A quantitative evaluation of the histological type dependence of the programmed death-ligand 1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer including various adenocarcinoma subtypes: a cross-sectional study.

The association between non-small cell lung cancer histology and programmed death-ligand 1 expression remains controversial. We retrospectively analyzed histological dependence of the programmed death-ligand 1 expression by a multiple regression analysis of 356 non-small cell lung cancer patients. The programmed death-ligand 1 expression patterns of adenocarcinoma were consistent with a pathological predominant growth pattern as a reference to papillary adenocarcinoma: minimally invasive adenocarcinoma[partial regression coefficient (B), 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.59], lepidic adenocarcinoma (B, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.90), acinar adenocarcinoma (B, 1.98; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-3.76) and solid adenocarcinoma (B, 5.11; 95% confidence interval, 2.20-11.9). In histology other than adenocarcinoma, the programmed death-ligand 1 expression tended to be high with poor differentiation: adenosquamous carcinoma (B, 4.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-16.6), squamous cell carcinoma (B, 4.32; 95% confidence interval, 2.45-7.62) and pleomorphic carcinoma (B, 13.0; 95% confidence interval, 4.43-38.2). We showed quantitatively that the programmed death-ligand 1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer tended to be clearly histology-dependent, with more poorly differentiated histology showing a higher expression.

The Association of Vacuum-Assisted Closure Therapy with Dynamic Volume Change of a Muscle Flap Transposed in an Empyema Cavity for Chronic Empyema: A Case Report.

A 62-year-old woman with a history of lung resection for lung cancer was admitted to our hospital due to cough, which became progressively more severe. She was diagnosed with chronic empyema with bronchopleural fistula (BPF) of the right upper bronchial stump. Although a pedicled muscle flap was transposed to the empyema cavity, the fistula remained. We used a vacuum-assisted closure system after open-window thoracotomy and observed the cavity reduction with expansion of the transposed muscle flap. We quantitatively evaluated the dynamics of the cavity change using a three-dimensional image analysis system. A reduction of the volume of the muscle flap by prolonged empyema and expansion of the muscle flap was observed immediately after vacuum-assisted management. However, expansion of the right residual lung was not recognized. Pedicled muscle flap transposition followed by vacuum-assisted management after open-window thoracotomy may be effective for treating chronic empyema caused by BPF.

Reduced risk of recurrent pneumothorax for sirolimus therapy after surgical pleural covering of entire lung in lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) frequently experience pneumothorax. Although sirolimus is the standard therapy for LAM, its effect on pneumothorax is controversial. Recently, total pleural covering (TPC) and modified TPC (mTPC) were introduced as surgical treatment options for pneumothorax for patients with LAM. However, the effect of sirolimus on the recurrence of pneumothorax in patients who underwent the treatments is still uncertain. We hypothesized that some clinical factors including sirolimus treatment could predict postoperative recurrence of pneumothorax. In order to clarify this hypothesis, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data from 18 consecutive patients with LAM who underwent 24 surgical pleural covering of entire lung (SPC) as 17 TPC and 7 mTPC against pneumothoraces from surgical database between January 2005 and January 2019, and we determined the predictors of postoperative recurrence. RESULTS: Of the 24 surgeries of SPC, 14 surgeries (58.3%) had a history of two or more ipsilateral pneumothoraces, and 11 surgeries (45.8%) had a history of ipsilateral pleural procedures before SPC. Sixteen surgeries (66.6%) in 12 patients received treatment of sirolimus after SPC (sirolimus group). With a median follow-up time of 69.0 months after SPC, four surgeries (16.6%) in three patients had a postoperative recurrence, and the 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) after SPC was 82.9%. In patients with postoperative recurrence, serum level of vascular endothelial growth factors D was significantly higher than that in those with non-recurrence (3260.5 vs. 892.7 pg/mL, p = 0.02), and the rate of sirolimus treatment in the recurrence group was significantly lower than that in the no-recurrence group (0 vs. 80%, p = 0.006). The log-rank test showed that the RFS of the sirolimus group (sirolimus use after SPC) was significantly better than that of the non-sirolimus group (p = 0.001), and no significant difference was observed for other factors. CONCLUSION: We first reported sirolimus might effectively suppress the recurrence of pneumothoraces in LAM patients who received SPC. Sirolimus induction after SPC (TPC or mTPC) might be a feasible option for frequent pneumothorax in LAM.

PD-L1 expression as a predictor of postoperative recurrence and the association between the PD-L1 expression and EGFR mutations in NSCLC.

