Molecular testing guidelines for lung adenocarcinoma: Utility of cell blocks and concordance between fine-needle aspiration cytology and histology samples.

Background: Lung cancer is a leading cause of mortality, and patients often present at a late stage. More recently, advances in screening, diagnosing, and treating lung cancer have been made. For instance, greater numbers of minimally invasive procedures are being performed, and identification of lung adenocarcinoma driver mutations has led to the implementation of targeted therapies.

Lung volume reduction surgery using the NETT selection criteria.

Background: The National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) proved that lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) was safe and effective in patients with certain clinical characteristics and using defined inclusion-exclusion criteria. Based on the selection criteria developed in that trial, we performed bilateral LVRS on 49 patients during the period of February 2004 until May 2009.

Methods: Forty-nine patients underwent lung volume reduction by either median sternotomy (10) or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (39) selected according to NETT described parameters.

Detection of lung cancer using weighted digital analysis of breath biomarkers.

Background: A combination of biomarkers in a multivariate model may predict disease with greater accuracy than a single biomarker employed alone. We developed a non-linear method of multivariate analysis, weighted digital analysis (WDA), and evaluated its ability to predict lung cancer employing volatile biomarkers in the breath.

Methods: WDA generates a discriminant function to predict membership in disease vs no disease groups by determining weight, a cutoff value, and a sign for each predictor variable employed in the model.

Lung-volume reduction surgery for pulmonary emphysema: Improvement in body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity index after 1 year.

Objectives: We hypothesized that lung-volume reduction surgery for pulmonary emphysema would improve body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) index, a multidimensional predictor of survival in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We also aimed to identify preoperative predictors of improvement in the BODE index.

Methods: In a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing lung-volume reduction surgery at our center, with the methodology of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial, we compared clinical characteristics before and 1 year after surgery with the Wilcoxon signed rank test.

Prediction of lung cancer using volatile biomarkers in breath.

Background: Normal metabolism generates several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are excreted in the breath (e.g. alkanes).

New and emerging minimally invasive techniques for lung volume reduction.

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) has been shown to improve pulmonary function, exercise capacity, quality of life, and survival in selected patients with heterogeneous emphysema. However, LVRS is a major surgical procedure with potential morbidity and mortality. Minimally invasive techniques are emerging to achieve lung volume reduction without open thoracotomy.

Detection of lung cancer with volatile markers in the breath.

Study Objectives: To evaluate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath as tumor markers in lung cancer. Alkanes and monomethylated alkanes are oxidative stress products that are excreted in the breath, the catabolism of which may be accelerated by polymorphic cytochrome p450-mixed oxidase enzymes that are induced in patients with lung cancer.

Design: Combined case-control and cross-sectional study.