Prediction of distant recurrence in resected stage I and II lung adenocarcinoma.

Objectives: Optimal procedures for adjuvant treatment and post-surgical surveillance of resected non-small-cell lung cancer remain under discussion. Pathological features are the main determinant of follow-up therapy but have limited ability to identify patients at risk of recurrence. Increasingly, molecular markers are incorporated into clinical decision-making, including measures of tumor growth.

Integrated FDG-PET/CT imaging is useful in the approach to carcinoid tumors of the lung.

Background: Carcinoids enter the differential diagnosis of the solitary pulmonary nodule. Bronchial carcinoids have been traditionally considered as FDG-PET negative but recent studies have found an higher sensitivity of integrated FDG-PET/CT for the detection of these neoplasms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of integrated FDG-PET/CT for the evaluation of SPN suspected to be carcinoids.

Prognostic factors in a multicentre study of 247 atypical pulmonary carcinoids.

Objectives: To analyse clinical and biomolecular prognostic factors associated with the surgical approach and the outcome of 247 patients affected by primary atypical carcinoids (ACs) of the lung in a multi-institutional experience.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated clinical data and pathological tissue samples collected from 247 patients of 10 Thoracic Surgery Units from different geographical areas of our country. All patients were divided into four groups according to surgical procedure: sub-lobar resections (SURG1), lobar resections (SURG2), tracheobronchoplastic procedures (SURG3) and pneumonectomies (SURG4).

Preoperative predictors of successful surgical treatment in the management of parapneumonic empyema.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and thoracotomy are the main surgical options for treating parapneumonic empyema. The choice of either operation depends on many preoperative features, including the patient's condition, clinical and radiologic findings, and pleural fluid characteristics. The identification of the combination of those preoperative findings that will allow surgeons to select the appropriate approach for a successful operation (VATS or thoracotomy) could be of great interest in clinical settings.

Prognostic role of clusterin in resected adenocarcinomas of the lung.

Rationale: Clusterin expression may change in various human malignancies, including lung cancer. Patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including adenocarcinoma, have a poor prognosis, with a relapse rate of 30-50% within 5 years. Nuclear factor kB (Nf-kB) is an intracellular protein involved in the initiation and progression of several human cancers, including the lung.

Role of blebs and bullae detected by high-resolution computed tomography and recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax.

Background: The prevention of recurrence after a first episode of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) remains a debated issue. The likelihood of recurrence based on the presence of blebs and bullae detected on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) imaging is controversial.

Methods: We evaluated patients conservatively treated for PSP who underwent chest HRCT scan in a single-institution retrospective longitudinal study.

Enriched sera protein profiling for detection of non-small cell lung cancer biomarkers.

Background: Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is the major cause of cancer related-death. Many patients receive diagnosis at advanced stage leading to a poor prognosis. At present, no satisfactory screening tests are available in clinical practice and the discovery and validation of new biomarkers is mandatory.

N1 non-small-cell lung cancer. A 20-year surgical experience.

N1 non-small-cell lung cancer has heterogeneous prognosis in relation to node descriptors. There is no agreement on the ideal type of resection. A new classification of N1 descriptors was proposed in the 7(th) edition of the TNM staging system.

Primary pulmonary cancer colliding with metastatic breast carcinoma: hitherto unreported cases of cancer-to-cancer metastasis focusing on clinical implications.

Lung is one of the main sites of metastatic tumors, but collision neoplasms consisting of a primary lung cancer and metastatic breast carcinoma have never been so far reported. We describe here 2 cases of primary non-small cell lung cancers (squamous cell and adenocarcinoma, respectively) colliding with metastatic breast carcinomas (ductal and lobular carcinomas, respectively). Clinico-pathologic features characterizing this challenging diagnosis and the important therapeutic implications are discussed.

A single institution-based retrospective study of surgically treated bronchioloalveolar adenocarcinoma of the lung: clinicopathologic analysis, molecular features, and possible pitfalls in routine practice.

