[Gefitinib treatment for carcinomatous meningitis in non-small cell lung cancer]

BACKGROUND

Carcinomatous meningitis is a major complication in Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Despite treatment with radiotherapy alone or in combination with intrathecal and systemic chemotherapy, its prognosis remains poor.

OBSERVATION

We report a case of a female non-smoker with adenocarcinoma with bronchoalveolar features presenting with carcinomatous meningitis three years after the diagnosis of her primary tumour. Gefitinib treatment was proposed because of the persistence of meningitic symptoms despite cranial irradiation. Clinical response was observed within 3 weeks and lasted for 9 months.

CONCLUSION

Gefitinib may be effective in treating carcinomatous meningitis complicating NSCLC and should be considered in this situation given the absence of effective alternatives.

Iatrogenic esophagobronchial fistula arising in irradiated Barrett's esophagus

A 47-yr-old male underwent a right upper lobectomy for stage IIB bronchoalveolar carcinoma followed by 4600 Gy of irradiation. One year later a fistula formed from an ulcerated region of Barrett's esophagus into the left main bronchus. Bronchotomy repair with onlay patch intercostal muscle flap and esophageal repair with serratus anterior muscle flap plus postoperative esophageal stent placement for stricture resulted in good functional results.

Postoperative radiotherapy in radically resected non-small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

To evaluate the value of adjuvant postoperative external-beam radiation (EBR) in patients with radically resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) pT1-3 pN0-2 compared to patients with resected NSCLC without adjuvant EBR.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In 155 patients (121 male, 34 female; mean age, 59 years) 105 lobectomies, 12 bilobectomies, and 38 pneumonectomies with radical lymph node dissection of the contralateral [corrected] side were performed. Postoperative staging was done according to the TNM system and was as follows: pT1 (n=38), pT2 (n=89), pT3 (n=28); pN0 (n=39), pN1 (n=67) and pN2 (n=49). Histopathologic study revealed 68 squamous cell carcinomas, 53 adenocarcinomas, 21 large cell carcinomas, 6 adenosquamous cell carcinomas, and 7 bronchioloalveolar cell carcinomas. All patients were randomly assigned into two treatment groups: 72 patients with no further treatment (control group), and 83 patients (EBR group) with adjuvant postoperative EBR of the bronchial stump and mediastinum (50 to 56 Gy, 8 or 23 MV photons, 2 Gy/d, 5 d/wk) beginning 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.

RESULTS

The overall 5-year survival rate (median observation time, 43 months) of all patients was 24.1% (EBR group, 29.7%; control group, 20.4%; p>0.05, not significant). The relative risk of the EBR group was 0.85 with a two-sided confidence interval of 0.66 to 1.09. The overall 5-year recurrence-free survival was 20.6% (EBR, 27.1%; control group, 15.6%; p=0.07). The relative risk of the EBR group was 0.80 with a confidence interval of 0.63 to 1.01. The rate of local recurrences at the bronchial stump and/or mediastinum was significantly smaller in the EBR group (n=5) than in the control group (n=17) (p<0.01). Multivariate analysis (chi2 test) demonstrated an independent influence of postoperative EBR on the incidence of local recurrences. The incidence of distant metastases was slightly but not significantly higher in patients without EBR (38 patients) compared to those who had EBR (32 patients).

CONCLUSION

High-dose postoperative EBR to the mediastinum significantly reduces the risk of local recurrence at the bronchial stump and/or mediastinum. Age, sex, histologic subtype, tumor size, surgical approach, or extent of lymph node involvement had no prognostic value--only postoperative EBR had an independent influence on the risk of local recurrence. The effect of postoperative EBR was on the verge of significance with respect to recurrence-free survival and showed the same tendency in overall survival, however with an attenuated relative risk.

[Bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma. The computed tomographic picture and histological correlations]

Twenty-one CT examinations of 18 patients with a known bronchioloalveolar carcinoma in the lung were retrospectively reviewed to describe the CT features of bronchioloalveolar carcinomas. Surgical specimens were available in 13 cases in which CT-histologic correlation was also obtained. In 5 patients the diagnosis was made with cytology and confirmed with radiologic-clinical follow-up. Three patients were reexamined for relapses 6-20 months after the resection of a localized carcinoma. Carcinomas exhibited 3 radiologic patterns: a) solitary pulmonary nodule (11 cases), b) mass or pulmonary consolidation (3 cases) and c) multicentric or diffuse disease (7 cases). Solitary nodular bronchioloalveolar carcinomas were associated with irregular or spiculated margins in 9 of 11 patients. In some cases internal inhomogeneity due to bubble-like radiolucencies was demonstrated. At pathology, bubble-like radiolucencies correlated with air-containing cystic spaces lined by neoplastic epithelium or patent and dilated bronchi. Some nodules exhibited linear and serpentine internal radiolucencies. Pathology demonstrated them to be consistent with patent intratumoral bronchioles (air bronchiologram) and air-containing neoplastic glandular spaces, respectively. In two cases a perinodular ground-glass halo was demonstrated surrounding the nodule (CT halo sign), due to perinodular lepidic tumor growth. Massive or ground-glass opacity involving a pulmonary segment or a lobe was another CT pattern of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. An air bronchogram was usually demonstrated within the lesion. In the mucinous type of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, pulmonary consolidations had a low CT value because of the large amount of intratumoral mucus. The diffuse type of tumor presented as multiple pulmonary nodules or multiple pulmonary consolidations, or both. In two cases multiple nodules were associated with carcinomatous lymphangitis. In conclusion, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodules, multiple pulmonary nodules and chronic alveolar opacities. The diagnosis of a bronchioloalveolar carcinoma is of great value since surgery can help nearly 70% of the patients at this stage recover.

Primary placement of osseointegrated implants in microvascular mandibular reconstruction

The goal of mandibular reconstruction is to rehabilitate the patient by restoring occlusal relationships, lower facial contour, oral continence, and a denture-bearing surface. One of the major advantages of the use of vascularized bone over all other methods of mandibular reconstruction is its ability to achieve dental rehabilitation rapidly. The use of osseointegrated dental implants is a valuable adjunct in oral rehabilitation. It provides the most rigid form of stabilization to withstand the forces of mastication. In situations in which soft tissue reconstruction or the height of the alveolar ridge is not sufficient for a tissue-borne denture, implants offer the most suitable alternative. Mandibular reconstruction with free tissue transfer techniques is ideally suited for the placement of implants. These can be inserted at the time of mandibular reconstruction. Four months after surgery, when the integration process has occurred, the implants are unroofed, loaded, and ready for prosthetic placement. We will present several representative patients who underwent mandibular reconstruction with microvascular free bone transfer who have been successfully rehabilitated by osseointegrated implants. The process of osseointegration, different types of dental implants, and issues regarding radiation and implants are discussed. This is the first report of dental rehabilitation by primary placement of dental implants in patients undergoing microvascular mandibular reconstruction.

[Endoluminal irradiation of tracheobronchial tumors using a high dose rate iridium-192 afterloading device]

We report about 50 patients with inoperable bronchus tumors treated since March 1986 in a prospective non randomized study with high dose rate iridium-192 afterloading (AL) irradiation in 140 applications. 26 patients were treated combined with external irradiation. 32 were treated before with laser therapy, one with chemotherapy (small cell carcinoma). The actuarial survival rate (Kaplan-Meier) was 26% after 36 weeks for all patients; 38% for combined endoluminal and external irradiation and 9% for patients treated with AL alone. Death was caused by the local tumor in 85%. In 41% lethal bleeding was seen.

Cytostatic effects of bleomycin and cis-platinum in A549 human lung tumour cells using autofeeder conditions

Residual colony forming ability (CFA) of cells from a human alveolar carcinoma (A549) was determined after 48 hours of contact with bleomycin (BLM) or cisdichlorodiammineplatinum (II) (DDP) using feeder cells arising from parallel cultures left in contact with sublethal BLM or DDP concentrations. The CFA of untreated cells was 60 to 80% (45% with X-irradiated feeder cells). Growing cultures were more resistant to DDP and more sensitive to BLM than plateau phase cultures. Subclones arising from a first treatment were resistant to a second BLM or X-ray treatment, but more sensitive to a second DDP treatment.

Irradiated lung cancer. An autopsy analysis of spread pattern

The spread pattern was studied in 48 autopsied cases of irradiated, apparently localized lung cancer. Disease was found in the upper abdomen in 52%, in the brain in 8.7%; in the bones in 20.8%; and confined to the thoracic cavity in 27%. Radical irradiation controlled 38% locally. The pattern of metastasis in these irradiated lung tumors did not seem to differ from that of unirradiated lung cancers reported elsewhere.