization for small pulmonary nodules. Establishing the safety and efficacy of the ENB method could significantly influence clinical practices and improve patient outcomes.

Trial Registration

This trial was registered with the Medical Research Registration Platform (https://www.medicalresearch.org.cn), registration number MR-31-24-018575.

Factors associated with overdiagnosis of benign pulmonary nodules as malignancy: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To establish a preoperative model for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules (PNs), and to evaluate the related factors of overdiagnosis of benign PNs at the time of imaging assessments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this retrospective study, 357 patients (median age, 52 years; interquartile range, 46-59 years) with 407 PNs were included, who underwent surgical histopathologic evaluation between January 2020 and December 2020. Patients were divided into a training set (n = 285) and a validation set (n = 122) to develop a preoperative model to identify benign PNs. CT scan features were reviewed by two chest radiologists, and imaging findings were categorized. The overdiagnosis rate of benign PNs was calculated, and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate factors associated with benign PNs that were over-diagnosed as malignant PNs.

RESULTS

The preoperative model identified features such as the absence of part-solid and non-solid nodules, absence of spiculation, absence of vascular convergence, larger lesion size, and CYFRA21-1 positivity as features for identifying benign PNs on imaging, with a high area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.88 in the validation set. The overdiagnosis rate of benign PNs was found to be 50%. Independent risk factors for overdiagnosis included diagnosis as non-solid nodules, pleural retraction, vascular convergence, and larger lesion size at imaging.

CONCLUSION

We developed a preoperative model for identifying benign and malignant PNs and evaluating factors that led to the overdiagnosis of benign PNs. This preoperative model and result may help clinicians and imaging physicians reduce unnecessary surgery.

Radio-Guided Lung Surgery: A Feasible Approach for a Cancer Precision Medicine

BACKGROUND

Radio-guided surgery is a reliable approach used for localizing ground-glass opacities, lung nodules, and metastatic lymph nodes. Lung nodules, lymph node metastatic involvement, and ground-glass opacities often represent a challenge for surgical management and clinical work-up.

METHODS

PubMed research was conducted from January 1997 to June 2023 using the keywords "radioguided surgery and lung cancer".

RESULTS

Different studies were conducted with different tracers: technetium-99m-albumin macroaggregates, cyanoacrylate combined to technetium-99m-sulfur colloid, indium-111-pentetreotide, and fluorine-18-deoxyglucose. A study proposed naphthalocyanine radio-labeled with copper-64. Radio-guided surgery has been demonstrated to be a reliable approach in localizing a lesion, and has a low radiological burden for personnel exposure and low morbidity. The lack of necessity to conduct radio-guided surgery under fluoroscopy or echography makes this radio-guided surgery an easy way of performing precise surgical procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

Radio-guided surgery is a feasible approach useful for the intraoperative localization of ground-glass opacities, lung nodules, and metastatic lymph nodes. It is a valid alternative to the existing approaches due to its low cost, associated low morbidity, the possibility to perform the procedure after several hours, the low radiation dose applied, and the small amount of time that is required to perform it.

Virtual navigation bronchoscopy-guided intraoperative indocyanine green localization in simultaneous surgery for multiple pulmonary nodules

Background

Accurate localization of pulmonary nodules is the main difficulty experienced in wedge resection. Commonly used localization methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, clinical work has demonstrated that intraoperative indocyanine green localization under electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy/virtual navigation bronchoscopy (VNB) is more advantageous than conventional methods for patients with multiple pulmonary nodules undergoing simultaneous surgery, especially for those undergoing bilateral lung surgery.

Methods

Data of patients undergoing simultaneous surgery for multiple pulmonary nodules with preoperative methylene blue localization by computed tomography (CT)‐guided percutaneous lung puncture (methylene blue group) or intraoperative indocyanine green localization under VNB (virtual navigation group) were retrospectively analyzed. Patient characteristics, pulmonary nodule features, localization time, preoperative location time, location success rate, operation time, complication incidence, visceral pleural staining rate after localization, and pulmonary nodule primary resection success rate were compared between the two groups.

Results

The methylene blue and virtual navigation groups comprised 39 and 20 patients with 119 and 67 pulmonary nodules resected, respectively. Sex, age, number of pulmonary nodules resected simultaneously, unilateral/bilateral lung surgery, pulmonary nodule size, distance between pulmonary nodules and the visceral pleura, pulmonary nodule consolidation‐to‐tumor ratio, location of pulmonary nodules in the pulmonary lobe, postoperative pathology, visceral pleura staining rate, primary pulmonary nodule resection success rate, and surgical duration did not differ significantly between the groups (p > 0.05). The localization time of the virtual navigation group was significantly shorter than that of the methylene blue group (p < 0.05), regardless of unilateral or bilateral multiple nodules. In the methylene blue group, 25.64% (10/39) of patients presented complications, all of which were pneumothorax, whereas no complications were found in the virtual navigation group.

Conclusions

For patients with multiple pulmonary nodules undergoing simultaneous surgery, indocyanine green injection under VNB can achieve a similar effect on pulmonary nodule localization as classical methylene blue injection under CT‐guided percutaneous lung puncture, with shorter localization time and fewer complications.

Lung metastasectomy after colorectal cancer: prognostic impact of resection margin on long term survival, a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary metastasectomy is considered a potentially curative treatment for selected patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Several prognostic factors have been analysed, but to date, it is still not well defined which is the optimal resection margin during lung metastasectomy (LM). This study analyses the long-term results and prognostic factors after LM in CRC patients with particular attention to the resection margins. Primary endpoint of this study is to assess the correlation between resection margins and long-term outcomes.

METHODS

Observational cohort study on all proven cases of CRC lung metastases (2000-2016) resected with curative intent in a single centre.

RESULTS

The series included 210 consecutive patients (M/F 133/77) with a mean age of 65.4 (± 9.96) years, 75% (159/210) of them with a solitary metastasis. Mean size of metastasis was 2.57 cm (± 1.45). One hundred sixty-eight patients underwent wedge resections (80%) and lymphadenectomy was carried out in 90 cases (42.9%). With a mean follow-up of 56 months (range 5-192), we observed a 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) of 95%, 74% and 54%, respectively. The patients were divided into three groups according to the resection margin distance from the tumour: (a) ≥ 2 cm (145 cases); (b) < 2, ≥ 1 cm (37 cases); and (c) < 1 cm (12 cases). The OS was significantly different between the three groups (p = 0,020); univariate and multivariate analyses showed that a narrow resection margin was an independent prognostic factor of worse survival (p = 0.006 and HR 3.4 p = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term survival of patients after LM is strongly associated with a greater distance between the lesion and the resection margin.