The Incidence of Node-Positive Non-small-Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Sublobar Resection and the Role of Radiation in Its Management.

Purpose: To identify the incidence, preoperative risk factors, and prognosis associated with pathologically positive lymph node (pN+) in patients undergoing a sub-lobar resection (SLR). Methods: This is a retrospective study using the National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2004 to 2014 analyzing SLR excluding those with any preoperative chemotherapy and/or radiation, follow-up <3 months, stage IV disease, or >1 tumor nodule. Multivariable modeling (MVA) was used to determine factors associated with overall survival (OS). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to determine preoperative risk factors for pN+ in patients having at least one node examined to assess radiation's effect on OS in those patients with pN+ and to determine whether SLR was associated with inferior OS as compared to lobectomy for each nodal stage. Results: A total of 40,202 patients underwent SLR, but only 58.3% had one lymph node examined. Then, 2,615 individuals had pN+ which decreased progressively from 15.1% in 2004 to 8.9% in 2014 (N1, from 6.3 to 3.0%, and N2, from 8.4 to 5.9%). A lower risk of pN+ was noted for squamous cell carcinomas, bronchioloalveolar adenocarcinoma (BAC), adenocarcinomas, and right upper lobe locations. In the pN+ group, OS was worse without chemotherapy or radiation. Radiation was associated with a strong trend for OS in the entire pN+ group (p = 0.0647) which was largely due to the effects on those having N2 disease (p = 0.009) or R1 resections (p = 0.03), but not N1 involvement (p = 0.87). PSM noted that SLR was associated with an inferior OS as compared to lobectomy by nodal stage in the overall patient population and even for those with tumors <2 cm. Conclusion: pN+ incidence in SLRs has decreased over time. SLR was associated with inferior OS as compared to lobectomy by nodal stage. Radiation appears to improve the OS in patients undergoing SLR with pN+, especially in those with N2 nodal involvement and/or positive margins.

The Role of Race and Economic Characteristics in the Presentation and Survival of Patients With Surgically Resected Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Little is understood regarding the inter-relation between economic, marital, and racial/ethnic differences in presentation and survival of surgically resected lung cancer patients. Our investigation will assess these differences in addition to known therapeutic, patient, and histopathologic factors. METHODS: A retrospective review of the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Reporting database was conducted through the years 2007-2012. The population was split into nine different ethnic groups. Population differences were assessed via chi-square testing. Multivariable analysis (MVA) were used to detect overall survival (OS) differences in the total surgical population (TS, N = 35,689) in an ear (T1-T2 < 4 cm N0) surgical population [early-stage resectable (ESR), N = 17,931]. Lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) was assessed in the ESR. RESULTS: In the TS population, as compared to Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics presented with younger age, more adenocarcinomas, lower rates of marriage, lower rates of insurance, less stage I tumors, and had less nodes examined, but their type of surgical procedures and OS/LCSS were the same. MVA demonstrated that lower OS and LCSS were associated with males, single/divorced/widowed partnership, lower income (TS only), and Medicaid insurance. MVA also found that Blacks and Hispanics had a similar OS/LCSS to Whites and that all ethnic groups were associated with a similar or better outcomes. The 90-day mortality and positive nodes were correlated with not having insurance and not being married, but they were not associated with ethnicity. CONCLUSION: In TS and ESR groups, OS was not different in the two largest ethnic groups (Black and Hispanic) as compared to Whites, but was related to single/widowed/divorced status, Medicaid insurance, and income (TS group only). Nodal positivity was associated with patients who did not have a married partner or insurance suggesting that these factors may impact disease biology. Economic and psychosocial variables may play a role in survival of ear lung cancer in addition to standard histopathologic and treatment variables.

Population-based differences in the outcome and presentation of lung cancer patients based upon racial, histologic, and economic factors in all lung patients and those with metastatic disease.

To investigate the interrelation between economic, marital, and known histopathologic/therapeutic prognostic factors in presentation and survival of patients with lung cancer in nine different ethnic groups. A retrospective review of the SEER database was conducted through the years 2007-2012. Population differences were assessed via chi-square testing. Multivariable analyses (MVA) were used to detect overall survival (OS) differences in the total population (TP, N = 153,027) and for those patients presenting with Stage IV (N = 70,968). Compared to Whites, Blacks were more likely to present with younger age, male sex, lower income, no insurance, single/widowed partnership, less squamous cell carcinomas, and advanced stage; and experience less definitive surgery, lower OS, and lung cancer-specific (LCSS) survival. White Hispanics presented with younger age, higher income, lower rates of insurance, single/widowed partnership status, advanced stage, more adenocarcinomas, and lower rates of definitive surgery, but no difference in OS and LCSS than Whites. In the TP and Stage IV populations, MVAs revealed that OS was better or equivalent to Whites for all other ethnic groups and was positively associated with insurance, marriage, and higher income. Blacks presented with more advanced disease and were more likely to succumb to lung cancer, but when adjusted for prognostic factors, they had a better OS in the TP compared to Whites. Disparities in income, marital status, and insurance rather than race affect OS of patients with lung cancer. Because of their presentation with advanced disease, Black and Hispanics are likely to have increased benefit from lung cancer screening.

Absence of expression of SMARCB1/INI1 in malignant rhabdoid tumors of the central nervous system, kidneys and soft tissue: an immunohistochemical study with implications for diagnosis.

Malignant rhabdoid tumors are high-grade neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS), kidneys and soft tissue that usually occur in children. The histologic diagnosis of malignant rhabdoid tumor depends on identification of characteristic rhabdoid cells-large cells with eccentrically located nuclei and abundant, eosinophilic cytoplasm-and immunohistochemistry with antibodies to vimentin, keratin and epithelial membrane antigen. In most malignant rhabdoid tumors, the SMARCB1/INI1 gene, located in chromosome band 22q11.2, is inactivated by deletions and/or mutations, so genetic diagnosis is often possible. However, tissue may not be available for genetic analysis or studies not confirmatory. We assessed SMARCB1/INI1 expression in 17 rhabdoid tumors and 57 other tumors of the CNS, kidney or soft tissue using immunohistochemistry. In total, 12 brain, three renal and two soft tissue rhabdoid tumors were examined along with four glioblastomas, four pilocytic astrocytomas, four oligodendrogliomas, two ependymomas, two choroid plexus papillomas, five pituitary adenomas, four germinomas, four renal carcinomas with Xp11.2 translocations, two clear cell sarcomas, two Wilms' tumors, one renal medullary carcinoma, two desmoplastic small round cell tumors, two alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas, two embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas, one low-grade chondrosarcoma, two extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas, one mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, four malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, five metastatic carcinomas and four epithelioid sarcomas, two primary and two metastatic. The neoplastic cells of all rhabdoid tumors, the four epithelioid sarcomas and the renal medullary carcinoma did not express SMARCB1/INI1 by immunohistochemistry; neoplastic cells of all other tumors expressed SMARCB1/INI1. Immunohistochemistry to assess expression of SMARCB1/INI1 may be useful in the diagnosis of rhabdoid tumors of the CNS, kidneys and soft tissue.