Naohiro Taira

Salvage Operation for Late Recurrence After Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Lung Cancer: Two Patients With No Viable Cancer Cells

We report two patients who underwent salvage lung resection for suspected local recurrence on computed tomography image findings after stereotactic body radiotherapy; however, the pathologic findings indicated no viable tumor cells. Distinguishing between posttreatment changes and tumor recurrence after stereotactic body radiotherapy on the image findings is difficult; therefore, the determination of surgical indications requires comprehensive evaluations.

An analysis of and new risk factors for reexpansion pulmonary edema following spontaneous pneumothorax

BACKGROUND The major risk factor for reexpansion pulmonary edema (RPE) following the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax is thought to be chronic lung collapse. However, a long-term collapsed lung does not always cause RPE. The purpose of this study was to define other risk factors for RPE among patients undergoing drainage for the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed all the patients with spontaneous pneumothorax who had been treated at our hospital during a 5-year period. The duration of symptoms, location and size of the pneumothorax, size of the chest tube, and pleural effusion, which can occur coincidentally with pneumothorax, were compared in patients who did and did not experience RPE. RESULTS Forty patients were underwent drainage for the treatment of a spontaneous pneumothorax between January 2007 and December 2012. RPE developed in 13 of the 40 (32.5%) patients. In the multivariate analysis, the presence of pleural effusion coincident with pneumothorax contributed to the risk for RPE [odds ratios (OR), 1.557; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.290-1.880]. The duration of symptoms, location and size of the pneumothorax and size of the chest tube were similar between the groups. Symptomatic RPE was associated with a larger pneumothorax size. CONCLUSIONS The rate of RPE following spontaneous pneumothorax is higher than was previously reported. Our findings suggest the presence of pleural effusion coincidentally with pneumothorax may therefore be a new risk factor for RPE.

Long-term Survival after Surgical Treatment of Metachronous Bilateral Adrenal Metastases of Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma

Patient: Male, 70 Final Diagnosis: Bilateral adrenal metastasis Symptoms: — Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Surgery Specialty: Surgery Objective: Unusual or unexpected effect of treatment Background: Although resection of the metastases is the treatment of choice for unilateral solitary adrenal metastasis of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), the surgical treatment for bilateral adrenal metastases is quite rare, likely due to the coexistence of multiple synchronous metastases at other sites and/or primary adrenal insufficiency following bilateral adrenalectomy. We herein report a rare case of asynchronous metastasis of NSCLC to the bilateral adrenal glands with long-term survival after bilateral adrenalectomy. Case Report: A 70-year-old male underwent right upper lobectomy for lung adenocarcinomaT2aN2M0, stageIIIA following induction chemotherapy. Forty-four months later, right adrenalectomy of a right adrenal tumor was performed, which revealed metastatic lung carcinoma. Following the administration of adjuvant chemotherapy, a metastatic tumor was detected in the left adrenal gland. Although there were no other signs of distant metastasis on radiological examinations, he underwent the chemotherapy due to the risk of adrenal insufficiency. However, on follow-up CT the adrenal lesion was found to have enlarged; therefore, left adrenalectomy was performed. Three years and six months later, he was doing well, with no evidence of recurrence. Conclusions: Selected patients with solitary adrenal metastases of NSCLC can benefit from an aggressive treatment approach, even if such metastases are bilateral.

The long-term prognosis of induction chemotherapy followed by surgery for N2 non-small cell lung cancer: A retrospective case series study

Introduction The long-term prognosis of induction chemotherapy followed by surgery for N2 non-small lung cell cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. Patients and methods We retrospectively reviewed the data and assessed the prognosis of 31 N2-NSCLC patients who underwent induction chemotherapy followed by surgery at our institution between January 1999 and December 2013. Potential prognostic factors, such as age, gender, tumor histology, tumor marker levels, tumor size, the number of N2 lymph nodes, the time from the last induction chemotherapy to the date of surgery, induction chemotherapy, RECIST response, downstaging status, pathological stage, adjuvant chemotherapy, and EF, were analyzed. Results The chemotherapy regimens of 30 of the 31 patients included a platinum agent. Complete resection was performed in 96.7% of the cases. Pathological downstaging was induced in 9 (29%) of the 31 patients. The median follow-up period was 7.89 years. The median DFI was 13.9 months. The recurrence rate was 74.2%. The 5-year OS was 56.9%. Univariate analyses revealed that none of the factors significantly affected OS, while the tumor histology had a significant effect on the DFI. Conclusion Although the recurrence rate in our study was similar to previous studies, our survival data were much better than those of past reports. Although the tumor histology was the only factor that had a significant association with DFI in the current study, the possibility of bias exists.

Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection Coexisting with Lung Cancer: A Case Report and Review of Relevant Cases from the Literature

A 45-year-old man had an abnormal shadow in the right lung field on an annual screening chest X-ray. He was diagnosed with Stage IA (cT1bN0M0) lung cancer. Initially, we did not notice an anomalous vein on non-contrast computed tomography. However, we found that the right upper lobe bronchus branched from the lateral wall of the right main bronchial orifice, above the level of the common right upper lobe bronchus. Therefore, the bronchus was thought to be a tracheal bronchus. We carefully reevaluated the patient using three-dimensional computed tomography angiography. This technique showed that the anomalous right superior pulmonary vein drained into the azygos vein along the superior vena cava. These findings confirmed a partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection of the right upper lobe. We performed video-assisted thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection for definitive treatment for lung cancer and partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection. No hemodynamic problems occurred in the postoperative course.

