Peripheral Circulating Blood Cells Deviation Based on Tumor Inflammatory Microenvironment Activity in Resected Upstaged Lung Adenocarcinomas.

: The tumour inflammatory microenvironment (TIME) reflects a selective activation of the central immune system (IS), particularly T-cells expansion, which leads to immune cells migrating to the target, such as lung cancer, via the bloodstream and lymphatic vessels. In this study, the aim is to investigate whether the distribution of peripheral blood cells varies based on the immune status of patients with lung adenocarcinoma. : This is a single-center retrospective study conducted in the Thoracic Surgery Unit of the University of Padua (Italy) between 1 January 2016 and 1 April 2024.

Is There a Link between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Lung Adenocarcinoma? A Clinico-Pathological and Molecular Study.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer are strictly related. To date, it is unknown if COPD-associated cancers are different from the tumors of non-COPD patients. The main goal of the study was to compare the morphological/molecular profiles of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) samples of COPD, non-COPD/smokers and non-COPD/non-smokers, and to investigate if a genetic instability also characterized non-pathological areas.

A new vessel filled and heart-beating human corpse model for VATS lobectomy training.

Background: Nowadays, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy represents the treatment of choice for early-stage lung cancer. Over the years, different methods for VATS training have evolved. The aim of this study is to present an innovative beating-heart filled-vessel cadaveric model to simulate VATS lobectomies.

Significance of Spread Through Air Spaces and Vascular Invasion in Early-stage Adenocarcinoma Survival: A Comprehensive Clinicopathologic Study of 427 Patients for Precision Management.

Spread through air spaces (STAS) is a novel invasive pattern of lung cancer associated with poor prognosis in non-small cell cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to investigate the incidence of STAS in a surgical series of adenocarcinomas (ADCs) resected in our thoracic surgery unit and to identify the association of STAS with other clinicopathological characteristics. We retrospectively enrolled patients with stage cT1a-cT2b who underwent resection between 2016 and 2022.

Impact of a standardized protocol for chest tube management after VATS pulmonary resections on post-operative outcomes and complications.

Chest tube management represents a major issue after lung surgery as no protocol is widely accepted and tube management is generally based on local or personal habits. Aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of a standardized protocol for chest tube management after pulmonary resections on the post-operative outcomes. We performed a single center retrospective analysis of all adult patients undergoing thoracoscopic pulmonary resection from January 2020 to December 2021.

Microscopical Variables and Tumor Inflammatory Microenvironment Do Not Modify Survival or Recurrence in Stage I-IIA Lung Adenocarcinomas.

Microscopical predictors and Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME) have been studied less in early-stage NSCLC due to the curative intent of resection and the satisfactory survival rate achievable. Despite this, the emerging literature enforces the role of the immune system and microscopical predictors as prognostic variables in NSCLC and in adenocarcinomas (ADCs) as well. Here, we investigated whether cancer-related microscopical variables and TIME influence survival and recurrence in I-IIA ADCs.

Intrathymic Localization of Melanoma: A Brief Report of Two Cases and a Review of the Literature.

Intrathymic localizations of melanoma represent a very rare entity, with fewer than ten cases of intrathymic melanoma described in the literature. Herein, we describe two cases of patients who underwent surgical removal of a thymic mass at our thoracic surgery department between 2015 and 2022. The final pathological examination revealed a malignant melanoma in both cases; we therefore carried out a literature review to identify such rare and similar cases.

Thymectomy in severe (Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America classes IV-V) generalized myasthenia gravis: is the game really worth the candle?

Objectives: Total thymectomy in addition to medical treatment is an accepted standard therapy for myasthenia gravis (MG). Patients with severe generalized MG present life-threatening events, poor prognosis and higher risk of postoperative myasthenic crisis. The aim of our study is to investigate neurological and surgical results in patients with Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) class IV and V MG following thymectomy.

Comparison Between Electronic and Traditional Chest Drainage Systems: A Multicenter Randomized Study.

Background: Air leak is the major factor that influences the permanence of the chest tube and the in-hospital length of stay (LOS) among patients undergoing lung resections. The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of digital chest drain systems, compared with traditional ones, reduced the duration of chest drainage and postoperative in-hospital LOS in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy.

Methods: The study was a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial.

Precision Surgery in NSCLC.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. This is mostly because the majority of lung cancers are discovered in advanced stages. In the era of conventional chemotherapy, the prognosis of advanced NSCLC was grim.

Hepatoid Adenocarcinoma of the Lung: A Review of the Most Updated Literature and a Presentation of Three Cases.

In a Surgical Thoracic Center, two females and a man were unexpectedly diagnosed with hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung (HAL) in a single year. HAL is a rare lung cancer with pathological features of hepatocellular carcinoma with no evidence of liver tumor or other primitive sites of neoplasms. As of today, a comprehensive treatment is still not written.

