Hidetaka Uramoto

Recurrence after surgery in patients with NSCLC.

Surgery remains the only potentially curative modality for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and tissue availability is made possible. However, a proportion of lung cancer patients develop recurrence, even after curative resection. This review discusses the superiority of surgery, the reasons for recurrence, the timing and pattern of recurrence, the identification of factors related to recurrence, current provisions for treatment and perspectives about surgery for patients with NSCLC.

Fas expression in non-small cell lung cancer: its prognostic effect in completely resected stage III patients

The aim of this study was to examine Fas expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and examine its correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis. Fas expression was determined by an immunohistochemical analysis using the labelled streptavidin-biotin method from 220 paraffin specimens of completely resected primary stage I-III NSCLC. 80 (36%) of 220 cases were positive for Fas immunostaining. These 80 cases included 44 adenocarcinomas (33%) and 30 squamous cell carcinomas (40%). 33 stage I (33%) 13 (43%) stage II and 34 (37%) stage III tumours were Fas positive. No statistically significant differences were observed regarding the Fas status with respect to age, sex, histological type, or stage of disease. There was no significant difference in survival between early stage (stages I-II) disease patients with positive Fas expression and those with a negative expression (P = 0.719). However, for patients with completely resected stage III tumours, the patients with positive Fas staining were found to survive for a longer period than those with negative staining (P = 0.026).

Prediction of pulmonary complications after a lobectomy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND Although the preoperative prediction of pulmonary complications after lung major surgery has been reported in various papers, it still remains unclear. METHODS Eighty nine patients with stage I–IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent a complete resection at our institute from 1994–8 were evaluated for the feasibility of making a preoperative prediction of pulmonary complications. All had either a predicted postoperative forced vital capacity (FVC) of >800u2009ml/m2 or forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) of >600u2009ml/m2. RESULTS Postoperative complications occurred in 37 patients (41.2%) but no patients died during the 30 day period after the operation. Pulmonary complications occurred in 20 patients (22.5%). Univariate analysis indicated that the factors significantly related to pulmonary complications were FVC <80%, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level ⩾230u2009U/l, and arterial oxygen tension (Pao 2) <10.6u2009kPa (80u2009mmu2009Hg). In a multivariate analysis the three independent predictors of pulmonary complications were serum LDH ⩾230u2009U/l (odds ratio (OR) 10.5, 95% CI 1.4 to 77.3), residual volume (RV)/total lung capacity (TLC) ⩾30% (OR 6.0, 95% CI 1.1 to 33.7), and Pao 2 <10.6u2009kPa (OR 5.6, 95% CI 1.4 to 22.2). CONCLUSIONS The above findings indicate that three factors (serum LDH levels of ⩾230u2009U/l, RV/TLC ⩾30%, and Pao 2 <10.6u2009kPa) may be associated with pulmonary complications in patients undergoing a lobectomy for NSCLC, even though the patient group was relatively small for statistical analysis of such a diverse subject as pulmonary complications.

A Study of Surgically Resected Peripheral Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with a Tumor Diameter of 1.0 CM or Less

Background and Aims: The widespread use of high resolution computed tomography has increased the number of small peripheral lung cancers. This study reviewed the clinicopathological features of the patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a tumor diameter of 1 cm or less, in order to explore the adequate management of such small sized lung cancers. Material and Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of consecutive 58 patients (5.3% out of 1095 patients) who underwent a complete resection for a peripheral NSCLC with a diameter of 1.0 cm or less. The clinical features and outcomes were compared with 203 patients with NSCLC with a diameter between 1.1 and 2.0 cm. Results: The mean age was 64.5 years and there were 26 males and 32 females. Clinical stage was IA in 57 (98%) and IIIA in 1. Lobectomy was performed in 39 patients, segmentectomy in nine, and nonanatomic wedge resection in ten. Two patients, who underwent systemic lymph node dissection, had mediastinal lymph node metastasis and were diagnosed as pathological stage IIIA; however they did not relapse after surgery. One patient with pathological stage IA papillary adenocarcinoma died due to brain metastases. The five-year overall survival rate and disease free survival rate was 95.0% and 95.3%, respectively. Patients with NSCLC of 1.0 cm or less showed significantly better survival than those with tumors measuring 1.1–2.0 cm in size (p = 0.048). Discussion: The indications for avoiding systemic lymph node dissection for operable NSCLC should not be based on the size of the tumor. A small-sized lung cancer might be surgically treated before the tumor enlarges to more than 1.0 cm in size.

