Expression of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 in mesothelioma patients - correlation with clinico-pathological characteristics and outcome: results from the European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP) Mesoscape project.

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis. Although histology and pathologic stage are important prognostic factors, better prognostic biomarkers are needed. The ribosomal protein S6 is a downstream target of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway involved in protein synthesis and cell proliferation.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) as preoperative test before lung resection.

Lung resection is still the only potentially curative therapy for patients with localized non-small lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the presence of cardiovascular comorbidities and underlying lung disease increases the risk of postoperative complications. Various studies have evaluated the use of different preoperative tests in order to identify patients with an increased risk for postoperative complications, associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased morbidity and mortality.

Giant tuberculin reaction associated with the homeopathic drug tuberculinum: a case report.

Giant reactions to the tuberculin skin test are extremely rare and have been previously reported almost exclusively in patients with lepromatous leprosy. We herein report a giant tuberculin reaction associated with the homeopathic drug Tuberculinum in a patient with no evidence of active tuberculosis or leprosy.

Measurement of exhaled alveolar nitrogen oxide in patients with lung cancer: a friend from the past still precious today.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a marker of airway inflammation and indirectly a general indicator of inflammation and oxidative stress. NO is a contributing factor in lung cancer at an early stage and also after chemotherapy treatment of lung cancer. We studied whether exhaled NO levels were altered by three cycles of chemotherapy at diagnosis and after chemotherapy, and whether, directly or indirectly, these changes were related to the course of disease.

Endoscopic and endobronchial ultrasound-guided needle aspiration in the mediastinal staging of non-small cell lung cancer.

Invasive staging of mediastinal lymph nodes is recommended for the majority of patients with potentially resectable non-small cell lung cancer. In the past, 'blind' transbronchial needle aspiration during bronchoscopy and mediastinoscopy, a surgical procedure conducted under general anesthesia, were the only diagnostic methods. The latter is still considered the 'gold standard'; however, two novel, minimally-invasive techniques have emerged for the evaluation of the mediastinum: endoscopic (transesophageal) and endobronchial ultrasound--both performed using a dedicated echoendoscope, facilitating the ultrasound-guided, real-time aspiration of mediastinal lymph nodes.

The role of endobronchial ultrasound in lung cancer diagnosis and staging: a comprehensive review.

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) technology is a relatively new bronchoscopic method of visualizing the tracheobronchial tree, the surrounding pulmonary parenchyma, and the mediastinal structures, with a particular role in lung cancer diagnosis, staging, and treatment. There are 2 types of probes used in EBUS: the peripheral or radial probe (RP) and the linear or convex probe (CP) EBUS, which have technical differences and distinct diagnostic abilities. Both are used for EBUS-guided biopsies and transbronchial needle aspirations (TBNA), which increases the diagnostic yield over conventional bronchoscopic techniques, thus providing advanced information on staging, diagnosis, and treatment.

Prolonged survival after splenectomy in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome: a case report.

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is a rare X-linked immunodeficiency disorder that is characterized by a variable clinical phenotype. Matched donor bone marrow transplantation is currently the only curative therapeutic option. We present the case of a 24-year-old male who was diagnosed at the age of seven with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.

Triplet combination of carboplatin, irinotecan, and etoposide in the first-line treatment of extensive small-cell lung cancer: a single-institution phase II study.

Small-cell lung cancer is a rapidly progressive tumor and median survival is less than 10 months in patients with extensive stage of the disease. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the carboplatin, etoposide, and irinotecan triplet as a first-line treatment in extensive small-cell lung cancer. Chemonaive patients with documented diagnosis of extensive small-cell lung cancer, performance status 0-2, and adequate organ function were eligible.

Metastin is not involved in metastatic potential of non-small cell lung cancer.

Metastin, the product of the KISS-1 gene, seems to represent a strong suppressant of metastasis for some types of cancer. The aim of this study is to explore whether circulating levels of metastin could be used as a marker for the metastatic potential of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as well as a diagnostic marker in NSCLC patients. The possible correlation between metastin and leptin circulating levels was also evaluated.

Phase II study of gemcitabine plus docetaxel as second-line treatment in malignant pleural mesothelioma: a single institution study.

Objective: The combinations of cisplatin-pemetrexed and cisplatin-gemcitabine are considered the standard systemic therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), which is a rapidly progressive tumor. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and clinical benefit of the gemcitabine plus docetaxel regimen in the second-line treatment of this disease.

Patients And Methods: A total of 37 patients with MPM were treated with the combination of docetaxel (80 mg/m) and gemcitabine (1000 mg/m) on day 1 and 14 of a 28-day cycle.

Therapy-induced toxicity of the lungs: an overview.

Unlabelled: Pulmonary toxicity induced by novel antineoplastic agents has not been well characterized because of the simultaneous or sequential use of drugs and a multimodality therapeutic approach. To further investigate this topic, relevant studies were identified through Medline. The generic names of novel antineoplastic agents and the key words pulmonary toxicity, dyspnea and pneumonitis were used for the search.