Comparison of stereotactic body radiotherapy versus metastasectomy outcomes in patients with pulmonary metastases.

BACKGROUND: We compared the treatment outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and metastasectomy in patients with pulmonary metastases. METHODS: Twenty-one patients received SBRT (total radiation doses 60 Gy in 3 fractions or 48 Gy in 4 fractions) and 30 underwent metastasectomy, most (93.3%) with wedge resection. The patients were followed for a median of 13.7 months. The tumor size in the SBRT group was larger than in the metastasectomy group (median 2.5 vs. 1.25 cm; P = 0.015). Patients with synchronous metastases were more likely to be treated with SBRT than with metastasectomy (P = 0.006). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the local control rates of the treatment groups (P = 0.163). Progression-free survival (PFS) was longer in the metastasectomy than in the SBRT group (P = 0.02), with one and two-year PFS rates of 51.1% and 46% versus 23.8% and 11.9%, respectively. The one and two-year overall survival (OS) rates were 95% and 81.8% in the metastasectomy group and 79.5% and 68.2%, in the SBRT group, respectively. In multivariate analysis, synchronous metastasis was related to poor PFS, and tumor size was the most significant factor affecting OS. There were no significant differences in PFS and OS between treatment groups after dividing patients according to the presence or absence of synchronous metastases. CONCLUSIONS: SBRT is considered a suitable local modality against pulmonary metastases; however, patients with synchronous metastases are only likely to obtain a small benefit from local treatment with either SBRT or surgery.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and a dosimetric factor for predicting symptomatic radiation pneumonitis in non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the factors that predict the progression of radiological radiation pneumonitis (RP) to symptomatic RP, and to evaluate the usefulness of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a marker of RP severity and prognosis in stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 61 patients treated between January 2010 and December 2015. Patients' demographic characteristics, clinical data, laboratory findings and treatment parameters were analyzed to determine the predictive factors associated with progression from radiological RP to symptomatic RP. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients (77%) exhibited radiological RP at a median of 78 days after radiation therapy (RT) completion, and 15 (32%) of these patients developed symptomatic RP. The interval between RT completion and radiological RP presentation was shorter in patients who progressed to symptomatic RP (P = .001); progression was highly probable if this latency period was ≤2 months (P = .002). Stage and RT technique correlated with symptomatic RP development (P = .046 and P = .046, respectively). Among dosimetric factors, a V20 (defined as the lung volume receiving ≥20 Gy) of >30% was the most significant predictor of symptomatic RP (P = .001). The NLR and C-reactive protein level at radiological RP were higher in patients who developed symptomatic RP (P = .067 and P = .012, respectively). On multivariate analysis, a V20 >30% and an NLR at radiological RP >6 were associated with symptomatic RP development. CONCLUSION: The NLR at radiological RP is a useful biomarker for predicting symptomatic RP development after CCRT in stage III NSCLC patients.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte count ratio is associated with perforated appendicitis in elderly patients of emergency department.

PURPOSE: The diagnostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte count ratio (NLR) and the Appendicitis Inflammatory Response (AIR) score for identifying acute appendicitis (AA) perforation in elderly patients in the emergency department (ED) were evaluated. METHODS: A total of 103 patients who were admitted for appendectomy for AA via the ED between January 2012 and December 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients aged 65 and over were included. Patient age, sex, comorbidities, body temperature, clinical findings and initial laboratory results including white blood cell (WBC) count, NLR, serum levels of CRP and total bilirubin (TB) in the ED were assessed, and the AIR score was calculated. RESULTS: Perforation due to AA was identified in 58 (56.3 %) elderly patients. Median WBC count, neutrophil count, CRP and TB were significantly higher in the perforated group compared to the non-perforated group (p = 0.005, p = 0.001, p = 0.004 and p = 0.012) in the ED. The NLR was significantly different in the two groups (perforated vs non-perforated group, 9.5 vs 5.1, p < 0.001). The area under the curve value of NLR was 0.755 (95 % CI 0.660-0.834), and the cutoff value was 5.6 (sensitivity 78.0 % and specificity 65.9 %). In multivariate logistic analysis, NLR > 5.6 [odds ratio (OR) 6.794, p = 0.001] was significant independent factor for AA perforation in elderly patients. The AIR score risk probability did not differ between the two groups of elderly patients (p = 0.094). Twenty-five (42.4 %) patients in the perforated group and five (11.4 %) patients in the non-perforated group were classified as high probability by the modified AIR score including the NLR value (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: We suggest that the initial NLR in the elderly patient is the most powerful predictive factor for the diagnosis of AA perforation in the ED.