Primary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Peripheral Lungs

We herein report a very rare case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the peripheral lungs. A 77-year-old female visited a family physician for aortitis syndrome, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. A follow-up chest computed tomography scan for aortitis syndrome revealed a nodule in the middle lobe of the right lung. Although a transbronchial lung biopsy was attempted, a definitive diagnosis could not be made. Because the possibility of lung malignancy could not be ruled out, thoracoscopic wedge resection of the middle lobe was performed. The intraoperative pathological diagnosis revealed carcinoma of the lungs and we performed middle lobectomy under complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. A histopathological examination demonstrated an adenoid cystic carcinoma with a characteristic cribriform structure.

Results of a surgical resection for patients with thymic carcinoma.

Objectives: This study investigated the clinical features of patients with complete resection of thymic carcinoma. Patients and Methods: The clinical records from 11 patients who underwent a complete resection of thymic carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Twelve of 22 patients underwent a resection (a complete resection in 11 and an incomplete in 1). Six of the 11 patients with complete had confirmed recurrent tumors. The 5-year survival rate was 45.4%, and the median survival time was 50.6 months. The patients who underwent complete resection showed significantly better prognosis than cases with incomplete resection and inoperable cases (p = 0.048). Three of the 6 patients had a recurrence within 1 year. Frequent sites of recurrence were the pleura, pericardium, and lung. Conclusions: A complete resection improved the prognosis of thymic carcinoma. Further prospective studies regarding postoperative adjuvant therapy are necessary to prevent local recurrence after a surgical resection for thymic carcinoma.

Surgical Treatment of Patients With Stenosis of the Central Airway due to Tracheal Tumours

This study retrospectively evaluated bronchoscopic and surgical treatments for patients with central airway stenosis due to tracheal tumours. Seven patients treated by resection and reconstruction of the trachea for tracheal tumours between 1994 and 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. The most common histological finding was thyroid carcinoma (n = 3), followed by adenoid cystic carcinoma (n = 2), a metastatic thyroid tumour (n = 1), and a benign granular cell tumour (n = 1). Three of the patients required preoperative laser treatment (Nd:YAG) for recanalization. Five patients underwent end-to-end anastomosis for reconstruction. There was no postoperative mortality or morbidity such as anastomotic insufficiency of the reconstructed trachea. Three patients with a microscopic residual tumour required postoperative external radiotherapy. Surgical resection of malignant tracheal tumours is recommended not only for curative purposes, but also for reduction of the risk of smothering.

Primary Pulmonary Angiosarcoma Presenting with Hemoptysis and Ground-Glass Opacity: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Angiosarcoma originates from the vascular endothelium and accounts for only 1-2% of all sarcomatous malignancies. The skin is one of the most common primary sites. However, primary pulmonary angiosarcoma is rare, and only 31 cases of primary pulmonary angiosarcoma have been reported. A 79-year-old Japanese female developed bloody sputum, and chest X-ray and chest computed tomography (CT) showed consolidation with ground-glass opacity (GGO) on the right middle and lower lung fields. The bronchoscopic findings demonstrated bleeding from the right B(4) and B(5), and bronchial arterial embolization was subsequently performed. However, the CT findings demonstrated new pulmonary nodules with GGO in the left lung, and she presented with hemosputum and a progression of anemia. Right hemothorax also occurred, and surgical lung resection was performed to control the bleeding. The pathological analysis of the resected lung revealed the focal growth of atypical alveolar epithelioid-like cells that were positive for CD31 and negative for epithelial membrane antigen, and these atypical cells were replacing the endothelium of the pulmonary artery. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with pulmonary angiosarcoma, which might originate from the endothelium of the pulmonary artery. No abnormal findings were observed except for the pulmonary involvement on systemic CT scanning. However, the patient passed away due to respiratory failure with compression of the brainstem caused by brain metastasis three months after the first visit. Early surgical resection is the important treatment for patients with angiosarcoma. In addition, we review the literature reporting the patients with primary pulmonary angiosarcoma.

Intrapericardial Vessel Management for Lung Cancer Surgery

Intrapericardial vessel management is one of the necessary techniques for respiratory surgeons. We collected cases that had undergone intrapericardial vessel management for lung cancer, and herein discuss the practical performance and safety of this treatment method. We identified 23 (5.6%) of 413 patients who had undergone lung cancer surgery during the 30-month period from January 2011 to June 2013 at our institution. Twenty cases had large sized tumors near the hilum. Three cases demonstrated severe adhesion in the intrathoracic region due to a previous operation. The lung cancer staging was stage ⅠA in 1 case, stage ⅠB in 4 cases, stage ⅡB in 5 cases, stage ⅢA in 11 cases, stage ⅢB in 1 case, and stage Ⅳ in 1 case. We performed lobectomy in 11 cases, bilobectomy in 6 cases, and pneumonectomy in 6 cases. The average operation time was 366 minutes (137-965). Post operative complications were observed in five cases, including two cases of air-leakage and three cases of arrhythmia. All cases were able to walk on foot at discharge. It is important to clearly understand intrapericardial anatomy in order to carry out successful intrapericadial vessel management.