Although information on the PD-L1 expression and EGFR mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is important for therapeutic strategies, the effect of these factors on postoperative recurrence and the association between each factor have remained unclear. We retrospectively assessed the PD-L1 expression and EGFR mutations in 280 NSCLC patients, and analyzed the associations by multivariate analyses. The hazard ratio (HR) of postoperative recurrence in cases with high (≥ 50%) PD-L1 expression regarding negative expression was 4.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-15.5). The HR for the PD-L1 expression, considered a continuous variable, was 1.016 (95% CI 1.01-1.03). The HRs in cases with EGFR major and minor mutations were 0.42 (95% CI 0.14-1.25) and 0.63 (95% CI 0.18-2.15), respectively. The high PD-L1 (≥ 50%) expression was significantly associated with exon 21 L858R mutation (Ex21) of EGFR (odds ratio, 0.10; 95% CI 0.01-0.87). The risk of postoperative recurrence increased 1.016-fold for every 1% increase in the PD-L1 expression, and a marked increase in risk was observed for expression levels of ≥ 50%. Whereas EGFR mutations were not an independent risk factor. The high PD-L1 (≥ 50%) expression was negatively associated with Ex21. These findings may help identify NSCLC patients with an increased risk of postoperative recurrence.

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma involving the mediastinum and the lung, followed by amyloidosis: A surgically and genetically proven case.

A 60-year-old man was admitted for ground glass opacity in the lower lung field and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Blood tests revealed elevated serum IgM levels, and the urine test detected Bence-Jones protein. Surgical biopsy from the mediastinal lymph node and lung showed small lymphocytes and plasma cells between follicles, and AL kappa amyloid deposition. Genetic examination detected MYD88 L265P mutation. Our diagnosis was lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL), involving the mediastinum and the lung, followed by amyloidosis. Mutation analysis, in addition to conventional histological evaluation, was useful for a precise diagnosis.

Adenocarcinoma with fetal features invading the right superior sulcus treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by complete video-assisted thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Fetal adenocarcinoma of the lung is a rare lung neoplasm that accounts for only 0.5% of all primary lung cancers. Because of its rarity, effective treatments for the management of the tumor are poorly understood. We herein report a case of adenocarcinoma with fetal features of the lung with invasion of the right superior sulcus that was treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgical resection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old man was referred to a medical institution due to right inner forearm pain. On computed tomography of the chest, a 56-mm mass with invasion of right superior sulcus was discovered. Bronchoscopic biopsy revealed non-small cell lung carcinoma. We performed concurrent chemotherapy (2 cycles of cisplatin and vinorelbine) and thoracic radiation therapy (40 Gy in 20 fractions). As the result of extreme tumor reduction after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, we could perform right upper lobectomy by complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Since no viable cancer cells were detected from the pathological examination of the resected tissue, the specimen obtained by bronchoscopic biopsy was reexamined by immunohistochemistry. The analysis supported a pathologic diagnosis of adenocarcinoma with fetal features. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced a case of adenocarcinoma with fetal features of the lung in which the patient showed a complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. In addition, the tumor invading the right superior sulcus was completely resected by video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery may be also an effective treatment for advanced-stage high-grade fetal adenocarcinoma of the lung, similarly to other subtypes of advanced-stage primary lung cancer.

Programmed Death-ligand 1 Expression With Clone 22C3 in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Single Institution Experience.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was approved for treatment of unresectable advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as first- or second-line therapy depending on the clone 22C3-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunohistochemical expression score by the companion diagnostic assay. We herein evaluated 22C3-PD-L1 expression of NSCLC in a single institution experience and compared it with clinicopathologic features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed 22C3-PD-L1 expressions of 411 patients with NSCLC from our institution, including in past specimens. Programmed death-ligand 1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing was performed using the PD-L1 clone 22C3 pharmDx kit (Agilent Technologies/Dako, Carpinteria, CA, USA). Patients were separated into 3 groups with <1% (no expression), 1% to 49% (low expression), or ⩾50% (high expression) positive tumor cells. RESULTS: In all, 137 patients (33%) did not express PD-L1, 155 (38%) showed low expression, and 119 (29%) demonstrated high expression. Archival samples showed lower PD-L1 expression than that of recent samples, and the ratios of no expression case significantly increased by using paraffin blocks embedded particularly in more than 4 years ago. Programmed death-ligand 1 positivity was significantly associated with male sex, smoking, higher tumor grade, squamous cell carcinoma in histologic type, wild-type EGFR, and ALK rearrangement positive. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of 22C3-PD-L1 expression of NSCLC detected in this study was similar to the frequencies of the previous reports, although the ratio of expression case decreased when using old paraffin blocks.

