Effects of low-dose pirfenidone on survival and lung function decline in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF): Results from a real-world study.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown etiology. In several randomized clinical trials, and in the clinical practice, pirfenidone is used to effectively and safely treat IPF. However, sometimes it is difficult to use the dose of pirfenidone used in clinical trials.

Tracheobronchopathia Osteochondroplastica Associated with Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease.

Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TPO) is a very rare, benign disorder involving the lumen of the trachea-bronchial tree. However, its etiology is unknown. In our first case, observation for several years showed that TPO worsened as interstitial lung disease was aggravated.

The association between serum apolipoprotein B and fractional exhaled nitric oxide in bronchial asthma patients.

Background: Asthma and lipid metabolism are associated with systemic inflammation. However, the studies about the relationship between lipid profile, fractional exhaled nitric acid (FeNO) and pulmonary function test (PFT) results are currently lacking.

Methods: We enrolled asthma patients who had serum lipid profiles including apolipoprotein levels from March 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019.

Clinical significance of microbial colonization identified by initial bronchoscopy in patients with lung cancer requiring chemotherapy.

Background: There are limited data on the association between bronchial colonization and respiratory infections in people with lung cancer requiring cytotoxic chemotherapy. We investigated whether bronchial colonization in initial bronchoscopy specimens can predict the development of pneumonia after chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer.

Methods: Four hundred thirteen patients with lung cancer included in the Catholic Medical Center lung cancer registry were enrolled from March 2015 to August 2018.

Regional emphysema score is associated with tumor location and poor prognosis in completely resected NSCLC patients.

Background: Lung cancer is a frequent comorbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the local risk of developing lung cancer related to regional emphysema distribution and clinical outcome has not been investigated. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of regional emphysema score (RES) on tumor location and prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Smoking is associated with pneumonia development in lung cancer patients.

Background: Various host factors can promote pneumonia susceptibility of lung cancer patients. However, data about risk factors for pneumonia in lung cancer patients receiving active treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical intervention are limited. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for pneumonia development in lung cancer patients.

Spontaneous Hepatic Infarction in a Patient with Gallbladder Cancer.

Hepatic infarction is known as a rare disease entity in nontransplant patients. Although a few cases of hepatic infarction have been reported to be linked with invasive procedures, trauma, and hypercoagulability, a case of spontaneous hepatic infarction in a nontransplanted patient has hardly ever been reported. However, many clinical situations of patients with cancer, in particular biliary cancer, can predispose nontransplant patients to hepatic infarction.