Does adjuvant radiation therapy improve disease-free survival in completely resected Masaoka stage II thymoma?

Objective: To determine whether or not patients with completely resected Masaoka stage II thymoma benefit from postoperative radiotherapy (RT).

Methods: We retrospectively review the case records and compared the long-term outcomes of patients affected by Masaoka stage II thymoma treated by resection alone with same stage thymoma patients submitted to resection and RT. Surgical specimens were reviewed to confirm pathological stage, negative resection margins and histological subtype.

Pulmonary metastases from epithelial tumours: late results of surgical treatment.

Objective: Development of distant metastases is one of the primary characteristics of malignant tumours. During the last decades, lung metastasectomy has been progressively accepted as a therapeutic option in oncology patients. The present paper aims to evaluate the long-term results and factors influencing prognosis in patients submitted to lung resection for metastases from extrapulmonary epithelial tumours.

World Health Organization histologic classification: an independent prognostic factor in resected thymomas.

The histologic classification of thymoma remained controversial since 1999, when the World Health Organization (WHO) Consensus Committee published a histologic typing system for tumours of thymus. Clinical features, postoperative relapsing rates, and survival of patients with thymoma were evaluated with reference to the WHO histologic classification, based on a series of 178 patients, submitted to surgery between 1988 and 2000. There were 21 type A, 49 type AB, 45 type B1, 50 type B2 and 13 type B3 tumours.

Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung: a clinicopathologic study of eighteen cases and the efficacy of adjuvant treatment with octreotide.

Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of a new adjuvant protocol with octreotide, alone or in combination with radiotherapy, in radically resected large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the lung.

Methods: Between 1990 and 2001, a total of 18 consecutive patients affected by large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the lung were operated on. Lobectomy and systemic lymphadenectomy were performed in all cases.

Stage I pure bronchioloalveolar carcinoma: recurrences, survival and comparison with adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Objective: Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) is considered a subtype of adenocarcinoma of the lung, without pleural, stromal or vascular invasion (World Health Organization (WHO) classification). Previous reports had demonstrated a better prognosis following surgery for patients affected by early stage BAC than those affected by other type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aim to analyse differences between stage I peripheral nodular BAC and stage I peripheral adenocarcinoma of the lung,

Methods: From January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1999, 1158 patients were submitted to surgical resection for NSCLC.

Lung tumors with mixed histologic pattern. Clinico-pathologic characteristics and prognostic significance.

Objective: To analyze and compare clinico-pathologic characteristics and survival between lung tumors with mixed histologic pattern and our population of resected lung tumors with single histology in the same period.

Methods: From January 1993 to December 1999, 1158 patients received resection for lung tumors. Of these, 59 (5.

Pulmonary resection for metastases from colorectal cancer: factors influencing prognosis. Twenty-year experience.

Objective: We reviewed our experience in the surgical management of 80 patients with colorectal pulmonary metastases and investigated factors affecting survival.

Material And Methods: From January 1980 to December 2000, 80 patients, 43 women and 37 men with median age 63 years (range 38-79 years) underwent 98 open surgical procedure (96 muscle-sparing thoracotomy, one clamshell and one median sternotomy) for pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer (three pneumonectomy, 17 lobectomy, seven lobectomy plus wedge resection, six segmentectomy, three segmentectomy plus wedge resection and 62 wedge resection). Pulmonary metastases were identified at a median interval of 37.

Stage I non-small cell lung carcinoma: really an early stage?

Objective: We review our results on surgical treatment of patients with stage I non-small cell lung carcinoma and we attempted to clarify the prognostic significance of some surgical--pathologic variables.

Methods: From 1993 to 1999, 667 patients received curative lung resection and complete hilar and mediastinal lymphadenectomy for non-small cell lung cancer. Of these, there were 436 Stage I disease (65%), of whom 144 T1N0 and 292 T2N0.

The significance of intraoperative pleural effusion during surgery for bronchogenic carcinoma.

Objectives: To analyze patients submitted to thoracotomy for lung carcinoma presenting with an intraoperative pleural effusion (PE).

Methods: From 1993 to 1999, 1279 patients received thoracotomy with curative intent for primary lung carcinoma. Intraoperatively, 52 patients (4%) presented a PE >100ml which was not diagnosed preoperatively.

Bronchial carcinoid tumors: surgical management and long-term outcome.

Objective: We sought to determine the variables influencing long-term survival of patients treated for bronchial carcinoid tumors.

Methods: A retrospective, mono-institutional review of patients subjected to surgical treatment since 1977 was conducted.

Results: Over 22 years, 126 patients with a final histologic diagnosis of bronchial carcinoid tumors were assessed for surgery.

Response expectancies in placebo analgesia and their clinical relevance.

Response expectancies have been proposed as the major determinant of placebo effects. Here we report that different expectations produce different analgesic effects which in turn can be harnessed in clinical practice. Thoracotomized patients were treated with buprenorphine on request for 3 consecutive days, together with a basal intravenous infusion of saline solution.

Response variability to analgesics: a role for non-specific activation of endogenous opioids.

Individual differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, the type of pain and the method of drug administration can account for the response variability to analgesics. By integrating a clinical and an experimental approach, we report here that another important source of variability is represented by individual differences in non-specific (placebo) activation of endogenous opioid systems. In the first part of this study, we analyzed the effectiveness of buprenorphine, tramadol, ketorolac and metamizol in the clinical setting, where the placebo effect was completely eliminated by means of hidden infusions.