Molecular Profiling of Tissue Samples with Chronic Rejection from Patients with Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction: A Pilot Study in Cystic Fibrosis Patients.

Chronic rejection (CR) is the main culprit for reduced survival and quality of life in patients undergoing lung transplantation (Ltx). High-throughput approaches have been used to unveil the molecular pathways of CR, mainly in the blood and/or in bronchoalveolar lavage. We hypothesized that a distinct molecular signature characterizes the biopsies of recipients with clinically confirmed histological signs of CR.

Induction chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel for thymoma in acute respiratory distress due to myasthenia gravis: a case report.

Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is presented in 30-50% of thymoma cases, particularly in AB, B1 and B2 thymomas, and often associated with antibodies against acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Symptoms include muscle weakness and fatigue, and the severity depends on the muscles involved. Surgery is recommended in resectable thymomas, and after induction chemotherapy in locally advanced cases.

Diagnostic-Therapeutic Pathway and Outcomes of Early Stage NSCLC: a Focus on EGFR Testing in the Real-World.

Background: Osimertinib is considered the standard-of-care for previously-untreated mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Oncogene driver screening in early NSCLC is not standard practice. A real-world study has been designed in order to investigate the optimal testing frequency and timing for mutations in early NSCLC in clinical practice.

Spontaneous Regression of an Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-mutant Left Upper Lobe Adenocarcinoma.

Spontaneous regression of cancer is a known manifestation rarely described for thoracic malignancies. We present the case of a patient affected by an epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant adenocarcinoma who developed a contralateral aspiration pneumonitis months before surgery and manifested a complete pathologic regression without any preoperative oncologic treatment. The underlying mechanisms are not clear, but immune system activation appears to be a key player, acting as a plausible trigger of a change in host response to cancer cells.

Vascular Involvement in Thymic Epithelial Tumors: Surgical and Oncological Outcomes.

Background: The involvement of mediastinal great vessels is common in advanced stage thymic tumors, which makes their surgical resection challenging. Moreover, the impact of vascular involvement on the oncological prognosis is still unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the surgical and oncological outcomes and the impact of vascular involvement in a population of patients operated for advanced stage thymic tumors.

Multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing digital and traditional chest drain in a VATS pulmonary lobectomy cohort: interim analysis.

Background: The usefulness of digital chest drain is still debated. We are carrying out a study to determine if the use of a digital system compared with a traditional system reduces the duration of chest drainage. To evaluate safety, benefit, or futility of this trial we planned the current interim analysis.

Short- and Long-Term Impact of Smoking Donors in Lung Transplantation: Clinical and Pathological Analysis.

Background: The use of smoking donors (SD) is one strategy to increase the organ pool for lung transplantation (LT), but the benefit-to-risk ratio has not been demonstrated. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of SD history on recipient outcomes and graft alterations.

Methods: LTs in 293 patients were retrospectively reviewed and divided into non-SD ( = 225, group I), SD < 20 pack-years ( = 45, group II), and SD ≥ 20 pack-years ( = 23, group III) groups.

Lobectomy With Artery Reconstruction and Pneumonectomy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Propensity Score Weighting Study.

Background: The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer is based, when suitable, on surgical resection. Pneumonectomy has been considered the standard surgical procedure for locally advanced lung cancers but it is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. Reconstruction of the pulmonary artery, associated with parenchyma-sparing techniques, is meant to be an alternative to pneumonectomy.

Use of a reabsorbable patch as tracheal substitute in a complicated urgent tracheostomy.

Airway dehiscence after tracheal resection-anastomosis is a major complication that often requires an urgent reoperation. If ischaemia of the airway is extensive, however, performing a tracheostomy might be complicated. Here, we describe the case of a patient who underwent urgent tracheostomy because of acute airway dehiscence, wherein an absorbable prosthesis was used to repair the defect of the anterior trachea.

Bubbles-in-the-chamber vs digital screen in chest drainage: A blind analysis of compared postoperative air leaks evaluation.

Background: Chest drainage systems are affected by intra and inter-observer variability and poor sensibility in detecting minimal or apparent air leaks.

Objectives: Overcome intra and inter-observer variability in detecting air leaks.

Methods: After surgery, a single apical chest tube was connected to the Drentech™ PalmEVO device and air leaks were checked twice a day by observation of both bubbles-in-the-chamber and digital data.

Outcomes and risk factors identification in urgent lung transplantation: a multicentric study.

Background: In rapidly lung deteriorating patients, urgent lung transplantation (ULT) seems the only definitive therapy. Few publications on this topic report conflicting results, putting a word of caution about ULT programs.

Methods: A national ULT program was introduced in 2010: patients on mechanical support may be transplanted with the first available graft.