Utility of the Serum ProGRP Level for Follow-up of Pulmonary Carcinoid Tumors

Patient: Female, 67 Final Diagnosis: Pulmonary carcinoid tumor Symptoms: Abnormal shadow on chest X-ray Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Pulmonology Objective: Rare disease Background: Although pulmonary carcinoid tumors are generally considered to represent a low-grade malignancy, atypical carcinoids are more aggressive than typical carcinoids, metastasizing more commonly to both regional lymph nodes and distant sites. The treatment of choice for localized disease is surgery. In cases of advanced or metastatic disease, medical treatments, including chemotherapy, have not been proven to be very successful. Therefore, providing careful follow-up is extremely important. In general, tumor markers, such as the level of CYFLA21-1, are often useful for monitoring lung cancer. However, there are currently no sensitive tumor markers for carcinoid tumors. We herein report a rare case of an atypical carcinoid of the lung with the elevation of the serum ProGRP level. Case Eeport: A 67-year-old female was referred to our hospital for an abnormal chest X-ray. CT revealed an 18×13 mm nodule in the right middle lobe with no significant mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The serum tumor marker, the ProGRP level, was significantly elevated (161 ng/ml). We performed a right middle lobectomy, because the pathological diagnosis of lung cancer was confirmed according to the results of a rapid frozen section biopsy of the lesion, although the pathological type could not be precisely determined by the frozen section alone. The final pathological diagnosis was atypical carcinoid. The level of ProGRP decreased (69 ng/ml) within 1 month after the surgery. Conclusions: The ProGRP level may be useful for monitoring carcinoid tumors, although no serum tumor markers are highly specific or sensitive for detecting recurrences and/or distant metastasis of pulmonary carcinoid tumors. In conclusion, ProGRP should be further evaluated as biomarker in a larger series of patients to determine whether it demonstrates any significant correlation with cancer recurrence.

Right Lower Lobectomy With Middle Lobe Preservation After Right Upper Lobectomy in Lung Cancer of the Right Lower Lobe

A 73-year-old woman who underwent right upper lobectomy for tuberculosis 40 years earlier was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, clinical stage IIA (T2bN0M0), in the right lower lobe of her lung. A lower lobectomy with preservation of the middle lobe was performed. The patient had an uneventful recovery. She is alive without signs of recurrence or requirement for additional oxygen support 6 years after the operation.

Analysis of gastrointestinal metastasis of primary lung cancer: Clinical characteristics and prognosis

The prevalence of gastrointestinal metastasis of lung cancer is low. The aim of the present study was to analyze the frequency and clinical characteristics of metastases to the gastrointestinal tract by retrospectively assessing the clinical records of 2,066 patients with lung cancer. A total of 7 patients (0.33%) were diagnosed with gastrointestinal metastasis, including 4 patients with adenocarcinoma, 1 patient with large cell carcinoma and 2 patients with pleomorphic carcinoma. Furthermore, 3 of the patients presented with small bowel metastases, 2 with gastric metastases, 1 with large bowel metastasis and 1 with metastasis of the appendix. The mean time between the diagnosis of the lung tumors and the identification of gastrointestinal metastasis was 13.5 months (range, 3-49 months). The mean time between the identification of the gastrointestinal metastasis and mortality was 100.6 days (range, 21-145 days). In conclusion, the prognosis of patients with recurrence in distant organs, including the gastrointestinal tract, may be worse than patients with recurrence in distant organs, excluding the gastrointestinal tract, particularly those with symptomatic gastrointestinal metastasis. Therefore, the presence of clinical gastrointestinal metastasis may be life threatening; comprehensive evaluations are required to detect and monitor gastrointestinal metastasis during follow-up.

Lung Cancer Detected 5 Years after Resection of Cancer of Unknown Primary in a Mediastinal Lymph Node: A Case Report and Review of Relevant Cases from the Literature

We report the rare and interesting case of a primary lung cancer detected 5 years after cancer of unknown primary (CUP) of a mediastinal lymph node (LN) was resected. A 40-year-old male was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of unknown primary in a mediastinal lymph node after resection of the mediastinal tumor. Five years after resection of the CUP in mediastinal LN, a small, abnormal nodular shadow in left upper lobe was detected by chest CT. This pulmonary tumor was diagnosed as a lung adenocarcinoma. The pathological and immunohistological findings of the resected pulmonary tumor resembled those of the LN resected 5 years before. We speculated that the pulmonary lesion represented primary lung cancer that enlarged later than the metastatic mediastinal LN. This case illustrates the importance of careful observation and long-term follow-up in patients treated for CUP of a thoracic LN.

Lung cancer mimicking lung abscess formation on CT images

Patient: Male, 64 Final Diagnosis: Lung pleomorphic carcinoma Symptoms: Cough • fever Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Oncology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: The diagnosis of lung cancer is often made based on computed tomography (CT) image findings if it cannot be confirmed on pathological examinations, such as bronchoscopy. However, the CT image findings of cancerous lesions are similar to those of abscesses.We herein report a case of lung cancer that resembled a lung abscess on CT. Case Report: We herein describe the case of 64-year-old male who was diagnosed with lung cancer using surgery. In this case, it was quite difficult to distinguish between the lung cancer and a lung abscess on CT images, and a lung abscess was initially suspected due to symptoms, such as fever and coughing, contrast-enhanced CT image findings showing a ring-enhancing mass in the right upper lobe and the patient’s laboratory test results. However, a pathological diagnosis of lung cancer was confirmed according to the results of a rapid frozen section biopsy of the lesion. Conclusions: This case suggests that physicians should not suspect both a lung abscesses and malignancy in cases involving masses presenting as ring-enhancing lesions on contrast-enhanced CT.