Retrospective immunophenotypical evaluation of MET, PD-1/PD-L1, and mTOR pathways in primary tumors and pulmonary metastases of renal cell carcinoma: the RIVELATOR study addresses the issue of biomarkers heterogeneity.

Aim: In renal cell carcinoma (RCC), tumor heterogeneity generated challenges to biomarker development and therapeutic management, often becoming responsible for primary and acquired drug resistance. This study aimed to assess the inter-tumoral, intra-tumoral, and intra-lesional heterogeneity of known druggable targets in metastatic RCC (mRCC).

Methods: The RIVELATOR study was a monocenter retrospective analysis of biological samples from 25 cases of primary RCC and their paired pulmonary metastases.

Air leak and intraoperative bleeding in thoracic surgery: a Delphi consensus among the members of Italian society of thoracic surgery.

Background: Persistent air leak and the management of intraoperative blood loss are common threats in thoracic surgical practice. The availability of new procedures, technology and materials is constantly evolving topical hemostats and surgical sealants must be added to this toolkit. Topical hemostats and surgical sealants differ according to their chemical nature and physical characteristics, to their origin and mechanism of action, regulatory/registration and vigilance paths.

A risk stratification scheme for synchronous oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer developed by a multicentre analysis.

Backgrounds: Oligometastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients represent a category without a standard therapeutic approach. However, in selected oligometastatic NSCLC, radical surgery seems to offer a good prognosis. This retrospective study aimed to analyse the long-term outcomes of synchronous oligometastatic patients treated with curative intent and identify the factors associated with better results and the proposal of a risk stratification system for classifying the synchronous oligometastatic NSCLC.

Multiple primary malignancies involving lung cancer: a single-center experience.

Objective: Currently, unlike earlier years, patients affected by multiple primary malignancies (MPM) are significantly increased, thus representing a clinical-pathologic category worthy of attention. Their clinical features and prognosis still need to be studied thoroughly, and this is the aim of our study.

Methods: Patients with MPM involving lung cancer admitted in our center between January 2006 and December 2016 were considered.

Spatial architecture of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes as a prognostic parameter in resected non-small-cell lung cancer.

Objectives: Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are critically implicated in the clinical outcome and response to immunotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The functional competence of lymphocyte subpopulations is strongly conditioned by their spatial arrangement within the tumour immune microenvironment. The aim of this study was to determine whether the tissue localization of specific TIL subpopulations might have an impact on the risk of recurrence in surgically resected NSCLC.

Prognostic value of [F]FDG PET/CT parameters in surgically resected primary lung adenocarcinoma: a single-center experience.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic role of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) measured by FDG-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in patients with primary lung adenocarcinoma undergoing surgical resection.

Methods: All consecutive patients undergoing curative surgery for primary lung adenocarcinoma at the Thoracic Surgery Unit of the University Hospital of Parma between January 2009 and December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. The cutoff point of each continuous PET parameter was determined through receiver operating characteristic curve and Youden index, using overall survival (OS) as the classification status.

Immune context characterization and heterogeneity in primary tumors and pulmonary metastases from renal cell carcinoma.

Aim: The knowledge of the immune context of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is useful to predict benefit from immunotherapy. We retrospectively characterized the immune context of RCC patients underwent primary nephrectomy and pulmonary metastasectomy.

Materials & Methods: Intratumoral infiltrating lymphocytes and peritumoral renal infiltrating lymphocytes, lymphocyte subpopulations (CD4, CD8), PD-1, PD-L1 were explored in paired samples of primary RCC (T) and respective pulmonary metastases (M).

Linezolid-induced black hairy tongue.

Black hairy tongue (BHT) is a self-limiting disorder characterized by abnormal hypertrophy and elongation of filiform papillae on the surface of the tongue. The exact mechanism of drug-induced BHT is unknown. Several factors have been implicated and included smoking or chewing tobacco, drinking alcohol, poor oral hygiene and antibiotics such as tetracyclines and penicillins.

Combined hyaluronate-based films loaded with pemetrexed and cisplatin for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma: Preliminary evaluation in an orthotopic tumor recurrence model.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare malignancy characterized by a long latency period of 20-50 years after exposure to the main aetiology agent that is asbestos. MPM treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, with the combination pemetrexed and cisplatin being the standard chemotherapy approach. Despite this multimodality therapy one of the major issues after surgery is the high rate of local recurrence of the tumor.

Giant intercostal nerve schwannoma in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 2.

Purpose: To describe a case of giant intercostal nerve schwannoma successfully resected in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 2.

Methods: A 44-year-old woman, with a history of neurofibromatosis type 2, presented with chest discomfort and mild dyspnea. She had undergone a recent resection of a large frontal parasagittal benign meningioma.

Posterior mediastinal myelolipoma resected by video-assisted thoracic surgery.

