Management of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer in the modern era: A national Italian survey on diagnosis, treatment and multidisciplinary approach.

Concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy (cCRT) is considered the standard treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). Unfortunately, management is still heterogeneous across different specialists. A multidisciplinary approach is needed in this setting due to recent, promising results obtained by consolidative immunotherapy.

ACTH-producing tumorlets and carcinoids of the lung: clinico-pathologic study of 63 cases and review of the literature.

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting lung carcinoids represent the principal cause of ectopic Cushing syndrome, but the prevalence of ACTH expression and the association between ACTH production and Cushing syndrome in lung carcinoids have scarcely been investigated. In addition, available information on the prognostic meaning of ACTH production is controversial. The aims of this multicentric retrospective study, also including a review of the literature, were to describe the clinico-pathologic features of ACTH-producing lung carcinoids, to assess recurrence and specific survival rates, and to evaluate potential prognostic factors.

Current Practices in the Management of Pulmonary Ground-Glass Opacities: A Survey of SICT Members.

Background: Several gray areas and controversies exist concerning the management of pulmonary ground-glass opacities (GGOs), and there is a lack of consensus among clinicians on this topic. One of the main aims of the Italian Society of Thoracic Surgery is to promote education and research, so we decided to perform a survey on this topic to estimate current trends in practice in a large sample of thoracic surgeons.

Methods: A total of 160 thoracic surgeons responded, namely, completed our questionnaire (response rate, 53%; 160 of 302).

Analysis of risk factors in the development of bronchopleural fistula after major anatomic lung resection: experience of a single centre.

Background: The bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is a rare but potentially fatal complication of major thoracic surgery. The purpose of this work is to investigate the risk factors associated with the development of fistulas after lobectomy and pneumonectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 835 patients who underwent major anatomic lung resection at our centre from January 2003 to December 2013.

Prognostic Impact of Node-Spreading Pattern in Surgically Treated Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Multicentric Analysis.

Objective: Although surgery in selected small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients has been proposed as a part of multimodality therapy, so far, the prognostic impact of node-spreading pattern has not been fully elucidated. To investigate this issue, a retrospective analysis was performed.

Methods: From 01/1996 to 12/2012, clinico-pathological, surgical, and oncological features were retrospectively reviewed in a multicentric cohort of 154 surgically treated SCLC patients.

CT-guided fine-needle ago-biopsy of pulmonary nodules: predictive factors for diagnosis and pneumothorax occurrence.

Objective: To evaluate variables that could predict diagnosis during CT-guided fine-needle aspiration.

Methods: Data from 249 patients who underwent FNAB from January 2010 to December 2012 were analyzed in a retrospective observational study.

Results: Mean age was 66.

Molecular genetic alterations in egfr CA-SSR-1 microsatellite and egfr copy number changes are associated with aggressiveness in thymoma.

Background: The key role of egfr in thymoma pathogenesis has been questioned following the failure in identifying recurrent genetic alterations of egfr coding sequences and relevant egfr amplification rate. We investigated the role of the non-coding egfr CA simple sequence repeat 1 (CA-SSR-1) in a thymoma case series.

Methods: We used sequencing and egfr-fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to genotype 43 thymomas; (I) for polymorphisms and somatic loss of heterozygosity of the non-coding egfr CA-SSR-1 microsatellite and (II) for egfr gene copy number changes.

Incidence and Management of Post-Lobectomy and Pneumonectomy Bronchopleural Fistula.

Introduction: Bronchopleural fistula is a rare but potentially fatal complication of pulmonary resections and proper management is essential for its resolution. In this study, we analyzed the incidence of fistula after pulmonary resection and reported data about endoscopic and conservative treatments of this complication.

Methods: From January 2003 to December 2013, 835 patients underwent anatomic lung resections: 786 (94.

Chest wall tumors and prosthetic reconstruction: A comparative analysis on functional outcome.

Background: To address the question of how much chest-wall (CW) resections and prosthetic reconstructions influence functional outcome.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 175 patients who underwent surgery for CW tumors. The clinical, histological, surgical, oncological, and functional factors were analyzed.

Surgical treatment of recurrent thymoma: is it worthwhile?†.

