Chenglin Guo

Prognostic impact of tumor-associated macrophage infiltration in non-small cell lung cancer: A systemic review and meta-analysis

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are important components of cancer microenvironment. In the present study, we searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library and Web of Science to perform a meta-analysis of 20 studies including a total of 2,572 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, in order to determine the association between TAMs and NSCLC prognosis. The combined hazard ratio (HR) of 9 studies showed that the density of total CD68+ TAMs in the tumor islet and stroma was not associated with overall survival (OS) of the patients. However, the pooled HR of 4 studies showed that high density of CD68+ TAMs in the tumor islet predicted better OS, while the pooled HR of 6 studies showed that high density of CD68+ TAMs in the tumor stroma was associated with poor OS. A high islet/stroma ratio of CD68+ TAMs was associated with better OS. A high density of M1 TAMs in the tumor islet was associated with better OS, while a high density of M2 TAMs in the tumor stroma predicted poor OS. These findings suggest that, although the density of total CD68+ TAMs is not associated with OS, the localization and M1/M2 polarization of TAMs are potential prognostic predictors of NSCLC.

Non-grasping en bloc mediastinal lymph node dissection for video-assisted thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery

BackgroundThis study aims to introduce an optimized method named “non-grasping en bloc mediastinal lymph node dissection (MLND)” through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).MethodsBetween February 2009 and July 2013, 402 patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) underwent “non-grasping en bloc MLND” conducted by one surgical team. Target lymph nodes (LNs) were exposed following non-grasping strategy with simple combination of a metal endoscopic suction and an electrocoagulation hook or an ultrasound scalpel. In addition, dissection was performed following a stylized three-dimensional process according to the anatomic features of each station. Clinical and pathological data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed.ResultsThe postoperative morbidity and mortality were 17.4% (70/402) and 0.5% (2/402), respectively. The total number of LNs (N1 + N2) was 16.0 ± 5.9 (range of 5–52), while the number of N2 LNs was 9.5 ± 4.0 (range of 3–23). The incidences of postoperative upstaging from N0 to N1 and N2 disease were 7.7% and 12.2%, respectively.ConclusionsNon-grasping en bloc MLND enables en bloc dissection of mediastinal LNs with comparable morbidity and oncological efficacy while saving troubles of excessive interference of instruments and potential damage to the target LN.

Surgical treatment of primary mediastinal myelolipoma

OBJECTIVES Primary mediastinal myelolipoma (PMM) is a rare benign tumour composed of haematopoietic tissue and mature adipose tissue. Here, we report the largest series aiming to investigate the outcomes of surgical treatment for patients with PMM. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the data of 12 patients operated in a single institute during the period between April 2008 and December 2014. RESULTS There were 7 female and 5 male patients between 54 and 73 years old (median age, 64 years). Among them, 11 patients underwent unilateral (n = 10) or bilateral (n = 1) mass resection via video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), and 1 patient underwent a planned open thoracotomy due to a large tumour volume. The VATS operating time ranged from 20 to 65 min (median, 30 min) and intraoperative blood loss ranged from 20 to 60 ml (median, 30 ml). The open thoracotomy operating time was 120 min, and the blood loss was 1000 ml; thus, the patient received blood transfusion (2 units of RBCs). No operative mortalities or major postoperative complications were observed. All patients experienced a regular follow-up ranging from 2 to 80 months with a median follow-up of 18 months. No recurrence was observed at the time of evaluation. CONCLUSIONS Surgical treatment is recommended for the diagnosis and treatment of PMM, while VATS is a safe and feasible option in most cases.

Pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor versus IgG4-related inflammatory pseudotumor: differential diagnosis based on a case series

BACKGROUND Pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) has been considered as a synonym for inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) for a long time. Recent studies have indicated that IMT and IgG4-related IPT are distinct diseases. However, no consensus criteria have been recommended. Here we propose a set of criteria for the differential diagnosis. METHODS Twenty-six archived IMT and IgG4-related IPT samples were examined for histological characteristics and the expression of IgG, IgG4, SMA and ALK-1. Based on our proposed criteria, we reclassified the cases into either IMT or IgG4-related IPT group and compared the clinicopathological features, laboratory findings, overall survivals (OS) and disease-free survivals between groups to validate the effectiveness and dependability of the diagnostic criteria. RESULTS The average age of IgG4-related IPT group was higher than IMTs (48.82 vs. 39.22 years, P=0.031). In IMT group, tumors were characterized by bigger tumor sizes (3.47 vs. 2.22 cm, P=0.007), diffuse and total destroyed alveoli (88.89% vs. 17.65%, P=0.002), fewer lymphoid follicles (1.6/HPF vs. 3.0/HPF, P=0.045) and lower expression of IgG (74.7/HPF vs. 149.1/HPF; P<0.001). As an exclusion criterion of IgG4-related IPT, ALK-positivity was correlated with the higher cytological atypia (mean 3.7/HPF, P<0.001) and lesser lymphoid follicles (mean 1.2/HPF, P=0.021). And its the first study to show the liner positive correlation between the lymphocytes + plasma cells count and IgG4-positive plasma cells count in these lesions (r=0.914, P<0.001). The negative correlation between the IgG4-positive plasma cells count and the expression of ALK-1 are reported for the first time as well (rs=-0.632, P=0.001). However, despite two patients with recurrence or metastasis were divided into IMT group, only borderline values were detected in the survival analysis (OS 88.89% vs. 100%, P=0.197, DFS 77.78% vs. 100.00%; P=0.056). CONCLUSIONS The significant differences of clinicopathological characteristics between the IMTs and IgG4-related IPTs indicated that a combination of lymphocytes + plasma cells count, cytological atypia, IgG4 and ALK-1 staining will be helpful in differential diagnosis.

