Update of prognosis and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a real-world setting: a 5-year follow-up analysis of a multi-institutional registry.

Background: We conducted a prospective observational study to elucidate the long-term prognosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in clinical practice in Japan in the mid-2010s.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 29 facilities. Data from 427 patients clinically diagnosed with COPD, enrolled between September 2013 and April 2016, were analyzed.

A phase II study of weekly carboplatin and concurrent radiotherapy in older adults with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LOGIK1902).

Background: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the standard therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there is little evidence supporting its use in older adults. Low-dose daily carboplatin combined with thoracic radiotherapy is considered a standard regimen for this population.

Overstretching alveolar epithelial type II cells decreases surfactant secretion via actin polymerization and intracellular trafficking alteration.

Pulmonary surfactant is essential for maintaining proper lung function. Alveolar epithelial type II (AE2) cells secrete surfactants via lamellar bodies (LBs). In tidal loading during each breath, the physiological cyclic stretching of AE2 cells promotes surfactant secretion.

The Utility and Limitations of Universal Polymerase Chain Reaction Screening for SARS-CoV-2 During Hospital Admission.

Objective: Universal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on hospital admission is an effective approach to preventing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks in medical facilities. However, false-positive test results due to a recent infection are a concern. We investigated the usefulness and limitations of universal PCR screening for SARS-CoV-2 on hospital admission in a real-world setting.

Lemborexant-induced interstitial lung disease: A case report.

We report the first case of drug-induced interstitial lung disease attributed to lemborexant. A 66-year-old man reported to our hospital with the acute onset of cough and breathlessness with ground-glass opacity on radiological examination. Symptoms were identified after taking lemborexant for 2 consecutive days.

The Tumor Immune Microenvironment Is Associated With Recurrence in Early-Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have recently been approved for the treatment of early-stage NSCLC in the perioperative setting on the basis of phase 3 trials. However, the characteristics of such patients who are susceptible to recurrence after adjuvant chemotherapy or who are likely to benefit from postoperative immunotherapy have remained unclear.

Methods: This biomarker study (WJOG12219LTR) was designed to evaluate cancer stem cell markers (CD44 and CD133), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on tumor cells, CD8 expression on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and tumor mutation burden in completely resected stage II to IIIA NSCLC with the use of archived DNA and tissue samples from the prospective WJOG4107 trial.

Interstitial Pneumonia Associated with Nodal T-follicular Helper Cell Lymphoma.

Nodal T-follicular helper cell lymphoma (nTFHL), a hematologic neoplasm originating from T-follicular helper (TFH) cells, occasionally presents with pulmonary radiographic abnormalities, without neoplastic cellular infiltration. However, the precise mechanisms underlying non-neoplastic pulmonary opacities in patients with nTFHL remain unclear. Previous reports have shown that TFH cell abnormalities are associated with collagen disease and interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF).

Transitional dynamics in oncology clinical trials: evaluating the impact of Clinical Trials Act on cooperative groups.

Objective: large-scale multicentre clinical trials conducted by cooperative groups have generated a lot of evidence to establish better standard treatments. The Clinical Trials Act was enforced on 1 April 2018, in Japan, and it has remarkably increased the operational burden on investigators, but its long-term impact on cancer cooperative groups is unknown.

Methods: a survey was conducted across the nine major cooperative groups that constitute the Japan Cancer Trials Network to assess the impact of Clinical Trials Act on the number of newly initiated trials from fiscal year (from 1 April to 31 March) 2017 to 2022 and that of ongoing trials on 1 April in each year from 2018 to 2023.

An Autopsy Case of COVID-19 with New Diffuse Pulmonary Ossification.

We present the case of a 61-year-old man who developed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and died during treatment for relapsing polychondritis. The patient was intubated and treated with steroid pulse therapy, remdecivir, antibacterial agents, baricitinib, and tocilizumab. However, his respiratory condition worsened, and he died 108 days after disease onset.

TP53 gain-of-function mutations promote osimertinib resistance via TNF-α-NF-κB signaling in EGFR-mutated lung cancer.

EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are effective against EGFR-mutated lung cancer, but tumors eventually develop resistance to these drugs. Although TP53 gain-of-function (GOF) mutations promote carcinogenesis, their effect on EGFR-TKI efficacy has remained unclear. We here established EGFR-mutated lung cancer cell lines that express wild-type (WT) or various mutant p53 proteins with CRISPR-Cas9 technology and found that TP53-GOF mutations promote early development of resistance to the EGFR-TKI osimertinib associated with sustained activation of ERK and expression of c-Myc.

Osimertinib readministration for central nervous system metastases in non-small cell lung cancer positive for EGFR activating mutations.

Background: Osimertinib shows pronounced efficacy for EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) including associated central nervous system (CNS) metastases. Tumors inevitably develop resistance to the drug, however. Osimertinib is sometimes readministered after completion of standard chemotherapy.

Phase II Trial of Adjuvant Atezolizumab Therapy in Elderly Patients with Completely Resected Stage II/III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: RELIANCE Trial.

Introduction: Atezolizumab following platinum chemotherapy and complete pulmonary resection has become the new standard of adjuvant care for patients with stage II-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) expressing programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). However, the efficacy and safety of postoperative adjuvant therapy and subsequent atezolizumab in patients aged 75 and older have not been established.

Methods: Patients with completely resected stage II-III NSCLC aged 75 and older will be prospectively registered in this single-arm phase II study.

A Multi-Institutional, Randomized, Phase III Trial Comparing Anatomical Segmentectomy and Lobectomy for Clinical Stage IA3 Pure-Solid Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: West Japan Oncology Group Study WJOG16923L (STEP UP Trial).

Introduction: Although the standard treatment for patients with resectable early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is pulmonary lobectomy, recent clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of anatomical segmentectomy for small-sized early-stage NSCLC measuring ≤2 cm. Segmentectomy is gaining attention as an alternative procedure to lobectomy for early-stage NSCLC.

Patients And Methods: In January 2024, we have initiated a randomized phase III trial in Japan to confirm the noninferiority of anatomical segmentectomy to lobectomy in patients with peripheral clinical stage IA3 pure-solid NSCLC (tumor measuring >2 cm and ≤3 cm; consolidation-to-tumor ratio = 1.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis manifested secondary to bacterial pleural empyema.

A 54-year-old woman with no history of lung disease including bronchial asthma developed left bacterial pleural empyema due to the perforation of a lung abscess in the left lower lobe. Chest tube drainage and antibiotics improved the pleural empyema. Two months following discharge from the hospital, she developed a cough and left chest pain.