Lung Cancer Management最新文献

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in worldwide, and NSCLC represents around 85% of all lung cancers. Squamous cell lung cancer (SqCLC) is the second most common subtype and it is challenging to treat. New options have been discovered but progresses are still limited for the lack of 'druggable' mutations. Specific resources for SqCLC are limited and this condition affects treatment and outcomes. This paper describes available and emerging therapeutic options and resources that may help patients to face their disease. We have also performed a monocentric survey collecting information about smoking habit and sense of guilty and analyzed the possibility for patients to find helpful sources for their disease. The results suggest that more materials focused on SqCLC are still needed.

Thromboembolic events (TEEs) are frequent in cancer patients, especially venous thrombosis. Arterial thrombosis is less frequent. Chemotherapy increases the risk of these TEEs. Although TEEs are often reported, intestinal ischemia is a rare complication in cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. Here we describe a rare case of a patient with small cell lung cancer, who developed intestinal ischemia during treatment with cisplatin-etoposide chemotherapy. Shock and multiple organ failure developed and an urgent laparotomy with total colectomy was necessary. This case and review of the literature show that overall arterial TEEs are not as infrequent and may rarely manifest as intestinal ischemia. A cardiovascular assessment before the start of anticancer therapy is therefore imperative for cancer patients.

We report the case of a patient initially diagnosed with a high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma, which 5 years later was determined to have a low-grade typical carcinoid. The patient received radiotherapy and numerous chemotherapy regimens for treatment of a high-grade metastatic mixed large and small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, without a significant response to any treatment. Subsequent imaging revealed widely metastatic disease and computed tomography-guided biopsy demonstrated a carcinoid tumor with no necrosis. The patient was started on temozolomide + capecitabine, long-acting octreotide and denosumab, with everolimus planned upon disease progression. Findings from this case study highlight the importance of accurate histopathologic classification of thoracic neuroendocrine tumors at diagnosis, to avoid the unnecessary administration of aggressive chemotherapy to patients with low-grade tumors.

Aim: We aimed to explore the prognostic implications of adiponectin (APN) levels in the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of patients with advanced NSCLC.

Materials & methods: 29 newly diagnosed patients with stage IV NSCLC were prospectively enrolled. Baseline serum and BAL levels of APN were assayed by ELISA and correlated with various clinicopathological parameters, including overall survival.

Results: No statistically significant correlations were observed between the serum or BAL levels of APN and the clinicopathological parameters evaluated. The only prognostic factor identified, both by univariate and multivariate survival analyses, was performance status.

Conclusion: The results of our cohort failed to reveal any prognostic significance of serum and BAL levels of APN in stage IV NSCLC.

A significant proportion of lung cancer patients are first diagnosed as part of an emergency presentation (EP) to acute medical services. This route to diagnosis is a strong negative predictor of survival, and is associated with age, deprivation and medical co-morbidities. Patients are less likely to receive anticancer treatment than those diagnosed through elective routes. The causes of EP of cancer are complex. When it is unavoidable, prompt input from specialist lung cancer services is needed. Preventing EP of lung cancer involves streamlined diagnostic pathways, public health campaigns about symptoms, decision-support tools for general practitioners, improved communication and access for primary and secondary care, and focus on vague symptoms. Reducing EP of lung cancer is important when improving outcomes and patient experience.

Treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer remains a challenge with poor local control and overall survival. Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment, consisting of a combination of a platinum agent plus etoposide. The role of consolidative chest radiotherapy in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer remains controversial. Two randomized clinical trials have been published demonstrating improved intrathoracic disease control with a small survival benefit, though interpretation and application of these results to clinical practice has been debated. These two trials examined different radiotherapy techniques and doses, with a third trial treating consolidative chest and oligometastatic disease having closed prematurely due to an interim analysis demonstrating treatment futility plus increased toxicity. Patients with residual intrathoracic disease after chemotherapy appear to benefit the most from consolidative chest radiotherapy, offering a potential tool to help select appropriate patients.

The identification of driver mutations in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer has changed the treatment outcomes for patients with actionable driver mutations. Lack of tissue at diagnosis, however, remains a central obstacle in making optimal treatment decisions in patients with advanced disease. Although the US FDA has approved one plasma-based test for detecting epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in patients with advanced stage disease, sensitivity of these assays remains mediocre, necessitating additional tissue testing and possible delays in patients with negative results. Serial monitoring for response and early detection of acquired resistance to targeted therapies is also possible with cell-free DNA, however the benefit of switching therapy prior to detection of changes on imaging is unknown currently.

Diagnosis of paraneoplastic neurologic disorder (PND) synthesizes the clinical picture (including the temporal relationship to the cancer diagnosis), detection of onconeural antibodies and exclusion of alternative causes. The mainstay of brain imaging of PNDs is MRI. There is also an increasingly recognized role of PET using radiotracer ¹⁸F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in the evaluation of the brain. We describe a 67-year-old female with a 50-year smoking history and small-cell lung cancer developing subacute encephalopathy with MRI and PET abnormalities identifying paraneoplastic encephalitis. PET may complement conventional tools in diagnosing a subset of patients with PND.

Aim: The frequency of pancreatic cancer in association with cancer of other organs ranges from 1 to 20%, with the most common ones being gastric, colon, thyroid and genitourinary. The presence of synchronous lung and pancreatic cancers is extremely rare.

Case series: Two patients with extensive smoking history and variable presentations were found to have simultaneous lung and pancreatic masses both lesions being different histologically and on immunohistochemical staining. After individualized treatment plans, the first patient remains free of disease and the second patient is being treated with a palliative intent.

Conclusion: The early recognition and treatment is important as there exists a significant survival difference in patients who have synchronous primaries as opposed to those with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.