Introduction: Prognostic evaluation of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) from a homogenous population of Caucasian patients.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of resected BAC reclassified according to the 2004 World Health Organization classification of lung tumors. Analyzed variables are clinicoradiologic presentation, histologic subtypes, stage, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and HER2/neu immunohistochemical expression, EGFR exons 18, 19, and 21 mutations, K-RAS exon 2 mutation.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells as stable source of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand delivery for cancer therapy.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (AD-MSC) may offer efficient tools for cell-based gene therapy approaches. In this study, we evaluated whether AD-MSC could deliver proapoptotic molecules for cancer treatment. Human AD-MSCs were isolated and transduced with a retroviral vector encoding full-length human tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a proapoptotic ligand that induces apoptosis in a variety of human cancers but not normal tissues.

Atypical carcinoid with prominent mucinous stroma: a hitherto unreported variant of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumor.

Carcinoid tumors of the lung may show several growth patterns and cell types. We report here a previously undescribed case of primary pulmonary atypical carcinoid with prominent mucinous stroma, an exceedingly rare variant of carcinoid tumor so far reported only in the thymus. The tumor was discovered in a 50-year-old, non-smoker woman, and pursued an aggressive behavior.

The variation of prognostic significance of Maximum Standardized Uptake Value of [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography in different histological subtypes and pathological stages of surgically resected Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.

Even if the prognostic role of SUVmax of 18-FDG-PET has been largely investigated, many issues regarding its relationship with pathologic staging and histological subtypes still remain controversial. This retrospective study investigated the prognostic significance of SUVmax in 119 completely resected, pathologically proven NSCLC. The SUVmax values resulted significantly related to histological subtypes (p<0.

Long-term functional results after surgical treatment of parapneumonic thoracic empyema.

Retrospective evaluation of long-term functional results of surgical treatment of chronic pleural empyema. Two different surgical procedures (debridement vs. decortication) and approaches (VATS vs.

Double synchronous pulmonary lymphatic-related lesions.

A wide range of pathologies may primarily affect the lymphatic vessels in the lungs. In this article, a unique case of pulmonary silicosis associated with a subtle lymphangitic carcinomatosis from an unknown prostate cancer is reported and discussed.

Prognostic factors and survival after resection of lung metastases from epithelial tumours.

Lung metastasectomy is an accepted treatment for selected patients with pulmonary metastases. Resectability, disease-free interval and number of metastases are well characterised prognostic indicators after lung metastasectomy. Patients treated with lung metastasectomy for epithelial tumours were retrospectively reviewed.

Unusual pathogenesis of spontaneous pneumothorax secondary to Wegener's granulomatosis.

Spontaneous pneumothorax represents a rare and potentially severe complication of Wegener's granulomatosis. A 31-year-old man with Wegener's granulomatosis on immunosuppressive therapy was admitted for a right massive spontaneous pneumothorax. After chest drainage he presented with a prolonged air leak that required a surgical treatment.

Bronchial typical carcinoid tumors.

The current WHO classification of lung tumors recognizes bronchial typical carcinoid as low-grade neuroendocrine tumors. These tumors grow slowly but can metastasize to regional nodes (4 to 20%) and more rarely to extrathoracic sites. Symptoms are usually related to local compression and obstruction of the bronchial tree.

Talc poudrage versus talc slurry in the treatment of malignant pleural effusion. A prospective comparative study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness, safety and appropriate mode of administration of intrapleural talc for pleurodesis, in the treatment of malignant pleural effusion (MPE).

Methods: Prospective not randomized trial was conducted to compare thoracoscopic talc poudrage (TP) with tube thoracostomy and talc slurry (TS) for the local control of malignant pleural effusion. Both procedures were previously standardized; 6g of talc was administered for each procedure.

The prognostic impact of tumor size in resected stage I non-small cell lung cancer: evidence for a two thresholds tumor diameters classification.

Purpose: The current TNM staging system for non-small cell lung cancer subdivides stage IA and IB according to a tumor size threshold of 3 cm. Some authors have suggested that tumor size behaves as a continuous, but the optimal diameter thresholds to be adopted remain debated.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 548 patients who underwent a complete surgical resection at our institute for stage IA and IB non-small cell lung cancer according to the current TNM staging system.

Exclusive intrapulmonary lepidic growth of a malignant pleural mesothelioma presenting with pneumothorax and involving the peritoneum.

We report a rare case of malignant pleural mesothelioma presenting clinically with pneumothorax and histologically with an exclusive intrapulmonary lepidic growth. Neither intrathoracic nodules nor pleural thickening were found. The patient subsequently experienced acute abdominal pain with peritonitis and intestinal occlusion by peritoneal mesothelioma.