Publications by authors named "Motoaki Yasukawa"

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the leading malignant intracranial tumor and is associated with a poor prognosis. Highly purified, activated natural killer (NK) cells, designated as genuine induced NK cells (GiNKs), represent a promising immunotherapy for GBM. We evaluated the anti-tumor effect of GiNKs in association with the programmed death 1(PD-1)/PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint pathway.

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A 69-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow on a chest roentgenogram at a medical check-up. Chest computed tomography showed a 2.5 cm-diameter tumor in the right pulmonary lower lobe.

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Background/aim: Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) has been recommended for patients with suspected lung cancer. However, its diagnostic value is limited to small lesions, and some studies have indicated that biopsy might be related to metastasis and/or dissemination. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes after preoperative TBLB for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

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Purpose: While surgery is an effective treatment for secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP), it can be difficult, because affected patients are usually in a poor general condition. The present study investigated the risk factors of postoperative complications after surgery for SSP.

Methods: Eighty-eight patients with SSP who underwent surgery from January 2006 to March 2018 were investigated.

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Background: According to the WHO classification, adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) is a localised small (≤3 cm) adenocarcinoma whose growth is restricted to neoplastic cells along pre-existing alveolar structures, lacking stromal, lymphovascular, or pleural invasion. There is no evidence to define AIS as having a tumour size of ≤3 cm. It is extremely rare for adenocarcinomas with pure lepidic growth lacking invasion to be >3.

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Background/aim: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be a surrogate biomarker of prospective prognosis. Surgical manipulation can promote the dissemination of CTCs. Prognosis improvement is expected with the no-touch isolation technique (NTIT), preventing surgical manipulation.

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Objectives: A cancer lesion sheds tumor cells into the circulating blood as circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Since cluster CTCs have been considered as precursor lesions of metastasis, their clinical implication was investigated in this study according to the preoperative status of cluster CTC detection in surgical cases of clinically early-stage lung cancer.

Methods: Among 104 surgical patients of early-stage lung cancer, CTCs were extracted from the peripheral blood before surgery using a micro-pore size selection method (ScreenCell) and diagnosed microscopically.

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Background: Thymic atypical carcinoid has high recurrence and metastasis rates due to frequent lymph node metastases. The aim of the study is to report a case of atypical thymic carcinoid mimicking a paraganglioma and to further explain the benefits of using median sternotomy (MS) approach even in thymic epithelial tumours (TETs) sized less than 5 cm.

Case Presentation: The patient was a 59-year-old asymptomatic man.

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Background/aim: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells shed from tumor sites and circulate in the peripheral blood. CTCs can be a surrogate biomarker of recurrence and prognosis. Because surgical manipulation could promote CTCs, it is important to reduce CTCs during surgery.

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Background/aim: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for ipsilateral reoperations is challenging because of the potential for pleural adhesions. Insertion of the initial port can lead to lung injury because of the blinded intrathoracic area. We assessed the usefulness of ultrasonography before VATS to reduce the incidence of lung injury at the time of the initial port insertion during secondary ipsilateral VATS.

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Recently, there has been an increase in the experience of lung surgery in cases with a history of thoracotomy or pneumonia. In these cases, pleural adhesion is often seen and makes the surgery to be difficult. Especially in thoracoscopic surgery, lung damage must be care at the 1st port insertion.

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Background/aim: Aspirin reduces cardiovascular disease and/or stroke risks. However, perioperative aspirin use remains controversial. We assessed the efficacy of ultrasonography to facilitate video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).

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Background/aim: Although the histological grading systems (Grading) with respect to lung adenocarcinoma are defined using architectural approaches in the eighth cancer Tumor, Node, and Metastasis (TNM) Classification, the prognostic value of the architectural subtypes in advanced stages of the disease remains unclear. We aimed to assess which Grading was more suitable as a prognostic factor: i) (conventional) Grading based on differentiation or ii) (new) Grading based on architectural subtypes.

Patients And Methods: We analyzed the outcomes and Gradings of resected 449 patients with adenocarcinoma using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

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Background: Pulmonary wedge resection is an option for lung cancer patients with limited cardiopulmonary preservation. As the impact of underlying lung status on the prognosis of such patients remains unclear, we assessed this issue.

Methods: A total of 149 borderline surgical candidates with localized lung cancer who had undergone wedge resection were retrospectively investigated.

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Background: Intrapulmonary lymph nodes (IPLNs) are often recognized as sub-centimeter solid pulmonary nodules (SCPNs). The present study investigated their clinical and pathological characteristics to allow clinicians to distinguish them from malignant nodules.

Methods: Among 194 SCPNs surgically resected between 2006 and 2016, 26 IPLNs were investigated histopathologically.

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Nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease sometimes causes pneumothorax and empyema, which are often intractable because of patients' background factors. Biological products used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis have caused the problem of an increase in infection rates as a side effect, one of which is nontuberculous mycobacteriosis (NTM). On the basis of past experience, we report the case of a patient who had a history of undergoing treatment with biological products against rheumatoid arthritis.

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Background/aim: Although the 2015 World Health Organization Classification reported that histological grading may be helpful in lung cancer management, a widely accepted histological grading system with clearly defined criteria and demonstrable clinical significance has not been developed. We investigated the prognoses of patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to identify prognostic factors, especially histological grade.

Materials And Methods: The medical records of 531 patients between 2010 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed.

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A mediastinal Müllerian cyst is composed of heterotopic cystic Müllerian tissue resembling structures of the fallopian tube. We herein report a case of a mediastinal Müllerian cyst discovered during a medical check-up of a 41-year-old woman. She had no symptoms but had been diagnosed with hyperprolactinemia at the age of 24 years, for which she received hormonal therapy for 3 years.

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According to the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) classification of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), N factor is defined by the anatomic extent of the metastatic lymph nodes, but is not related to the metastatic pattern. N1 is defined as "metastasis in ipsilateral peribronchial and/or ipsilateral hilar lymph nodes and intrapulmonary nodes, including involvement by direct extension". Lymph node involvement is one of the most important prognosistic factors in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

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Background/aim: Lung biopsies might cause metastasis and/or dissemination. The aim of this study was to review our institutional experience and analyze the outcomes of resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in patients who had received preoperative transbronchial biopsy using fiberoptic bronchoscopy with fluoroscopic imaging (BFS).

Patients And Methods: The medical records of consecutive patients between 2010 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed.

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Objective: Many of the surgical patients with lung cancer die by metastasis originated from circulating tumor cells (CTCs) which are seeds of metastases. A ring-shaped catching forceps, which generates the great pressure by compression, may reduce the risk of tumor cell spreading. Here, we investigated the efficacy of such forceps based on CTC occurrence.

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Background/aim: Few studies have reported results with pulmonary metastasectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), probably because of their extremely poor outcomes. The aim of this study was to review our institutional experience and analyze the outcomes of pulmonary metastasectomy for PDAC.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective case-control study of patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy for isolated lung metastasis of PDAC between 2004 and 2016.

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Objective: We evaluated the efficacy of low-voltage coagulation (LVC) with polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets (Neoveil, GUNZE Ltd., Japan) and fibrin glue to control intraoperative alveolar air leaks after lung surgery.

Methods: We included 176 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomies.

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A 20-year-old man with a posterior mediastinal tumor incidentally found on a chest X-ray was referred to our hospital. Chest computed tomography showed a 3 cm nodule located on the left side of the 10-11th thoracic vertebra, where the artery of Adamkiewicz is presumed to arise. He underwent left thoracotomy to remove the lesion.

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