[Sarcoidosis differentially diagnosed from mediastinal tumor by thoracoscopic biopsy].

A 46-year-old man presented with swallowing difficulty and dyspnea when in the supine position. Chest X-ray and computed tomographic (CT) films disclosed left pleural effusion and a tumor shadow extending invasively from superior to anterior mediastinum around the heart and large arteries. These observations called for a differential diagnosis from malignant lymphoma, invasive thymoma, and small cell carcinoma. Bronchofiberscopy and percutaneous tumor biopsy were performed, but the findings were inconclusive. Thoracoscopic biopsy yielded a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. No extrathoracic lesions were detected. Corticosteroid therapy (30 mg/day of prednisolone) was started. After 6 months of treatment (7.5 mg/day of prednisolone), the tumor shadow was reduced in size and the patient's swallowing difficulty and dyspnea subsided. This was a rare case of sarcoidosis extending invasively around the heart and large arteries, and that needed to be differentiated from mediastinal tumor. Thoracoscopic biopsy should be actively enlisted as a diagnostic procedure in difficult cases of this kind.

Dose-intensive weekly alternating chemotherapy for patients with small cell lung cancer: randomized trial, can it improve survival of patients with good prognostic factors?

We conducted a randomized trial of dose-intensive weekly alternating chemotherapy (CAV/PE-W) and standard alternating chemotherapy (CAV/PE) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients with good prognostic factors. A total of 76 patients with SCLC was randomized. The CAV/PE-W consisted of 4 alternating cycles of cyclophosphamide: 500 mg/m2, doxorubicin: 30 mg/m2, and vincristine: 1 mg/m2 (day 1) and cisplatin: 50 mg/m2 (day 8) and etoposide: 75 mg/m2 (days 8 and 9). The CAV/PE consisted of 2 alternating cycles of cyclophosphamide: 800 mg/m2, doxorubicin: 50 mg/m2, and vincristine: 1.4 mg/m2 (day 1), cisplatin: 100 mg/m2 (day 22) and etoposide: 100 mg/m2 (days 22, 23 and 24). Eligibility criteria were no prior therapy, no active concomitant malignancy, ECOG PS of 0 or 1, age < or =75, adequate hematologic functions and no brain metastasis. The complete response (CR) rate for CAV/PE-W (14/38, 36.8%) was significantly higher than that for CAV/PE (6/38, 15.8%, chi2; p=0. 032). However, the response rate in patients on CAV/PE-W (36/38, 94. 7%) was not significantly higher than the rate for CAV/PE (31/38, 81. 6%, chi2; p=0.076). Progression-free survival for patients on CAV/PE-W was significantly longer than that of patients on CAV/PE (41.4 weeks vs. 21.3 weeks, log-rank; p=0.0007, generalized Wilcoxon; p=0.0034) as was overall median survival (67.0 weeks vs. 51.2 weeks, log-rank; p=0.028). Actual dose-intensity of CAV/PE-W was 1.74 times that of CAV/PE. Hematological toxicities were equally frequent and G-CSF contributes to treatment efficacy by allowing administration of dose-intensive chemotherapy. The CAV/PE-W achieved a higher CR rate and longer survival, than the CAV/PE.

[Idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia complicated by transitory cystic lesion in the healing stage].

A 21-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because chest X-ray films disclosed infiltrative shadows indicative of Mycoplasma pneumonia. He experienced fever and dry cough for 2 weeks. Chest X-ray findings showed ground-glass shadows in the lower fields of both lungs. The patient was not responsive to antibiotic therapy (PAPM/BP 1 g/day and CLDM 1,200 mg/day); dyspnea advanced rapidly and spikes of fever persisted. On hospital day 5, chest computed tomographic (CT) films disclosed interstitial shadows in all lower lung fields with dense infiltration. A transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) was performed on day 7, and TBLB specimens demonstrated infiltration of mononuclear cells in alveolar septa and organizing exudate in alveolar ducts with polypoid granulation tissue. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid findings revealed an increase in the total cell count and the percentage of lymphocytes. The CD 4/CD 8 ratio was normal. The findings of other laboratory tests ruled out drug-induced lung disease, infectious disease, and collagen disease. Idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP) was diagnosed. Corticosteroid therapy (methyl prednisolone: 500 mg/day) was started. After 2 weeks of treatment (prednisolone: 30 mg/day), the dyspnea and fever disappeared. Chest CT films showed that the interstitial shadows had largely resolved, but that a large cystic lesion had formed rapidly in the right lower lung field (right S 6). To the best of our knowledge, no cases of BOOP complicated by cystic lesions in the healing stage have been reported to date. We speculated that polypoid granulation in a bronchiole had given rise to a check-valve mechanism. After 2 months of treatment (prednisolone: 15 mg/day), the cystic lesion disappeared. We concluded that the bronchiolar lesion of polypoid granulation had resolved in response to therapy, thus facilitating air-way communication and the release of air from the cyst.

A phase III randomized trial of cisplatin plus vindesine versus cisplatin plus vindesine plus mitomycin C versus cisplatin plus vindesine plus ifosfamide for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

A randomized trial of chemotherapy in 105 patients with advanced and metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NCSLC) was conducted in order to compare the effect of the additional drug mitomycin C (PVM) or ifosfamide (PVI), to the combination of cisplatin plus vindesine (PV). An objective response rate was observed in 42.8% of the patients treated with PVM, 42.4% with PVI and 28.6% with PV and these response rates were not statistically significant (P > 0.20). No patient achieved the complete response with either of the three regimens. Comparison of the median response durations among the three regimens showed an advantage of PVI over PVM (P < 0.02) and PV (P < 0.05). The median survival times (MST) were similar for all three regimens (PVM, 33.5; PVI, 40.0 and PV, 36.5 weeks); moreover, the difference in survival time between the three regimens of responders was not statistically significant. The univariate analysis showed that significant predictors of survival were performance status (PS) zero (P = 0.0002), limited disease (P = 0.004), no previous weight loss (P = 0.01) and normal serum albumin (P = 0.016), and in multivariate analysis by a stepwise Cox proportional hazard model, these were PS zero (a hazard ratio of 2.3, P = 0.0001) and limited disease (a hazard ratio of 1.9, P = 0.048). Toxicity did not differ among the three treatment regimens.