Sublobar resection in the treatment of elderly patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Surgical resection is the primary treatment option for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, lobectomy being considered the standard of care. In elderly patients, physiological characteristics can limit the suitability for surgery and the extent of resection. Sublobar resection (SLR) can be offered as an alternative. The aim of this real-world analysis was to compare lobectomy and SLR in terms of recurrence and survival rates in patients over 70 years of age.

Sublobar resection in the treatment of elderly patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer / Ressecção sublobar no tratamento de pacientes idosos com câncer de pulmão não pequenas células em estágio inicial

ABSTRACT Surgical resection is the primary treatment option for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, lobectomy being considered the standard of care. In elderly patients, physiological characteristics can limit the suitability for surgery and the extent of resection. Sublobar resection (SLR) can be offered as an alternative. The aim of this real-world analysis was to compare lobectomy and SLR in terms of recurrence and survival rates in patients over 70 years of age.

RESUMO A ressecção cirúrgica é a principal opção de tratamento para o câncer de pulmão não pequenas células em estágio inicial, sendo a lobectomia considerada o tratamento padrão. Em pacientes idosos, as características fisiológicas podem limitar a adequabilidade da cirurgia e a extensão da ressecção. A ressecção sublobar (RSL) pode ser oferecida como alternativa. O objetivo deste estudo de mundo real foi comparar a lobectomia e a RSL em termos de taxas de recidiva e de sobrevida em pacientes acima de 70 anos de idade.

Recurrence and Risk Factors for Relapse in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated by Surgery with Curative Intent.

INTRODUCTION: Surgery remains the potentially curative treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite this, tumor recurrence is the most common cause of treatment failure after surgery. METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively from clinical files of patients who underwent lung surgery for NSCLC from January 2008 to December 2012 in a University Hospital. Demographic data, tumor characteristics, type of surgery and recurrence were recorded. A comparison of the distribution of variables using adjustment tests was made. RESULTS: The study included 102 patients, 68.6% were male with a mean age of 63.7 ± 9.3 years old. The majority of tumors had a peripheral location (72.5%) and consisted of adenocarcinomas (61.8%). The most frequently performed surgery was lobectomy. Recurrence was noted in 43.1% of cases. Mean disease-free survival was 57.9 ± 3.8 months. Multifactorial analyses showed that stage IIIA, tumor located in other lobes than the right lower lobe and pleural invasion were independent predictors of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Our recurrence rate was similar to those in the international literature. As in other studies, we found a positive relation between the lymphatic permeation and pleural invasion and the risk of lung cancer recurrence. We consider that some characteristics of the tumor should be assessed to define alternative modalities of treatment and follow-up in order to predict and rapidly recognize the recurrence.

Resveratrol production in bioreactor: Assessment of cell physiological states and plasmid segregational stability.

Resveratrol is a plant secondary metabolite commonly found in peanuts and grapevines with significant health benefits. Recombinant organisms can produce large amounts of resveratrol and, in this work, Escherichia coli BW27784 was used to produce resveratrol in bioreactors while monitoring cell physiology and plasmid stability through flow cytometry and real-time qPCR, respectively. Initially, the influence of culture conditions and precursor addition was evaluated in screening assays and the data gathered was used to perform the bioreactor assays, allowing the production of 160 µg/mL of resveratrol. Cellular physiology and plasmid instability affected the final resveratrol production, with lower viability and plasmid copy numbers associated with lower yields. In sum, this study describes new tools to monitor the bioprocess, evaluating the effect of culture conditions, and its correlation with cell physiology and plasmid segregational stability, in order to define a viable and scalable bioprocess to fulfill the need for larger quantities of resveratrol.