Pulmonary Mycobacterium malmoense Infection in a Patient with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, Systemic Sclerosis, and Interstitial Pneumonia: A Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature.

A 69-year-old man with systemic sclerosis and interstitial pneumonia presented with an abnormal shadow in the right upper lung lobe. A thoracoscopic needle biopsy was performed on the right upper lobe lesion, and Mycobacterium malmoense was identified by 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequencing. Surgical treatment was performed to obtain a radical cure, and lung squamous cell carcinoma and M.

Frequency and Significance of Body Weight Loss During Immunochemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Limited data are available on the frequency and significance of body weight loss during cancer therapy. This study investigated the frequency of patients who experienced body weight loss during immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) plus chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the impact of weight loss on treatment outcomes. Using the clinical data of 370 patients with NSCLC who received a combination of ICI and chemotherapy at 13 institutions, this study investigated the frequency of body weight loss > 5% during treatment and determined the impact of body weight loss on patient outcomes.

Perspectives on surgical treatment for thymic epithelial tumors: a narrative review.

Background And Objective: Thymic epithelial tumors are relatively rare; thus, mostly retrospective studies and a few prospective randomized controlled trials have been conducted on the treatment and the biomarkers, with no standard therapy established. Indications for extended thymectomy, robot-assisted thoracic surgery, and multidisciplinary treatment are controversial. Here, we considered the prospects of surgical treatment and the possibility of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment for thymic epithelial tumors.

Clinical characteristics of patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer: CS-Lung-003 prospective observational registry study.

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are ineffective against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients who were treated or not treated with ICIs, and of those who benefit from immunotherapy in EGFR-mutant NSCLC.

Methods: We analyzed patients with unresectable stage III/IV or recurrent NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations using a prospective umbrella-type lung cancer registry (CS-Lung-003).

Efficacy and Safety of Re-administration of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) After EGFR-TKI-Induced Interstitial Lung Disease (CS-Lung-005).

Purpose: This study investigated the safety and efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) re-administration after recovery from EGFR-TKI-induced interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study collected data from consecutive advanced NSCLC patients who underwent EGFR-TKI re-administration after recovery from EGFR-TKI-induced ILD.

Results: Fifty-eight patients were registered.

Impacts of probiotics on the efficacies of immune checkpoint inhibitors with or without chemotherapy for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

The relationships between the therapeutic effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and the intestinal flora have attracted increasing attention. However, the effects of oral probiotics on the efficacies of ICIs used to treat non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear. We investigated the effects of probiotics on the efficacies of ICIs in patients treated with and without chemotherapy.

Randomized phase II study of daily versus alternate-day administrations of S-1 for the elderly patients with completely resected pathological stage IA (tumor diameter > 2 cm)-IIIA of non-small cell lung cancer: Setouchi Lung Cancer Group Study 1201.

Background: It is shown that the postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was associated with survival benefit in an elderly population. We aimed to analyze the feasibility and efficacy of alternate-day S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, for adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly patients with completely resected pathological stage IA (tumor diameter > 2 cm) to IIIA (UICC TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours, 7th edition) NSCLC.

Methods: Elderly patients were randomly assigned to receive adjuvant chemotherapy for one year consisting of either alternate-day oral administration of S-1 (80 mg/m2/day) for 4 days a week (Arm A) or a daily oral administration of S-1 (80 mg/m2/day) for 14 consecutive days followed by 7-day rest (Arm B).

The Effect of Pleural Effusion on Prognosis in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Immunochemotherapy: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Objectives: Combined immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy and chemotherapy has become the standard treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Pleural effusion (PE) is associated with poor outcomes among patients with NSCLC undergoing chemotherapy. However, minimal data exists on PE for patients undergoing combined ICI and chemotherapy.

Two Cases of Bronchial Artery Racemose Hemangioma Successfully Treated with Bronchial Artery Embolization.

Rupture of a racemose hemangioma causing dilatation and tortuosity of the bronchial artery can result in massive bleeding and respiratory failure. Bronchial artery embolization (BAE) can treat this life-threatening condition, as we show in two cases. The first case was of an 89-year-old female complaining of sudden-onset chest and back pain.

Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

The efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear, especially in patients older than 80 years. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 10 patients older than 80 years with NSCLCs treated by ICIs. The median age was 85 years (range, 82-93 years), and 7 patients were men.

Novel prospective umbrella-type lung cancer registry study for clarifying clinical practice patterns: CS-Lung-003 study protocol.

Introduction: Conventional cancer registries are suitable for simple surveillance of cancer patients, including disease frequency and distribution, demographics, and prognosis; however, the collected data are inadequate to clarify comprehensively diverse clinical questions in daily practice.

Methods: We constructed an umbrella-type lung cancer patient registry (CS-Lung-003) integrating multiple related prospective observational studies (linked studies) that reflect clinical questions about lung cancer treatment. The primary endpoint of this registry is to clarify daily clinical practice patterns in lung cancer treatment; a key inclusion criterion is pathologically diagnosed lung cancer.

Impact of HER2 expression on EGFR-TKI treatment outcomes in lung tumors harboring EGFR mutations: A HER2-CS study subset analysis.

