Inverted Placement of Endoscopic One-Way Endobronchial Valve Combined with Gelfoam in the Closure of Bronchopleural Fistula with Empyema in a Mechanically Ventilated Patient: A Case Report.

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) with empyema caused by severe necrotizing pulmonary infection is a complicated clinical problem that is often associated with poor general condition so surgical interventions cannot be tolerated in most cases. Here, we present the successful management of multiple BPF with empyema in a mechanically ventilated patient with aspiration lung abscess. Occlusion utilizing Gelfoam followed by endobronchial valves (EBVs) implanted inverted via bronchoscope decreased the air leaking significantly and made intrapleural irrigation for empyema achievable and safe.

International expert consensus on diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Lung cancer combined by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (LC-COPD) is a common comorbidity and their interaction with each other poses significant clinical challenges. However, there is a lack of well-established consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of LC-COPD.

Methods: A panel of experts, comprising specialists in oncology, respiratory medicine, radiology, interventional medicine, and thoracic surgery, was convened.

Tumor mutational burden and efficacy of chemotherapy in lung cancer.

Purpose: TMB is one of the potent biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint blockade. The association between TMB and efficacy of chemotherapy in advanced lung cancer has not been comprehensively explored.

Methods: Ninety lung cancer patients receiving first-line chemotherapy with large panel next-generation sequencing data of pre-treatment tumor tissue were identified.

Expert consensus on multi-disciplinary treatment, whole-course pulmonary rehabilitation management in patients with lung cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease.

Comorbidity of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is very common. Surgical operation is the initial treatment of lung cancer. But surgery operation will aggravate the symptoms of COPD, such as shortness of breath, chest tightness.

Safety and Efficacy of Epitinib for EGFR-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With Brain Metastases: Open-Label Multicentre Dose-Expansion Phase Ib Study.

Background: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had poor prognosis in patients with brain metastasis. The trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of epitinib (HMPL-813), an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), for EGFR-mutant NSCLC with brain metastasis.

Patients And Methods: This open-label, dose-expansion phase Ib study (ClinicalTrials.

Rapid discrimination between tuberculosis and sarcoidosis using next-generation sequencing.

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), has similar clinical, radiological, and histopathological characteristics to sarcoidosis (SA). Accurately distinguishing SA from TB remains a clinical challenge.

Methods: A total of 44 TB patients and 47 SA patients who were clinically diagnosed using chest radiography, pathological examination, routine smear microscopy, and microbial culture were enrolled in this study.

Prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival are associated with diabetes mellitus but inversely associated with levels of blood glucose in patients with lung cancer.

Background: Previous studies have provided conflicting evidence about the increased overall survival (OS) in lung cancer patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) compared with those without DM. This study assessed progression-free survival (PFS)/OS in lung cancer patients with or without DM and tentatively analyzed the impact of blood glucose levels on PFS/OS in lung cancer patients.

Methods: Data were collected from lung cancer patients based upon admission records from January 2010 to January 2012 and follow-up records from January 2010 to January 2015 in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai.

Tumor-derived DNA from pleural effusion supernatant as a promising alternative to tumor tissue in genomic profiling of advanced lung cancer.

Pleural effusion (PE) is commonly observed in advanced lung cancer and was suggested to contain both cell-free tumor DNA and tumor cells. Molecular profiling of PE represents a minimally invasive approach of detecting tumor driver mutations for clinical decision making, especially when tumor tissues are not available. The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy and precision of detecting gene alterations in PE samples to address the feasibility in clinical use.

Calpain 2 knockdown promotes cell apoptosis and restores gefitinib sensitivity through epidermal growth factor receptor/protein kinase B/survivin signaling.

Gefitinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)‑specific drug, is effective for ~1 year, after which resistance is inevitable. Calpain 2 (CAPN2) is known to serve a role in the drug response and resistance in certain cancer therapies. However, the full function of CAPN2, particularly in non‑small cell lung cancer, has not yet been elucidated.

Probability of cancer in high-risk patients predicted by the protein-based lung cancer biomarker panel in China: LCBP study.

Background: The authors built a model for lung cancer diagnosis previously based on the blood biomarkers progastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC), and cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1). In the current study, they examined whether modification of the model to include relevant clinical information, risk factors, and low-dose chest computed tomography screening would improve the performance of the biomarker panel in large cohorts of Chinese adults.

Methods: The current study was a large-scale multicenter study (ClinicalTrials.

Hyaluronan activates Hyal-2/WWOX/Smad4 signaling and causes bubbling cell death when the signaling complex is overexpressed.

Malignant cancer cells frequently secrete significant amounts of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), hyaluronan (HA) and hyaluronidases to facilitate metastasizing to target organs. In a non-canonical signaling, TGF-β binds membrane hyaluronidase Hyal-2 for recruiting tumor suppressors WWOX and Smad4, and the resulting Hyal-2/WWOX/Smad4 complex is accumulated in the nucleus to enhance SMAD-promoter dependent transcriptional activity. Yeast two-hybrid analysis showed that WWOX acts as a bridge to bind both Hyal-2 and Smad4.

A panel of promoter methylation markers for invasive and noninvasive early detection of NSCLC using a quantum dots-based FRET approach.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) leads to a significant proportion of cancer-related deaths, and early detection of NSCLC can significantly increase cancer survival rates. A promising approach has been studied to exploit DNA methylation, which is closely correlated to early cancer diagnosis. Herein, in order to realize the early detection of NSCLC, we utilized the developed quantum dots-based (QDs-based) fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) nanosensor technique to analyze the promoter methylation in early stage NSCLC tissue samples and noninvasive bronchial brushing specimens.

