Long-Term Survival of Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Monotherapy in Real-World Settings.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy is more effective than cytotoxic chemotherapy in improving overall survival (OS) among patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recently, chemotherapy combined with ICI has been found to yield good outcomes. However, ICI monotherapy is still considered an important treatment option.

Bevacizumab plus chemotherapy in nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer patients with malignant pleural effusion uncontrolled by tube drainage or pleurodesis: A phase II study North East Japan Study group trial NEJ013B.

Background: Pleurodesis is the standard of care for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with symptomatic malignant pleural effusion (MPE). However, there is no standard management for MPE uncontrolled by pleurodesis. Most patients with unsuccessful MPE control are unable to receive effective chemotherapy.

Paradoxical reaction to antituberculosis therapy after 6 months of treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis: A case report.

Paradoxical reactions (PRs) to antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs during treatment are well known phenomena, but a PR presenting as a new pulmonary lesion after completion of treatment is extremely rare, and little is known about the management of such cases. A 44-year-old man was diagnosed with pulmonary TB. His sputum cultures became negative 45 days after the initiation of standard anti-TB treatment.

A phase II study of bevacizumab with carboplatin-pemetrexed in non-squamous non-small cell lung carcinoma patients with malignant pleural effusions: North East Japan Study Group Trial NEJ013A.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Here, a multicenter phase II trial to evaluate bevacizumab in non-squamous non-small cell lung carcinoma patients with MPE was conducted.

Methods: Patients having MPE with no prior treatment and performance status of 0-2 received carboplatin (area under the curve: AUC 6; up to 6 cycles) and pemetrexed (500mg/m(2)) with bevacizumab (15mg/kg) every 3 weeks.

Primary A (H1N1) pdm09 Influenza Pneumonia Diagnosed on Reverse Transcription-polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid but not Rapid Tests with Nasopharyngeal Swabs.

A 47-year-old man with a fever was highly suspected of having influenza A infection since his wife and son who lived with him had been diagnosed with influenza A. Although repeated rapid tests with a nasopharyngeal swab showed negative findings, the patient developed bilateral pneumonia and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for A (H1N1) pdm09 virus in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was positive. We therefore diagnosed him with primary influenza pneumonia and initiated treatment with peramivir plus corticosteroids, which rapidly improved his condition.

Randomized phase II study of concurrent versus sequential alternating gefitinib and chemotherapy in previously untreated non-small cell lung cancer with sensitive EGFR mutations: NEJ005/TCOG0902.

Background: The first-line combination of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and platinum-based doublet chemotherapy has not been sufficiently evaluated for patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This randomized phase II study was designed to select a combination regimen for phase III evaluation.

Patients And Methods: Chemotherapy-naïve patients with advanced non-squamous, EGFR-mutant NSCLC were randomly assigned to receive either a concurrent or a sequential alternating regimen with gefitinib (250 mg) and carboplatin/pemetrexed [area under the curve (AUC) = 6 and 500 mg/m(2); 3-weekly].

Increased expression of sorcin is associated with multidrug resistance in leukemia cells via up-regulation of MDR1 expression through cAMP response element-binding protein.

Sorcin, a 22 kDa Ca(2+) binding protein, was first identified in a vincristine-resistant Chinese hamster lung cell line, and was later demonstrated to be involved in the development of multidrug-resistance (MDR) phenotypes in a variety of human cancer cell lines. However, the exact role of sorcin in MDR cells is yet to be fully elucidated. Here we explored the role of sorcin in the development of MDR in leukemia cells, and revealed that the expression level of sorcin was directly correlated to the expression of MDR1/P-glycoprotein (P-gp).

(18)F-FDG uptake predicts diagnostic yield of transbronchial biopsy in peripheral lung cancer.

Objectives: Recent advances in endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) have enabled better visualization of distal airways, while virtual bronchoscopic navigation (VBN) has been shown useful as a guide to navigate the bronchoscope. However, indications for utilizing VBN and EBUS-GS are not always clear. To clarify indications for a bronchoscopic examination using VBN and EBUS-GS, we evaluated factors that predict the diagnostic yield of a transbronchial biopsy (TBB) procedure for peripheral lung cancer (PLC) lesions.

Successful treatment with a combination of electrocautery using wire snares and gefitinib in patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancer and central airway obstruction.

One-third of lung cancer patients present with life-threatening central airway obstruction (CAO). Two elderly patients were referred to our institution with symptoms caused by CAO. In each case, thoracic computed tomography and a bronchoscopic examination revealed a tumor obstructing the central airway.

Usefulness of transesophageal bronchoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration in the pathologic and molecular diagnosis of lung cancer lesions adjacent to the esophagus.

Background: The discovery of driver oncogenes has increased the need to obtain a sufficient amount of tissue specimens for lung cancer diagnosis. Although endoscopic ultrasound (with bronchoscope)-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-B-FNA) is reportedly a feasible and well-tolerated modality, additional advantages of EUS-B-FNA are yet to be thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of EUS-B-FNA to obtain sufficient tissue specimens for pathologic and molecular diagnoses of lung cancer.

