Induction chemotherapy with the TIP regimen (paclitaxel/ifosfamide/cisplatin) in stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

Induction chemotherapy may improve clinical outcome of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To further pursue this, the Austrian Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (AASLC) performed a multi-center phase II trial with TIP induction chemotherapy (Taxol 175 mg/m2 over 3h on day 1, ifosfamide 1000 mg/m2 daily on days 1-3, cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on day 1, and prophylactic filgrastim 5 microg/kg daily on days 4-13). Treatment cycles were repeated every 3 weeks for 3 cycles.

Prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer with isolated brain metastases undergoing combined surgical treatment.

Objective: To compare survival of patients with isolated synchronous and metachronous brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after combined surgical treatment.

Methods: A total of 991 patients underwent surgical resection of primary NSCLC between January 1994 and November 1999. Out of these, 32 patients (21 males and 11 females) were further treated for isolated brain metastases.

Lung wedge resection improves outcome in stage I primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Background: To evaluate the role of apical lung wedge resection in patients with recurrent primary spontaneous pneumothorax with no endoscopic abnormalities at surgery as compared with simple apical pleurectomy.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis on 126 consecutive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) procedures in 113 patients treated for stage I recurrent PSP between January 1994 and December 2001. Two surgical strategies were applied: simple apical pleurectomy (57 procedures, 45.

Using a dedicated lung-marker system for localization of pulmonary nodules before thoracoscopic surgery.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a commercially available dedicated lung-marker system for localization of pulmonary nodules before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Subjects And Methods: Guidewires were positioned under CT fluoroscopy guidance in 16 patients (11 men, five women; age range, 39-79 years; mean age, 60.4 years).

Evidence for a role of FGF-2 and FGF receptors in the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer cells.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) has been implicated in the progression of human tumours via both autocrine and paracrine (angiogenic) activities. We investigated the expression of FGF-2 and FGF receptors (FGFR-1 to -4) in NSCLC cell lines (N = 16), NSCLC surgical specimens (N = 21) and 2 control cell lines. Our data show that almost all NSCLC cells produce elevated levels of FGF-2 and FGFR in vitro and in vivo.