Role of a serum-based biomarker panel in the early diagnosis of lung cancer for a cohort of high-risk patients.

Background: This study applied a combined cancer biomarker panel to clinically identify small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a high-risk population.

Methods: The serum levels of 4 biomarkers (progastrin-releasing peptide [ProGRP], carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA], squamous cell carcinoma antigen [SCC], and cytokeratin 19 fragment [CYFRA21-1]) were determined in 153 patients with a high risk of lung cancer (12 with a new diagnosis of SCLC, 52 with NSCLC, and 89 without lung cancer). Information about diagnosis delays was collected through interviews of all participants.

Prevention and management of lung cancer in China.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In China, the incidence of lung cancer has grown rapidly, resulting in a large social and economic burden. Several researchers have devoted their studies to lung cancer and have demonstrated that there are many risk factors for lung cancer in China, including tobacco use, environmental pollution, food, genetics, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Trafficking protein particle complex 6A delta (TRAPPC6AΔ) is an extracellular plaque-forming protein in the brain.

Tumor suppressor WWOX is involved in the progression of cancer and neurodegeneration. Here, we examined whether protein aggregation occurs in the brain of nondemented, middle-aged humans and whether this is associated with WWOX downregulation. We isolated an N-terminal internal deletion isoform, TPC6AΔ, derived from alternative splicing of the TRAPPC6A (TPC6A) gene transcript.

Early Detection of Lung Cancer in Serum by a Panel of MicroRNA Biomarkers.

Introduction: The objective of the study was to develop a panel of microRNAs (miRNAs) as highly sensitive and specific biomarkers for lung cancer early detection.

Materials And Methods: The study contained 2 phases: first, preliminary marker selection based on previous reports on the serum of 24 early stage lung cancer patients and 24 healthy control subjects by TaqMan probe-based real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR); and second, validation of miRNA markers on 94 early stage lung cancer, 48 stage III to IV lung cancer, and 111 healthy control serum samples.

Results: A total of 3 miRNAs (miR-125a-5p, miR-25, and miR-126) were selected for further analysis in this study.

Duodenal cryptococcus infection in an AIDS patient: retrospective clinical analysis.

Cryptococcal infection primarily affects the lung or the central nervous system and rare cases have been reported involving the gastrointestinal tract. However, among patients with HIV/AIDS, the gastrointestinal involvement is increasing. According to the PubMed search results, there were seven cases reported involving duodenal cryptococcosis combined with AIDS in five reports.

[Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chemotherapy subsequent EGFR-TKI in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR-TKI acquired resistance].

Objective: To explore the therapeutic efficacy and safety of chemotherapy subsequent epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR-TKI acquired resistance.

Methods: The clinical features of 36 advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR-TKI acquired resistance from Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University between May 2006 and April 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-seven of them received chemotherapy subsequent EGFR-TKI and another 9 chemotherapy alone.

The use of mutation-specific antibodies in predicting the effect of EGFR-TKIs in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Purpose: We aimed to quantify the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation in tumors and to analyze its prediction of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) treatment efficacy in EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods: We examined EGFR mutation status in 124 lung cancer samples by direct sequencing and amplification refractory mutation system. Among them, 41 were appropriate to quantify the expression of mutant EGFR proteins using immunohistochemistry (IHC) with mutation-specific antibodies.

[Value of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in early diagnosis of lung cancer].

Objective: To evaluate the application value of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in early diagnosis of lung cancer.

Methods: Retrospective analyses were conducted for 347 cases of pulmonary space-occupying lesions at Zhongshan Hospital from June 2010 to October 2012. The diagnostic validity of PET/CT and fluorodeoxyglucose maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of lesions were compared respectively.

[Value of low-dose spiral computed tomography in lung cancer screening].

Objective: To explore the application value of low-dose spiral computed tomography (LDCT) in lung cancer screening.

Methods: A total of 2251 asymptomatic subjects undergoing chest LDCT scan at Center of Physical Examination, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University between June 2011 and December 2012 were prospectively enrolled. The incidence rates of lung nodule and lung cancer were analyzed to compare the value of LDCT screening in subjects with smoking-related high, medium and low risks of lung cancer.

Self-aggregating TIAF1 in lung cancer progression.

Recent studies have demonstrated that transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β1)-induced antiapoptotic factor (TIAF1) is able to form aggregates in the hippocampi of middle-aged normal individuals. The aggregating TIAF1 induces generation of amyloid beta (Aβ) for causing neurodegeneration. Intriguingly, TIAF1 aggregates are shown, together with Smad4 and Aβ, in the cancer stroma and peritumor capsules of many solid tumors.

Lung cancer in China: challenges and interventions.

In 2008, lung cancer replaced liver cancer as the number one cause of death among people with malignant tumors in China. The registered lung cancer mortality rate increased by 464.84% in the past 3 decades, which imposes an enormous burden on patients, health-care professionals, and society.

[Evaluation of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis of hilar and mediastinal masses of unknown etiologies].

Objective: To explore the diagnostic values of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the patients with hilar and mediastinal masses.

Methods: A total of 91 patients with mediastinal/hilar masses undergoing EBUS-TBNA in Zhongshan Hospital between September 2009 and March 2011 were retrospectively enrolled. Their unknown etiologies were difficult to be assessed by a traditional biopsy.