Liquid Biopsy Detecting Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Preliminary Results of a Pilot Study.

Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Interest is growing towards early detection and advances in liquid biopsy to isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs). This pilot study aimed to detect epithelial CTCs in the peripheral blood of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Port Placement Strategies for Robotic Pulmonary Lobectomy: A Narrative Review.

Background: Despite the use of robotics becoming increasingly popular among thoracic surgeons worldwide, there remains debate over the best robotic approach for lung resections. In this paper, we delineated the main port placement strategies and discussed their advantages and disadvantages.

Methods: A PubMed literature review was performed using key phrases such as "robotic lobectomy technique", "RATS lobectomy", and "port placement robotic lobectomy".

The Overweight Paradox: Impact of Body Mass Index on Patients Undergoing VATS Lobectomy or Segmentectomy.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of BMI on perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing VATS lobectomy or segmentectomy. Data from 5088 patients undergoing VATS lobectomy or segmentectomy, included in the VATS Group Italian Registry, were collected. BMI (kg/m) was categorized according to the WHO classes: underweight, normal, overweight, obese.

The Redax Coaxial Drain in pulmonary lobectomy: a study of efficacy.

Background: Pleural drainage is required after pulmonary lobectomy to evacuate air-leak and fluid. We compared the performance of the new Redax Coaxial Drain (CD) (Redax, Mirandola, Italy) with a standard chest tube (CT) in terms of fluid and air-leak evacuation.

Methods: Fifty-two patients receiving a 24-F CD under water-seal after pulmonary lobectomy through open surgery or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) were matched according to demographic, clinical and pathological variables with 104 patients receiving a 24-F CT.

High statistics measurement of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays of 0.5-500 GeV with the alpha magnetic spectrometer on the international space station.

A precision measurement by AMS of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays in the energy range from 0.5 to 500 GeV based on 10.9 million positron and electron events is presented.

Non-small cell lung cancer in surgically treated women.

Aim And Background: To determine whether female patients operated on for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a survival advantage compared to male patients.

Methods And Study Design: We analyzed data from 1,426 prospectively collected patients submitted to lung resection for NSCLC between 1999 and 2008.

Results: Two groups, including 1,014 male and 412 female patients, were compared.

Metastasis to subsegmental and segmental lymph nodes in patients resected for non-small cell lung cancer: prognostic impact.

Background: We investigated the prognostic significance of segmental and subsegmental (level 13 and 14) lymph nodes metastasis in patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: The pattern of lymph nodal metastasis was analyzed in 124 patients with pN1 NSCLC. Long-term outcomes were compared for 390 pN0, 124 pN1, and 82 pN2 consecutive patients submitted to planned pulmonary resection for NSCLC between 2000 and 2006.

The solitary pulmonary nodule in patients with previous cancer history: results of surgical treatment.

Background: The present study was carried out to evaluate the characteristics of solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) in patients with previous cancer(s) and to analyse the outcome of its surgical treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 131 patients with history of previous malignancy submitted to lung surgery for new identified SPN between January 2004 and December 2009.

Results: The diagnosis was metastasis in 65 patients, primary lung cancer in 57, benign lesion in 9.

Pulmonary aspergilloma: clinical aspects and surgical treatment outcome.

Aspergillomas are fungal balls within lung cavities. The natural history is variable. Hemoptysis is a dangerous sequela.

Use of the proposals of the international association for the study of lung cancer in the forthcoming edition of lung cancer staging system to predict long-term prognosis of operated patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of the proposals of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) in the forthcoming 7th edition of lung cancer staging system to classify patients submitted to radical surgical resection of non-small cell lung cancer and to compare their value in predicting long-term prognosis with the existing 6th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)/Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC) TNM classification.

Methods: Nine hundred twenty-one patients received an anatomic resection and hilar-mediastinal dissection for primary non-small cell lung cancer during the period 1990 to 2005. Histopathologic staging following the actual AJCC/UICC TNM classification were as follows: 207 T1, 562 T2, 148 T3, and 4 T4; 570 N0, 149 N1, 198 N2, and 4 N3; 163 stage IA, 346 IB, 23 IIA, 157 IIB, 224 IIIA, and 8 IIIB.

Air-leak management after upper lobectomy in patients with fused fissure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a pilot trial comparing sealant and standard treatment.

A pilot trial to compare the efficacy of two different procedures to prevent postoperative air-leak in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients submitted to upper lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer. Sixty patients with COPD and lung cancer at the upper pulmonary lobes eligible for lobectomy were enrolled and randomly assigned either to standard treatment (ST) with stapling device or to electrocautery dissection and application of a collagen patch coated with human fibrinogen and thrombin (TachoSil) (experimental treatment [ET]) for the intra-operative completion of their fused fissures. Thirty patients were enrolled in each group during a three-year period.