Objectives: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are standard treatment for EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC); however, a biomarker to predict their efficacy has not been established. Although human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) aberrations constitute a potential mechanism for acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs, the impact of HER2 on EGFR-TKI treatment outcomes has not been systematically evaluated. In this post-hoc subgroup study, we examined the impact of HER2 on the effect of EGFR-TKIs in patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations.

Mortality related to drug-resistant organisms in surgical sepsis-3: an 8-year time trend study using sequential organ failure assessment scores.

The difference in sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores from the baseline to sepsis is a known predictor of sepsis-3 outcome, but the prognostic value of drug-resistant organisms for mortality is unexplained. We employed sepsis stewardship and herein report an observational study. Study subjects were patients admitted to the Departments of Surgery/Chest Surgery from 2011 through 2018 with a diagnosis of sepsis and a SOFA score of 2 or more.

Mediastinal lymph node metastases in lung cancer presenting as pure ground-glass nodules: A surgical case report.

Introduction: Generally, lung cancer representing as Ground-glass nodules is associated with an early stage and good prognosis. However, we herein report a rare case of pure ground-glass nodules with mediastinal lymph node metastases.

Presentation Of Case: A 69-year-old man underwent video assisted thoracic surgery right upper lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection due to multifocal Ground-glass nodules in the right upper lobe of the lung.

Thymic papillary adenocarcinoma coexisting with type A thymoma: A case report.

Introduction: Thymic papillary adenocarcinoma is rare. Further, thymic papillary adenocarcinoma coexisting with type A thymoma is extremely rare. Surgery remains the only effective treatment for this disease.

Thoracoscopic Lung Lobectomy for a Lung Cancer Patient with Situs Inversus Totalis.

Situs inversus totalis is a rare clinical condition that represents a complete mirror image of the normal arrangement of the thoracic and abdominal viscera. There are very few reported cases of lung cancer patients with situs inversus totalis, but this condition requires particular care during surgery. A 61-year-old woman presented to our hospital with an abnormal shadow on chest radiography.

Protocol Design for the Bench to Bed Trial in Alectinib-Refractory Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Harboring the EML4-ALK Fusion Gene (ALRIGHT/OLCSG1405).

Based on our preclinical study results, which showed that the activation of the hepatocyte growth factor/MET pathway is a potential mechanism of acquired resistance to alectinib, we launched the ALRIGHT (OLCSG1405 [alectinib-refractory non-small-cell lung cancer patients harboring the EML4-ALK fusion gene]), a phase II trial of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)/MET inhibitor crizotinib in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer refractory to alectinib and harboring the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-ALK fusion gene. Patients with ALK-rearranged tumors who have developed disease progression during alectinib treatment will receive crizotinib monotherapy until disease progression or the occurrence of unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint is set as the objective response rate, assuming that a response in 50% of eligible patients will indicate potential usefulness and that 15% would be the lower limit of interest (1-sided α of 0.

A diagnostic marker for superficial urothelial bladder carcinoma: lack of nuclear ATBF1 (ZFHX3) by immunohistochemistry suggests malignant progression.

Background: Pathological stage and grade have limited ability to predict the outcomes of superficial urothelial bladder carcinoma at initial transurethral resection (TUR). AT-motif binding factor 1 (ATBF1) is a tumor suppressive transcription factor that is normally localized to the nucleus but has been detected in the cytoplasm in several cancers. Here, we examined the diagnostic value of the intracellular localization of ATBF1 as a marker for the identification of high risk urothelial bladder carcinoma.

Phase II Study of the EGFR-TKI Rechallenge With Afatinib in Patients With Advanced NSCLC Harboring Sensitive EGFR Mutation Without T790M: Okayama Lung Cancer Study Group Trial OLCSG 1403.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) as first-line therapy for patients with EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have shown a significantly better objective response rate and progression-free survival than platinum doublet therapy. However, acquired resistance often occurs within 12 months. One of the potential strategies for treating acquired resistance in NSCLC is the readministration of EGFR-TKIs, a strategy that has mainly been evaluated using gefitinib or erlotinib.

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery for gallstone ileus: An alternative surgical procedure.

Introduction: Gallstone ileus (GI) results from the passage of a stone through a cholecystoenteric fistula, subsequently causing a bowel obstruction. The ideal treatment procedure for GI remains controversial.

Presentation Of Case: A 63-year-old female was admitted to our hospital following persistent nausea and vomiting for 7 days.

Pulmonary thromboembolism in lung surgery: use of unfractionated heparin.

Background: While thoracic surgeons occasionally encounter pulmonary thromboembolism, the use of unfractionated heparin may cause adverse effects.

Methods: We assessed a series of 323 consecutive pulmonary operations performed during 4 years from 2008 to 2011. All patients were given elastic stockings and intermittent pneumatic compression.

Very long range quasi-Fourier spectroscopy for narrowband lasers.

The measurement of the spectral broadening, or temporal coherence property of very narrow linewidth lasers is not an easy task, while such a measurement is essential in any interferometric applications of the lasers. The beat note between two assumingly identical lasers only provides the convolutional spectral profile of the two lasers, but not characterizes the single laser. The delayed self-heterodyne interferometer (DSHI) would not be effective for kHz linewidth range because the finite delay cannot realize complete de-correlation.