Objectives: Radical resection of thymoma is the most important predictor of survival; despite a complete resection, 10-30% of patients develop a recurrence. The surgical treatment of thymic relapses is an accepted therapeutic approach; however, no clear data are available yet regarding the indication for surgery and the long-term prognosis of this subset of patients. The aim of our work was to review the data of a group of recurrent thymomas treated by surgery, comparing it with non-surgical therapy, and analysing the outcome and the prognostic factors.

Multicenter comparison of 18F-FDG and 68Ga-DOTA-peptide PET/CT for pulmonary carcinoid.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to retrospectively evaluate and compare the detection rate (DR) of 68Ga-DOTA-peptide and 18F-FDG PET/CT in the preoperative workup of patients with pulmonary carcinoid (PC) and to assess the utility of various functional indices obtained with the 2 tracers in predicting the histological characterization of PC, that is, typical versus atypical.

Methods: Thirty-three consecutive patients with confirmed PC referred for 18F-FDG and 68Ga-DOTA-peptide PET/CT in 2 centers between January 2009 and April 2013 were included. The semiquantitative evaluation included the SUV max, the SUV of the tumor relative to the maximal liver uptake for 18F-FDG (SUV T/L) or the maximal spleen uptake for 68Ga-DOTA-peptides (SUV T/S), the ratio between SUV max of 68Ga-DOTA-peptides PET/CT, and the SUV max of 18F-FDG PET/CT (SUV max ratio).

Long-term results after treatment for recurrent thymoma: a multicenter analysis.

Objectives: The treatment for recurrent thymoma remains a very controversial issue. This study aims to investigate the long-term outcomes in patients with relapse according to treatment strategies and clinicopathological features.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the database of three tertiary centers of thoracic surgery with the aim of reviewing the clinical records of 81 patients who experienced a recurrent thymoma after radical thymectomy, in the period between January 2001 and June 2013.

Diagnostic features and subtyping of thymoma lymph node metastases.

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to characterize the morphological features of thymoma metastases in lymph nodes and to evaluate the possibility of their subtyping according to the 2004 WHO classification of thymus tumors.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed 210 thymoma cases in our series of thymic epithelial tumors (TET), including their recurrences and lymphogenous metastases. Three cases of lymph node metastases, one case occurring synchronously with the primary tumor and one synchronously with the first relapse (both in intrathoracic location) and one case of metastasis observed in a laterocervical lymph node subsequently to two thymoma relapses were found.

Thymic epithelial tumors express vascular endothelial growth factors and their receptors as potential targets of antiangiogenic therapy: a tissue micro array-based multicenter study.

Objectives: Tumor angiogenesis is an essential and complex process necessary for the growth of all tumors which represents a potential therapeutic target. Angiogenesis inhibitors targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or their receptor tyrosine kinases have been approved by the FDA. In thymic epithelial tumors (TET), targeted therapies have been sporadically applied due to their rarity.

A systems medicine clinical platform for understanding and managing non- communicable diseases.

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are among the most pressing global health problems of the twenty-first century. Their rising incidence and prevalence is linked to severe morbidity and mortality, and they are putting economic and managerial pressure on healthcare systems around the world. Moreover, NCDs are impeding healthy aging by negatively affecting the quality of life of a growing number of the global population.

Thymectomy in myasthenia gravis: proposal for a predictive score of postoperative myasthenic crisis.

Objectives: Thymectomy plays an important role in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). This study aimed to explore predictors of postoperative myasthenic crisis (POMC) after thymectomy and to define a predictive score of respiratory failure.

Methods: The clinical data of 177 patients with MG undergoing thymectomy from January 1995 to December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed.

Surgical treatment in patient with non-small-cell lung cancer with fissure involvement: anatomical versus nonanatomical resection.

Objective: Despite the intense debate concerning the prognostic impact of fissure involvement (FI) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, no specific surgical strategies have been yet recommended when this condition occurs. In this setting, we report our monocentric 10-years experience to investigate this issue.

Methods: From January 2000 to January 2010, the clinical data of 40 non-small-cell lung cancer patients with FI undergoing curative resection were retrospectively reviewed.