Open window thoracostomy for pleural empyema complicating partial lung resection.

Background: Although an open-window thoracostomy (OWT) represents the ideal method for drainage of postpneumonectomy empyema, several controversies exist concerning its application to pleural empyema complicating pulmonary resections less than pneumonectomy.

Methods: Between January 1993 and December 2003, 19 patients (16 male and 3 female) were treated for a pleural empyema complicating partial lung resection. The median age was 62 years (range, 17 to 79).

Surgical pleurodesis for Vanderschueren's stage III primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of various pleurodesis procedures on post-operative morbidity and late recurrence rate after surgical treatment of Vanderschueren's stage III primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Between January 2001 and June 2004, 208 consecutive patients (169 male and 39 female; mean (range) age 25 (12-39) yrs) were submitted to 220 video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical procedures for primary spontaneous pneumothorax. All patients underwent apical lung resection; 112 were assigned at random to mechanical pleural abrasion (group A) and 108 to apical pleurectomy (group B).

Lymph node isolated tumor cells and micrometastases in pathological stage I non-small cell lung cancer: prognostic significance.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and prognostic significance of lymph node micrometastases and isolated tumor cells (ITC) in patients submitted for radical resection for pathological stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: From January 1998 through December 2005, 87 consecutive pT1-2, pN0 NSCLC patients were enrolled. Surgical specimens were submitted to pathological routine examinations to define histotype, grade, stage, vascular invasion, necrosis and tumor proliferative index.

Predictors of successful closure of open window thoracostomy for postpneumonectomy empyema.

Background: Although the open window thoracostomy (OWT) represents the ideal method for drainage of postpneumonectomy empyema (PPE), several controversies exist concerning its closure.

Methods: Between January 1993 and December 2003, an OWT was created in 31 patients (29 male and 2 female) with PPE. The median age was 61 years (range, 32 to 76).

Pulmonary resection for lung cancer in HIV-positive patients with low (<200 lymphocytes/mm(3)) CD4(+) count.

The clinical improvement obtained with combination treatment has modified the therapeutic approach of lung cancer in HIV-positive patients. Aggressive surgical treatment has become a viable option for those patients in whom the CD4(+) cell count was greater than 200 lymphocytes/mm(3). We recently extended our surgical indications to include two HIV-positive patients with lung cancer (stage IIIA and IIB) and low (<200 lymphocytes/mm(3)) CD4(+) count.

Lobectomy for destroyed lung in quadriplegic patients.

Background: Sixty-seven percent of quadriplegic patients after spinal cord injury (SCI) develop respiratory complications, which leads to death in one third. Preventive measures may fail to avoid parenchymal destruction and possible septic complications.

Methods: Three quadriplegic patients (C3-C6 level), with destroyed lower lobes and incontrollable septic symptoms, were subjected to lobectomy.

Prognostic factors after surgical treatment of lung cancer invading the diaphragm.

Background: Diaphragmatic invasion from lung cancer (T3-diaphragm) is a rare occurrence reported to portend a poor prognosis.

Methods: Fifteen patients with T3-diaphragm (14 males, 1 female; median age, 64 years) were surgically treated over a twenty-year period by en bloc resection (14 patients). One patient was only explored.

Pulmonary actinomycosis: surgical considerations.

Pulmonary actinomycosis is a rare disease. Of 2,247 patients presenting with a radiological pulmonary opacity, 13 (0.6%) were identified with pulmonary actinomycosis in a 13 year period.

Results of surgical management of tuberculosis: experience in 206 patients undergoing operation.

Between January 1978 and December 1990, 206 operations for pulmonary tuberculosis were performed at our institution, a former sanatorium located in northern Italy. Patients with tuberculoma and pleural tuberculous disease were excluded from this series. Cavitary sequelae, bronchiectases, and hemoptysis were the most common indications for resection.

Impact of autologous blood transfusion on blood support in general thoracic surgery: analysis of 969 patients over a 5-year period.

Autologous blood transfusion (ABT) is increasingly used in order to avoid transfusion-related risks. The effectiveness of this simple and feasible procedure depends on several factors, such as the timing of surgery, the patient's overall condition and, last but not least, the pre-disposition of the medical team towards the routine use of ABT. We report our experience in blood support with ABT for general thoracic surgical patients, indicating an overall partially satisfactory outcome due to a limited use of the procedure.