Intrathoracic vertical overhanging approach for placement of an endo-stapler during single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy

Single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy is still difficult for most thoracic surgeons. Placement of an endo-stapler is one of the key issues when handling the bronchus or pulmonary vessels through one incision, especially if it would interfere with the traction belt. Therefore, we developed a novel method with an intrathoracic vertical overhanging approach to make the placement of the endo-stapler easier during single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy, and share our experience in this paper.

Single-staged uniportal VATS major pulmonary resection for bilateral synchronous multiple primary lung cancers

It is difficult to make diagnosis and treatment decision for patient with bilateral multiple pulmonary foci. Surgical resection can offer sufficient specimens for diagnostic differentiation and the greatest chance for long-term survival in patient with presumptive synchronous multiple primary lung cancers (SMPLC). Since uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a less invasive technique and has been attempted in lung cancer surgery, we transferred it into the management of SMPLC. In this paper, we report two cases of bilateral SMPLC managed through single-staged uniportal VATS with major pulmonary resection. This successful attempt provides an optimized idea to accomplish simplified mini-invasive diagnosis and synchronous treatment using the less invasive uniportal VATS technique for the management of SMPLC, especially for those with multiple bilateral lesions.

Characteristics of genomic alterations of lung adenocarcinoma in young never-smokers: Genomic alterations of lung adenocarcinoma

Non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been recognized as a highly heterogeneous disease with phenotypic and genotypic diversity in each subgroup. While never‐smoker patients with NSCLC have been well studied through next generation sequencing, we have yet to recognize the potentially unique molecular features of young never‐smoker patients with NSCLC. In this study, we conducted whole genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize the genomic alterations of 36 never‐smoker Chinese patients, who were diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) at 45 years or younger. Besides the well‐known gene mutations (e.g., TP53 and EGFR), our study identified several potential lung cancer‐associated gene mutations that were rarely reported (e.g., HOXA4 and MST1). The lung cancer‐related copy number variations (e.g., EGFR and CDKN2A) were enriched in our cohort (41.7%, 15/36) and the lung cancer‐related structural variations (e.g., EML4‐ALK and KIF5B‐RET) were commonly observed (22.2%, 8/36). Notably, new fusion partners of ALK (SMG6‐ALK) and RET (JMJD1C‐RET) were found. Furthermore, we observed a high prevalence (63.9%, 23/36) of potentially targetable genomic alterations in our cohort. Finally, we identified germline mutations in BPIFB1 (rs6141383, p.V284M), CHD4 (rs74790047, p.D140E), PARP1 (rs3219145, p.K940R), NUDT1 (rs4866, p.V83M), RAD52 (rs4987207, p.S346*), and MFI2 (rs17129219, p.A559T) were significantly enriched in the young never‐smoker patients with LUAD when compared with the in‐house noncancer database (p < 0.05). Our study provides a detailed mutational portrait of LUAD occurring in young never‐smokers and gives insights into the molecular pathogenesis of this distinct subgroup of NSCLC.

Image of the month: Colon-Like Megaesophagus.

A 68-year-old woman with a history of multiple myeloma was admitted for management of acute pancreatitis. Upper endoscopy revealed thickened and prominent duodenal folds, and biopsies were obtained (left two images). Congo red staining of the biopsy specimen showed amyloid deposition in the submucosa, blood vessels, and nerves (right two images). Primary amyloidosis involving the duodenum is rare.

Successful resection of a huge mediastinal liposarcoma extended to the bilateral thorax

Liposarcoma arising in the mediastinum is extremely rare. Herein we present a case of a 47‐year‐old man with a huge posterior mediastinal tumor that extended to the bilateral thorax. The patient underwent a complete resection of the tumor and experienced an uneventful recovery. Postoperative pathology finally revealed liposarcoma. The patient underwent follow‐up for 25 months, during which time no recurrence was found.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery double sleeve lobectomy for non- small cell lung cancer: a report of seven cases

Background: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) double sleeve lobectomy has been rarely reported. We aimed to summarize the techniques and outcomes of this challenging procedure for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) involving both the bronchus and pulmonary artery. Methods: From May 2012 to December 2016, seven patients were selected for VATS double sleeve lobectomy at our center, including four cases of left upper lobectomy and three cases of right upper lobectomy. Surgical procedures were performed with four ports for the first patient and three ports for the other patients. The “hollow out” process was designed for hilum dissection. The main pulmonary artery and interlobar artery were then blocked using two releasable atraumatic endoscopic Bulldog Clamps. Bronchovascular reconstruction was accomplished by the “two-needle-holder suturing technique” through directly watching a video monitor. Low-molecular heparin was subcutaneously administered during the first week after surgery. Results: The operations were uneventful. Surgical duration ranged from 250 to 480 min (median, 318 min) with blood loss between 30 to 200 mL (median, 200 mL). The average number of the dissected lymph nodes was 13 (range, 11–19). Two patients developed postoperative pneumonia with no mortalities. Prolonged air leak (>5 days) was observed in three patients. The median postoperative hospital stay was 15.5 days (range, 5–33 days). There were two cases of adenosquamous cell carcinoma and five cases of squamous cell carcinoma. One patient died of hemoptysis 50 days after surgery, and one died of metastatic lung cancer 2 years after surgery. The other five patients were alive without local recurrence at 4–58 months of follow-up. Conclusions: VATS bronchovascular double sleeve lobectomy is technically difficult but feasible for skilled thoracoscopic surgeons in experienced centers. More data are encouraged to assess the long-term outcomes of this new procedure.