Improvement in Atrial Fibrillation Detection by Pulse Checking of Patients with Non-Cardioembolic Stroke in Rehabilitation Hospitals: The ESCORT Study.

Background: Rehabilitation therapists are sometimes unaware of the possibility of undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) and the importance of AF detection. Thus, we aimed to increase awareness among rehabilitation therapists of the importance of AF detection at rehabilitation hospitals during regular pulse checks of patients with ischemic stroke.

Methods: In this multicenter prospective observational study, we enrolled patients with noncardiac stroke.

Regular pulse checks for patients with non-cardioembolic stroke in rehabilitation hospitals to improve recognition and detection of atrial fibrillation (the ESCORT study): protocol for a prospective multicenter observational study.

Background: Cryptogenic stroke (CS) are heterogeneous in origin; however, most CS are embolic mechanism. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is suspected to be a major type of CS that leads to severe cerebral infarction without anticoagulant use. Therefore, the identification of AF is vital in patients with CS.

Effectiveness of rehabilitation for postoperative pain after surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax in young adults.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been established as a standard therapeutic approach for pneumothorax; however, patients may experience pronounced pain during the postoperative period, and the optimization of analgesic approaches during the postoperative period is necessary. The aim of this study was to determine for the first time the effect of a physical therapist-guided exercise program on pain perception and analgesic use in the postoperative period after VATS for spontaneous pneumothorax.

Methods: This retrospective study included 73 patients aged ≤40 years (mean age is 21, range is 15 to 40) with spontaneous pneumothorax treated with VATS that were divided in exercise-based rehabilitation (n=23) and no rehabilitation (n=50) groups.

NSAIDs may prevent EGFR-TKI-related skin rash in non-small cell lung cancer patients .

Objectives: Skin rash is a common adverse event induced by epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI). Here, we aimed to predict factors that reduce EGFR-TKI-related skin rash.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective study to predict factors that reduce skin rash in patients undergoing treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR-TKIs using Cox proportional hazards model.

Factors Influencing the Diagnostic Accuracy of Identifying the Histologic Type of Non--Small-Lung Cancer With Small Samples.

Background: The pathologic diagnosis has become a greater consideration in decision-making regarding the treatment options for lung cancer. Therefore, the accurate diagnosis of the tumor histologic type is essential, even when only small biopsy or cytology samples are available. However, the risk of a misdiagnosis with smaller biopsy samples is greater.

Clinical usefulness of gefitinib for non-small-cell lung cancer with a double epidermal growth factor receptor mutation.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the pattern of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations affects sensitivity to gefitinib treatment. We investigated 44 surgically resected non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) specimens obtained between 2001 and 2012 at the Tokyo Medical University Hospital. The specimens were obtained from patients treated with gefitinib as 1st-, 2nd-, or 3rd-line therapy for postoperative recurrent NSCLC.

[Metastatic lung tumors].

The lung metastasis remains the major cause of cancer related mortality in patients with solid malignant tumor. In general, the treatment of the lung metastasis is the systemic chemotherapy or the targeted therapy suitable for the primary lesion. However, the surgical resection of the lung metastases could enhance the survival for the chemotherapy-resistant lung metastasis only if, certain criteria are met.

The role of airway stent placement in the management of tracheobronchial stenosis caused by inoperable advanced lung cancer.

Purpose: To our knowledge there is no in-depth report on the benefits of airway stenting, which focuses specifically on patients with inoperable advanced lung cancer causing severe central airway obstruction. We evaluated the role of airway stenting as one aspect of the multidisciplinary management of advanced lung cancer.

Methods: We performed airway stenting in 40 lung cancer patients, placing a total of 58 stents.

An early stage diffuse B-cell lymphoma within a visible site of bronchofiberscope accompanied by peripheral lung cancer.

We report a case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma found at the orifice of right B2 accompanied by peripheral lung cancer in a 66-year-old asymptomatic man. Chest X-ray films showed a mass shadow in the left lower lung field. Transbronchial lung biopsy of left S9 demonstrated squamous cell carcinoma.

The Development of a New Setup for Video-assisted Thoracic Surgery.

In order to accomplish video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in a much easier and safer way, especially for assistant operators, we have developed a new display system for VATS. The original thoracoscope has been designed for this new system. The monitor is fixed at approximately 10 cm away from the surface of the chest wall just above the operative field.

Effectiveness of Photodynamic Therapy and Nd-YAG Laser Treatment for Obstructed Tracheobronchial Malignancies.

Since 1980, advanced lung carcinomas were treated with palliative laser therapy for the purpose of opening the endobronchial stenosis and obstruction by either photodynamic therapy (PDT) or Nd-YAG laser treatment at Tokyo Medical University. A total of 258 lesions were treated, 81 by PDT and 177 by Nd-YAG laser treatment. PDT achieved effective results in 61 (75%) of 81 lesions.

Lung cancers treated with photodynamic therapy and surgery.