Myelolipoma (ML) is a benign tumour composed of haematopoietic and mature adipose tissue commonly found in adrenal glands. Prognosis is usually good with an indolent clinical course. The occurrence of an ML in the extra-adrenal site is very rare.

Polymeric films loaded with cisplatin for malignant pleural mesothelioma: a pharmacokinetic study in an ovine model.

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) continues to be a distressing tumor due to its aggressive biologic behavior and scanty prognosis. Several therapeutic approaches have been tested both in clinical and preclinical settings, being intrapleural chemotherapy one of the most promising. Some years ago, our interest focused on polymeric films loaded with cisplatin for the adjuvant intrapleural treatment of surgical patients.

Physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of polymeric films loaded with cisplatin for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Background: Malignant mesothelioma is an invasive neoplasm arising from mesothelial surfaces of the pleural and peritoneal cavities. Mesothelioma treatment is unsatisfactory and recurrence is common. Here an innovative locoregional treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma is presented.

Pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal cancer: analysis of prognostic factors affecting survival.

Background: Pulmonary metastasectomy is considered a standard procedure in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Different prognostic factors including multiple metastatic nodules, the presence of extra-pulmonary metastases and BRAF mutation status have been associated with poor survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate which factors influenced survival in CRC patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy by studying primary tumors and pulmonary metastases.

MicroRNA Expression in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma and Asbestosis: A Pilot Study.

Background: The identification of diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers for asbestos-related diseases is relevant for early diagnosis and patient survival and may contribute to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease development and progression.

Aims: To identify a pattern of miRNAs as possible diagnostic biomarkers for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and asbestosis (ASB) and as prognostic biomarkers for MPM patients.

Methods: miRNA-16, miRNA-17, miRNA-126, and miRNA-486 were quantified in plasma and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples to evaluate their diagnostic and prognostic roles compared to patients with other noncancerous pulmonary diseases (controls).

Primary atypical carcinoid tumor of the mediastinum: a very rare finding.

Primary neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the mediastinum are very rare. Prognosis is usually poor despite treatment options. We present the case of a primary atypical carcinoid tumor of the mediastinum successfully treated by multimodal approach.

Pleurectomy-decortication in malignant pleural mesothelioma: are different surgical techniques associated with different outcomes? Results from a multicentre study.

Objectives: The potential benefit of surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), especially concerning pleurectomy/decortication (P/D), is unclear from the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome after multimodality treatment of MPM involving different types of P/D and to analyse the prognostic factors.

Methods: We reviewed 314 patients affected by MPM who were operated on in 11 Italian centres from 1 January 2007 to 11 October 2014.

Lung mesenchymal cells function as an inductive microenvironment for human lung cancer propagating cells†.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to characterize the biological properties and in vivo tumourigenic potential of mesenchymal cells (MCs) obtained from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples.

Methods: NSCLC samples (53 adenocarcinomas and 24 squamous-cell carcinomas) surgically removed from 46 males and 31 females were processed to identify mesenchymal cells from human lung cancer (hLc-MCs). hLc-MCs were separated from neoplastic epithelial cells, expanded and extensively characterized in vitro.

Predictive factors of diagnostic accuracy of CT-guided transthoracic fine-needle aspiration for solid noncalcified, subsolid and mixed pulmonary nodules.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse factors predicting the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic fine-needle aspiration (TTFNA) for solid noncalcified, subsolid and mixed pulmonary nodules, with particular attention to those responsible for false negative results with a view to suggesting a method for their correction.

Materials And Methods: From January 2007 to March 2010, we retrospectively reviewed the CT images of 198 patients of both sexes (124 males and 74 females; mean age, 70 years; range age, 44-90) used for the guidance of TTFNA of pulmonary nodules. Aspects considered were: lesion size and density, distance from the pleura, and lesion site.

Multicenter institutional experience of surgically resected thymic epithelial tumors (TETs): an observational report on behalf of F.O.N.I.C.A.P. (Forza Operativa Nazionale Interdisciplinare Contro il Cancro del Polmone).

Background: This multicenter analysis evaluated patient outcome and clinical pathologic features of thymic epithelial tumors after complete surgical resection and adjuvant treatment.

Methods: Histologic classification and clinical staging were performed according to WHO classification and Masaoka staging system, respectively.

Results: We analyzed 62 patients, 20 (32%) of whom had myasthenia at diagnosis.

EGFR mutation-specific antibodies in pulmonary adenocarcinoma: a comparison with DNA direct sequencing.

Introduction: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations are usually detected by direct sequencing to identify patients with advanced pulmonary adenocarcinomas as candidates for tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of EGFR mutation-specific antibodies in identifying EGFR-mutated adenocarcinomas.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-three consecutive cases of pulmonary adenocarcinomas sequenced for EGFR mutations were retrieved from our files.