Successful treatment with erlotinib of severe neutropenia induced by gefitinib in a patient with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Neutropenia is a rare side effect of gefitinib and was scarcely reported in many large-scale randomized phase III trials using gefitinib monotherapy as first-line treatment. A 77-year-old female was referred to our institution due to abnormal shadow of the right lung, diagnosed by CT scan and biopsy histopathology as adenocarcinoma of the lung (cT3N1M1b). Mutation analysis with PCR-Invader assay of tumor DNA samples revealed short in-frame deletion in exon 19.

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease following reduced-intensity allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia.

We report a case of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD) following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from an HLA mismatched mother using a reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen including gemtuzumab ozogamicin. The patient was a 21-year-old male who complained of dyspnea with hypoxemia followed by loss of consciousness. The abnormalities in chest CT and echocardiography were compatible with a diagnosis of PVOD.

[Endobronchial ultrasonic-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for lung cancer diagnosis].

Background: Although bronchoscopy has an important role in the diagnosis of lung cancer, more invasive procedures, such as CT-guided biopsy or surgery, are needed when transbronchial approaches fail.

Objective: We investigated the usefulness of endobronchial ultrasonic-transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for lung cancer diagnosis.

Subjects And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 122 cases who were finally diagnosed to have lung cancer from among 388 cases who underwent bronchoscopy because of abnormal shadows on their chest X-ray or CT.

Bronchoconstriction-triggered cough is impaired in typical asthmatics.

Background And Objective: Cough is an essential innate protective behavior, which is experienced by even healthy individuals. The mechanism of cough triggered by bronchoconstriction is not yet clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between bronchoconstriction and cough caused by methacholine (Mch) inhalation in typical asthmatics and normal healthy subjects.

Bronchodilator effect of deep inspiration and bronchoconstriction-triggered cough.

Background: Cough in the patients with cough variant asthma is triggered by bronchoconstriction, which responds to bronchodilator therapy. Following airway narrowing induced by inhaled methacholine, deep inspiration (DI) causes dilation of the airways in both asthmatic and non-asthmatic subjects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between bronchodilator effect of DI and bronchoconstriction-triggered cough.

Effect of montelukast in a guinea pig model of cough variant asthma.

Cough variant asthma is known as a major cause of chronic cough. Fundamental features of cough variant asthma are prolonged non-productive cough responding to bronchodilator therapy, no history of wheezing or dyspnea attack, normal cough sensitivity and slightly increased bronchial responsiveness. Recently, we reported the animal model of cough variant asthma.

[Longitudinal decline of forced expiratory volume in one second in non-smoking Japanese women].

We prospectively studied 1,696 clinically healthy non-smoking women to assess the influence of aging on longitudinal decline in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV10). All the subjects took an annually medical examination involving a pulmonary function test from 1995 to 2001. The mean value of annual decrease in FEV10 (slope) was 19.

Predictors for typical asthma onset from cough variant asthma.

Cough variant asthma is recognized to be a precursor of asthma or preasthmatic state because nearly 30% patients with cough variant asthma develop typical asthma within several years. However, predictors for risk of typical asthma onset from cough variant asthma are unknown. Forty-one patients with cough variant asthma (median age 50 years, 13 men and 28 women), who had undertaken spirometry, bronchial reversibility test, methacholine provocation test, measurements of peripheral blood eosinophil count, serum total IgE, and specific IgE to common allergens, and induced sputum eosinophil count at presentation, were followed up with special emphasis on typical asthma onset during 1 year or more (median 4 years, range 1-12.

Attenuating effect of H+K+ATPase inhibitors on airway cough hypersensitivity induced by allergic airway inflammation in guinea-pigs.

Background: Gastrooesophageal reflux (GER) is a frequent cause of chronic cough. Several investigators have indicated that inhibitors of H(+)K(+)ATPase (proton pump inhibitors; PPIs) could relieve coughing via inhibition of acid reflux. However, we considered that PPIs might directly inhibit increased cough reflex sensitivity.

A guinea pig model for cough variant asthma and role of tachykinins.

Cough variant asthma is known as a major cause of chronic cough. Fundamental features of cough variant asthma are prolonged nonproductive cough responding to bronchodilator therapy, no history of wheezing or dyspnea attack, normal cough sensitivity, and slightly increased bronchial responsiveness. Animal model of cough variant asthma has not been reported.

Potentiation of allergic bronchoconstriction by repeated exposure to formaldehyde in guinea-pigs in vivo.

Background: Indoor formaldehyde (FA) might worsen allergies and be an underlying factor for the increasing incidence and severity of asthma; the exact mechanism, however, remains unclear.

Objective: The present study examined the effects of repeated exposure to FA on methacholine- and antigen-induced bronchoconstriction in guinea-pigs in vivo.

Methods: First, non-sensitized guinea-pigs were transnasally treated with 0.

[Influence of smoking on longitudinal decline in one-second forced expiratory volume in clinically healthy Japanese men: a longitudinal study].

We prospectively studied 2140 clinically healthy men to assess the influence of smoking on longitudinal decline in one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1.0). All the subjects had annual medical checks including pulmonary function tests from 1995 to 1999.