Laser endoscopic surgery, especially the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using Photofrin as a photosensitizer, has now achieved a status as effective treatment modality for lung cancer. Twenty-six lung cancer patients received the preoperative PDT for the purpose of either reducing the extent of resection or increasing operability. Bronchoscopical PDT is performed with topical anesthesia approximately 48 h after the intravenous injection of 2.

Early Detection of Bronchial Lesions Using System of Autofluorescence Endoscopy (SAFE) 1000.

Recently several endoscopic fluorescence detection systems have been developed. In some of them, laser light was used for the excitation of autofluorescence, and sophisticated techniques were also necessary to amplify the fluorescence signal as well.The result of fluorescence diagnosis using a simple system with a conventional Xenon lamp excitation and an image intensifier is reported.

Early detection of bronchial lesions using lung imaging fluorescence endoscope.

The performance of the Lung Imaging Fluorescence Endoscope (LIFE) system was compared with conventional bronchoscopy in 158 patients: 68 patients with invasive cancer, 42 patients with abnormal sputum cytology findings (12 early cancer and 26 dysplasia), 17 cases with resected lung cancer and 31 smokers with symptoms. The respective results of conventional bronchoscopy and LIFE for detection of dysplasia were; sensitivity 52% and 90% (biopsy basis), 62% and 92% (patient basis). Fluorescence bronchoscopy may be an important adjunct to conventional bronchoscopy to improve the localization of subtle lesions of bronchus.

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy in thyroid carcinoma with tracheal invasion.

Preoperative bronchoscopic findings of thyroid carcinoma with tracheal invasion were examined and compared with the histopathological findings. Tracheal sleeve resection was performed in 20 cases. The bronchoscopic findings were classified into 5 types: confirmed tumor in the tracheal lumen (5 cases), extramural compression of the trachea plus mucosal change (9 cases), extramural compression of the trachea (2 cases), mucosal changes only (3 cases), normal findings (1 case).

[A case of psuedocyst of the pancreas suspected to lung abscess].

A 83-year-old man visited a physician because of appetite loss. The chest X-ray film showed a cavity with air-fluids sign in the left lower lung field. He was admitted to our hospital for diagnosis of the cavity lesion on a suspicion of pulmonary abscess and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Locally recurrent central-type early stage lung cancer < 1.0 cm in diameter after complete remission by photodynamic therapy.

Background: It is well known that central-type early stage lung cancer < 1.0 cm in diameter shows almost 100% complete response (CR) to photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, we have encountered cases of local recurrence after CR of tumors with a surface diameter < 1.

The characteristics of early bronchogenic carcinoma evaluated by cytomorphological features.

The relationship between the cell features of central type early lung cancer and the degree of invasion to the bronchial wall was investigated. Bronchial brushing specimens were obtained from 19 cases of central type early lung cancer preoperatively and the resected specimens were pathologically examined. The cell features were classified into three types: Type I: low grade atypia without increased nuclear chromatin, Type II: moderate grade atypia with increased chromatin and Type III: high grade atypia with irregular shaped nucleus and increased chromatin.

Immunologic parameters as significant prognostic factors in lung cancer.

Immunologic prognostic factors in lung cancer have not been fully clarified. We report the results of a prospective study undertaken to clarify the correlation between various cellular immunologic parameters and the survival of lung cancer patients. A total of 287 lung cancer patients were enrolled in this study.

Up-regulated gene expression of angiogenesis factors in post-chemotherapeutic lung cancer tissues determined by cDNA macroarray.

The differential expressions of hundreds of tightly transcriptionally controlled genes in freshly isolated human lung cancers and respective normal lung tissues were analyzed by the cDNA macroarray technique. Three lung cancer patients received pre-operative chemotherapy with cisplatin containing regimens. After chemotherapy, these patients underwent surgery, and poly (A)-RNA expressions of 588 genes in the samples prepared from the lung cancer and normal lung tissues were compared.

The incidence and the risk of pneumothorax and chest tube placement after percutaneous CT-guided lung biopsy: the angle of the needle trajectory is a novel predictor.

Study Objective: Pneumothorax remains the most common complication of percutaneous CT-guided lung biopsy, despite improved techniques. The rate of pneumothorax reported in the literature ranges from 19 to 60%. The aims of this study were to estimate the risk of pneumothorax in patients undergoing CT-guided lung biopsy, and to determine which factors affect its occurrence.

Telomerase activity during carcinogenesis in the bronchus.

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein reverse transcriptase that synthesizes telomeric DNA onto chromosome ends, and is not detected in most normal cells. It has been clarified that some bronchial squamous cell carcinomas may arise through the metaplasia and dysplasia sequence accompanied by accumulation of genetic mutations in metaplastic cells. Recently a highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based telomerase assay (TRAP assay) was developed for the detection of telomerase activity.

Influence of angiogenetic factors and matrix metalloproteinases upon tumour progression in non-small-cell lung cancer.

We attempted to investigate immunohistochemical expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PD-ECGF), c-erbB-2, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and MMP-9 using surgical specimens of 119 non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cases and to evaluate the relationship between the expression levels of each molecule and clinicopathological factors or prognosis. VEGF expression levels were significantly associated with the local invasion (P = 0.0001), lymph node involvement (pN-factor) (P = 0.