Thymoma in middle mediastinum that induced tracheal compression-Case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: A thymoma, an epithelial neoplasm of the thymus, mainly occurs in the anterior mediastinum, while few are seen in the middle mediastinum. CASE PRESENTATION: An 83-year-old male was referred for an incidental mass in the middle mediastinum. He had severe dementia and denied symptoms. Our follow-up computed tomography (CT) examinations had revealed the progress of tracheal compression along with tumor enlargement for 2 years. At 85 years old, we performed a thymomectomy via a median sternotomy to avoid complete trachea obstruction. The pathological diagnosis was WHO type A thymoma, Masaoka stage II. One year after surgery, the patient was free of disease. DISCUSSION: Thymomas occurring in the middle mediastinum are rare. In our review of 13 such cases, none were Masaoka stage III or IV, while the majority (9/13, 69.2%) were WHO type A or AB. CONCLUSION: We encountered a thymoma in the middle mediastinum that showed enlargement over a 2-year period, inducing severe tracheal compression. Thymomas can occur widely in pharyngeal pouch-derived locations and should be considered in differential diagnosis of a middle mediastinum tumor.

Minimally invasive anterior chest wall lifting technique for thoracoscopic mediastinal approach.

Anterior chest wall lifting facilitates a wide view and allows easy access during thoracoscopic surgery in a supine position for anterior mediastinal lesions. We previously reported an anterior chest wall lifting method for a thymectomy that utilizes our original costal hooks. Here, we present a less invasive method that can be performed with only a needle puncture, i.e., a metal plate placed under the ribs is lifted with a wire inserted through the anterior chest wall. We have applied this novel 'T-lifting method' for 5 different cases with anterior mediastinal tumors, and found it to be simple and easy to perform, as well as less invasive for patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery.

Clinical predictor of pre- or minimally invasive pulmonary adenocarcinoma: possibility of sub-classification of clinical T1a.

OBJECTIVES: A new pathological classification for pre- and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma has been established, with distinction prior to surgery crucial because of the extremely good prognosis. METHODS: Of 412 patients who underwent surgery for lung cancer from 2008 to 2011, 110 classified as c-stage I had each of the following four parameters assessed for predictive power for pre- or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma and relapse-free survival (RFS): (i) whole tumour size (WS) shown by computed tomography (CT) , (ii) size of the solid (SS) component in CT findings, (iii) maximum standard uptake value in fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/CT scan images (SUVmax) and (iv) serum level of carcinoembryonic antigen. RESULTS: For prediction of pre- or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, the area under the receiver-operating curve was >0.7 for all the four parameters, while only SS was found to be an independent factor in multivariate logistic regression analysis. In Cox proportional hazard model analysis, SS and SUVmax were statistically significant, and SS was exclusively independent in multivariate analysis. Differences in RFS between T1a and T1b were more pronounced when using SS compared with WS. In the sub-classification of T1a, we used a breakpoint of 1.0 cm in SS (T1a-α and T1a-ß), which resulted in a 2-year RFS rate of 1.00 for T1a-α (n=21), 0.89 for T1a-ß (n=27) and 0.68 for T1b (n=26) (P=0.002 between T1a-ß and T1b). CONCLUSIONS: The SS parameter was useful to distinguish pre- and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma from other types of lung cancer, and set a T1a sub-classification.

A case of postoperative pyopneumothorax following CT-guided radiofrequency ablation for lung cancer with interstitial pneumonia.

We report a case of serious complications following computed tomography (CT)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) performed for the treatment of lung cancer with interstitial pneumonia. The patient developed delayed-onset pyopneumothorax, which required 6 months of antibiotic treatment, drainage, and video-assisted thoracoscopic debridement. Although CT-guided RFA is a promising, effective procedure for difficult-to-treat lung cancer, the present case suggests a risk of complications for patients complicated with interstitial pneumonia and warrants caution.

[A case of successfully treated orbital metastasis from breast cancer by radiation therapy].

Orbital metastasis from breast cancer is relatively rare. We report a case of successfully treated orbital metastasis from breast cancer by radiation therapy. This 50-year-old female patient underwent a mastectomy (Bt+Ax) of her left breast in October 2000. The diagnosis was invasive lobular carcinoma, Stage IIB (T2N1M0). Retroperitoneal and bladder metastases were found five years after the operation, and chemohormonal therapy was done. Right orbital swelling appeared 8 months after chemohormonal therapy, and orbital metastasis from breast cancer was diagnosed by MRI. Radiation therapy (a total 30 Gy) was administrated, and the swelling disappeared. An MRI was performed 16 months after radiation therapy and did not detect any metastases. A complete response (CR) was achieved. No sign of recurrence was found, and a sufficient local control has remained for 2 years after radiation therapy.