Disparity in age at lung cancer diagnosis between current and former smokers.

Purpose: In a previous study of smoking cessation in veterans with lung cancer, we noted as an incidental finding that current smokers were much younger than former smokers at diagnosis. To confirm and extend this observation, we analyzed the association of smoking status with age at diagnosis and survival of lung cancer patients.

Methods: The Jefferson Cancer Registry collects information on all cancer patients registered at this hospital.

The Role of Telemedicine in Providing Thoracic Oncology Care to Remote Areas of British Columbia.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this study is to review the role of telemedicine in providing oncology care; we describe our long-standing, high-volume telemedicine experience.

Recent Findings: The Interior Health Thoracic Surgical Group (IHTSG) uses telemedicine, through Virtual Thoracic Surgical Clinics (VTSC), to provide service to remote patients. The IHTSG serves a population of 1.

Acute activation, desensitization and smoldering activation of human acetylcholine receptors.

The behavioral effects of nicotine and other nicotinic agonists are mediated by AChRs in the brain. The relative contribution of acute activation versus chronic desensitization of AChRs is unknown. Sustained "smoldering activation" occurs over a range of agonist concentrations at which activated and desensitized AChRs are present in equilibrium.

Spontaneous smoking cessation before lung cancer diagnosis.

Introduction: We have observed that many patients with lung cancer stop smoking before diagnosis, usually before clinical symptoms, and often without difficulty. This led us to speculate that spontaneous smoking cessation may be a presenting symptom of lung cancer.

Methods: Patients from the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center with lung cancer and for comparison, prostate cancer and myocardial infarction underwent a structured interview about their smoking habits preceding diagnosis.

The HDAC inhibitor panobinostat (LBH589) inhibits mesothelioma and lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo with particular efficacy for small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Current therapies are inadequate. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are a recently developed class of anticancer agents that cause increased acetylation of core histones and nonhistone proteins leading to modulation of gene expression and protein activity involved in cancer cell growth and survival pathways.

A population-based study of lung carcinoma in Pennsylvania: comparison of Veterans Administration and civilian populations.

Background: Lung carcinoma remains the major cause of cancer death in North America and is even more common among military veterans. The objective of this study was to determine whether there were differences in the characteristics and survival of Pennsylvania patients with lung carcinoma in the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital system compared with patients in the rest of the state.

Methods: The Pennsylvania Cancer Registry was used to identify all patients who were diagnosed with lung carcinoma in the State of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 1999.

Clinical implication of p53 mutation in lung cancer.

Lung cancer development involves multiple genetic abnormalities leading to malignant transformation of the bronchial epithelial cells, followed by invasion and metastasis. One of the most common changes is mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. The frequency of p53 alterations in lung cancer is highest in small cell and squamous cell carcinomas.

Clinical implications of p53 mutations in lung cancer.

The process of bronchial carcinogenesis is characterized by accumulated genetic abnormalities which ultimately lead to malignant transformation of bronchial epithelial cells, followed by invasion and metastasis. One of the most common and consistent of these genetic lesions is inactivation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene by mutation or deletion. The frequency of p53 alterations in lung cancer is highest in those subtypes of bronchial carcinomas that are most consistently associated with smoking, especially SCLC and squamous cell carcinomas.

Clinical and molecular features of small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer is a common malignancy found in smokers. It has a poor long-term prognosis despite initial sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiation. The clinical features of small cell lung cancer are unique among lung cancers and other neuroendocrine tumors.